Oklahoma City Thunder at Denver Nuggets
· National Basketball AssociationNuggets win 11th straight, beating Thunder 127-107 in battle of reserves as playoffs approach
Denver (53-28) won its 11th straight game to secure at least the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. Julian Strawther finished with 22 points and David Roddy had a season-high 21 points.
The Nuggets sat their entire starting lineup despite battling for home-court advantage in the first round. A 21-5 run to open the fourth quarter gave them the win they needed and kept them in position for the No. 3 seed. Denver entered with a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, who were hosting Phoenix.
The Nuggets, who finish the season at San Antonio on Sunday night, prioritized rest over seeding.
“I think you just have to play it out with decisions that are best for your team,” coach David Adelman said before the game. “And we feel like tonight, this is the best decision.”
Oklahoma City clinched the top seed overall Wednesday night and opted to rest most of its starting lineup. Lu Dort was the only starter who played for the Thunder and finished with five points. Coach Mark Daigneault said Dort needs to play at least 20 minutes in each of the final two games to qualify for season awards.
Daigneault called timeout early in the third quarter when Dort hit the 20-minute mark.
Branden Carlson led the Thunder with 23 points.
Using just an eight-man rotation, the Thunder closed a nine-point deficit to 87-85 late in the third. Zeke Nnaji then hit a corner 3-pointer for Denver to spark a 17-0 run.
Nuggets: At San Antonio on Sunday night.
Regular Season Series
OKC wins series 3-1
Recent Plays
| 4th 0.0 |  |
End of Game | 107 - 127 |
| 4th 0.0 | |
End of the 4th Quarter | 107 - 127 |
| 4th 8.6 |  |
shot clock turnover | 107 - 127 |
| 4th 31.8 |  |
Nikola Topic bad pass turnover (David Roddy steals) | 107 - 127 |
| 4th 37.4 | |
KJ Simpson makes driving layup | 107 - 127 |
Statistics
 OKC |
 DEN |
|
|---|---|---|
| 42-99 | FG | 47-93 |
| 42 | Field Goal % | 51 |
| 14-44 | 3PT | 21-43 |
| 32 | Three Point % | 49 |
| 9-12 | FT | 12-13 |
| 75 | Free Throw % | 92 |
| 46 | Rebounds | 49 |
| 15 | Offensive Rebounds | 10 |
| 31 | Defensive Rebounds | 39 |
| 25 | Assists | 28 |
| 11 | Steals | 10 |
| 1 | Blocks | 7 |
| 13 | Turnovers | 16 |
| 0 | Team Turnovers | 1 |
| 13 | Total Turnovers | 17 |
| 0 | Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Total Technical Fouls | 0 |
| 0 | Flagrant Fouls | 0 |
| 21 | Points Conceded Off Turnovers | 19 |
| 9 | Fast Break Points | 16 |
| 46 | Points in Paint | 40 |
| 15 | Fouls | 10 |
| 2 | Largest Lead | 21 |
| 2 | Lead Changes | 2 |
| 1 | Percent Led | 97 |
Denver Nuggets Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Aaron Gordon, F | Out | May 1 |
| Peyton Watson, G | Out | Apr 29 |
Oklahoma City Thunder Injuries
| NAME, POS | STATUS | DATE |
|---|---|---|
| Jalen Williams, G | Out | May 29 |
| Ajay Mitchell, G | Out | May 29 |
| Thomas Sorber, C | Out | Sep 5 |
Game Information
Location: Denver, CO
Attendance: 20,014 · Capacity:
2025-26 Northwest Standings
| TEAM | W | L | PCT | GB | STRK |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 Oklahoma City |
64 | 18 | .780 | - | L2 |
 Denver |
54 | 28 | .659 | 10 | W12 |
 Minnesota |
49 | 33 | .598 | 15 | W2 |
 Portland |
42 | 40 | .512 | 22 | W2 |
 Utah |
22 | 60 | .268 | 42 | L1 |
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