The Denver Nuggets wrap up their season at home tonight against the San Antonio Spurs as all eyes go to Nikola Jokic.
Both teams met last weekend in an instant-classic that saw Jokic and Victor Wembanyama battle it out down the stretch.
Jokic and Wembanyama each registered game-breaking plays in clutch-time, but it was ultimately the former’s turnaround shot off one foot — the Somber Shuffle, as the Mile High City affectionately calls it — over Wembanyama’s outstretched fingertips to tip the game in Denver’s favor.
It was a battle of two MVP candidates, and it did not disappoint.
GettyNikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets shoots against Victor Wembanyama #1 of the San Antonio Spurs during the second quarter at Ball Arena on April 4, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.
The big men were faced with another battle in the week following the game. Jokic and Wembanyama each needed to satisfy the 65-game rule in order to be qualified for postseason awards.
Wembanyama, 22, incurred a rib injury early this week that caused him to miss one game and suppress his late-season MVP push. Fortunately, he played his 65th game of the year Friday and obtained eligibility for postseason honors.
Meanwhile, Jokic is still short of the games played threshold.
Interestingly, the Nuggets chose to sideline Jokic in Friday’s game against the Oklahoma City Thunder. The three-time MVP is now on the verge of becoming ineligible for major awards and honors if he doesn’t play today.
Nuggets Team Insider Delivers the Scoop on Nikola Jokic
Denver is coming off a 20-point victory over the Thunder’s junior-varsity squad Friday night. To be fair, neither team deployed its top collection of talent. It turned out to be a rest night all around.
For Oklahoma City, however, the decision made sense. In Wednesday’s win over the L.A. Clippers, the defending champion Thunder secured the top seed in the league for a remarkable third-year in a row, putting it in the same category as some historical giants like Michael Jordan’s Bulls and Larry Bird’s Celtics.
The Nuggets, on the other hand, still had plenty to play for. Even entering today’s game, their seed in the Western Conference is not final. Denver could finish at the third seed or drop to the fourth seed. Today’s game will largely determine that.
Because of Jokic needing to play at least 20 minutes in tonight’s game to satisfy the 65-game rule, many are wondering if the Nuggets will play the star big man or sideline him again.
According to the Denver Post, the expectation is Jokic, who has been listed as questionable for Sunday’s game against the Spurs, will play. It is likely the 31-year-old Nuggets star will play the necessary minutes for the game to count and then immediately head to the bench.
“Then there’s Jokic, who still hasn’t met the 65-game minimum to qualify for awards such as MVP and All-NBA,” the Post wrote. “He has to play at least 15 minutes Sunday if he wants to appear on ballots. He’s expected to play, one team source said, but the final decision on his status will include input from both him and team ownership.”
Nuggets Raise Eyebrows Over Management of Jokic
Many are still wondering why the team chose to sit its superstar Friday. It appeared wiser to play him against Oklahoma City and rule him out against San Antonio. That way, Jokic would’ve met the 65-game threshold and received an extra two days of rest entering Game 1 of the first round of the playoffs.
The only reasonable explanation for withholding Jokic’s participation Friday night is if he was truly injured. Many suspected the three-time MVP was in street clothes because of rest and not injury.
In the unfortunate event Jokic gets hurt today, all this could go down as one of the biggest head-scratching moves by a team.
Let’s hope Jokic soundly makes it to at least 15 minutes tonight.
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