Nuggets secure No. 3 seed as Jokic hits 65-game mark
Nikola Jokic scored 23 points in the first half of his 65th game to meet NBA award eligibility requirements, as the Denver Nuggets defeated the San Antonio Spurs 128-118 on Sunday night, clinching the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference.
Denver had seven players finish in double figures, led by Julian Strawther with 25 points and Jonas Valanciunas, who posted 16 points and 11 rebounds, News.Az reports, citing AP.
De'Aaron Fox paced San Antonio with 24 points, as the team’s three-game winning streak came to an end. Stephon Castle contributed 10 points, 11 rebounds and nine assists in his return from a two-game absence due to soreness in his left foot.
Spurs All-Star Victor Wembanyama, who had reached award eligibility in the previous game, did not play as he continues to recover from a left rib contusion.
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Jokic did not return for the second half after shooting 7-of-12 from the field, adding eight rebounds, two assists and a block in 18 minutes and 15 seconds of action.
He had been listed as questionable before the game due to a right wrist injury but entered the matchup with 64 appearances this season.
The NBA requires players to appear in at least 65 games to qualify for major individual honors, including MVP, All-NBA selections and Defensive Player of the Year. The league also allows up to two exceptions for games in which a player logs between 15 and 19 minutes and 59 seconds. Jokic had one such exemption remaining.
With the win, Denver improved to 54-28 and will host the No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33) in the first round of the playoffs.
San Antonio, which equaled the third-highest win total in franchise history at 62-20, will face the No. 7 seed, to be determined by the winner of the first play-in game.
Denver seized control early, launching a 22-0 run early in the second quarter and holding San Antonio scoreless for 8 minutes and 45 seconds to build a 63-40 lead. Jokic scored 11 points in the period, while Curtis Jones added 10.
Jones finished the game with 13 points.
Spurs rookie Carter Bryant recorded 13 points, including a dunk over Jokic, along with five rebounds, five assists and three blocks.
The Nuggets will host Minnesota on Saturday afternoon in Game 1 of their first-round playoff series.
The Spurs will open their first-round series at home on Sunday night against the eventual No. 7 seed.
By Nijat Babayev
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