​The Denver Nuggets delivered an impressive 117–109 comeback victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Friday night at Ball Arena, the final home regular season game.

They were propelled by a dominant triple-double from Nikola Jokić, a strong scoring performance from Aaron Gordon, and the return of Jamal Murray, who provided crucial plays in the final minutes.

Jokić recorded 26 points, 16 rebounds, and 13 assists, marking his 34th triple-double of the season. This achievement solidified his status as the first center, and only the third player in NBA history, to average a triple-double over an entire season. His leadership and communication continue to be instrumental.

“If he doesn’t win the MVP it’s the greatest season of all time to not win the MVP,” interim head coach David Adelman shared of the season Jokic has put together.

Denver outscored Memphis 14–1 in the final six minutes to secure the win. The defense certainly locked in, and while it was clear just how tired the Grizzlies were on the second night of a back-to-back, it was also interesting to see Denver clutch up a bit with Russell Westbrook closing in place of Michael Porter Jr., who struggled tonight. The Nuggets’ defense was impressive. Memphis missed their last ten shots and committed four turnovers during that stretch. Desmond Bane led the Grizzlies with 24 points, while Ja Morant and Jaren Jackson Jr. added 21 and 18 points, respectively. Despite their efforts, the Grizzlies couldn’t keep up with Denver’s clutch time offense.

Aaron Gordon led all scorers with 33 points, including eight dunks, many of which were set up by Jokić’s passing to the dunker spot. Gordon’s athleticism and timing were pivotal in keeping the Nuggets within striking distance as he was the only Nugget to score consistently in the first half.

Jamal Murray, returning after missing six games due to a hamstring injury, contributed 15 points, seven assists, and five rebounds. His impact was most notable in the closing moments, where he hit a key jumper to give Denver the lead and followed up with another basket to extend it. Murray’s presence provided a significant boost to the team’s offensive rhythm.

Adelman was impressed by Murray’s resiliency: “Jamal is so interesting. The harder it gets, the more tired he gets, the better he gets – as we all know.”

Russell Westbrook closed in place of Michael Porter Jr. tonight and showcased what he can do in certain matchups defensively while also staying efficient of the offensive end. Clutch defensive stops from Westbrook were just as big of a part of Denver’s win as anything tonight.

With this victory, the Nuggets improved to 49–32, strengthening their position in the Western Conference standings. The win also marked interim head coach David Adelman’s second consecutive victory since taking over the team. This was a big one for a lot of reasons, and while the Nuggets still have some work to do on Sunday to avoid the Play-In, it’s still a big deal to set Denver up a bit. 

One win from home court in the first round

The standings remain insane in the Western Conference with everything packed tightly together. Everything is already set in the Eastern Conference because it’s a fake conference made up of two juggernauts and eight  weak-minded teams. In the West, it’s a bloodbath.

Still, the Nuggets by way of this victory tonight, control their own destiny. Currently positioned in the fourth seed, there are zero tiebreaker scenarios where the Nuggets win their game on Sunday against the Houston Rockets and fall in the standings. If Denver wins, they guarantee home court advantage in the first round against whoever the fifth seed ends up being. Yes, Denver would be on the Oklahoma City Thunder side of the bracket, but it’s a small price to pay if Denver can avoid the Play-In.

Unfortunately, a Nuggets loss would likely cause Denver to fall three spots to the seventh seed in the conference. Only the top six spots avoid the Play-In, meaning that Denver does have something to play for on Sunday. There are scenarios where they lose and don’t fall all the way to seventh, but they’re complicated because of all the tiebreaker combinations. The best thing Denver can do is simply try and win.

Who Denver faces as the fifth seed is entirely dependent on the Los Angeles Clippers. They travel to San Francisco to face the Golden State Warriors, who are also trying to avoid the Play-In. If the Nuggets and Clippers win, they will be the fourth and fifth seeds respectively and tie each other at 50 wins apiece. If the Clippers lose to the Warriors though, it will be the Minnesota Timberwolves the Nuggets likely face in the first round. Minnesota just has to win vs the tanking Utah Jazz to get it done, though they might have to do it without Anthony Edwards after he got suspended for Game 82 due to his 18th technical foul of the season.

There are scenarios where the Nuggets face the Clippers, Timberwolves, Warriors, Lakers, Grizzlies, Rockets, or even Oklahoma City Thunder in the first round of the playoffs. Nothing is set in stone as of this point, and Sunday will be absolute chaos as a result. All 30 teams will play, and the Nuggets will be watching the scoreboards of other games while theirs is going on.

It’s going to be an interesting final 24 hours of the regular season.

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