Andrew Lopez, ESPNApr 13, 2024, 01:53 AM ET
SAN ANTONIO– The West got a little wilder on Friday night.
With the Denver Nuggets 121-120 loss to the San Antonio Spurs combined with wins by the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolvesthere is now a three-way tie atop the Western Conference heading into the last day of the NBA routine season.
On Wednesday, the Nuggets beat the Timberwolves and took a one-game lead on Minnesota and Oklahoma City. It made the ruling NBA champs the favorites to land the No. 1 seed in the West playoffs.
After Spurs guard Devonte’ Graham‘s 5-foot runner in the lane entered over Nuggets safeguard Jamal Murray with 0.9 staying, whatever altered. The Spurs required a 5-second depend on the taking place inbounds play to seal the success.
“It’s frustrating. I suggest, actually frustrating,” Nuggets coach Michael Malone stated. “We managed our own fate, and what we achieved on Wednesday night, we simply provided it right back, you understand what I suggest?”
On Sunday, the Nuggets play the Grizzlies in Memphis, while the Thunder host the Dallas Mavericks and the Timberwolves host the Phoenix Suns
For Denver, the only method to restore the front runner is if both Oklahoma City and Minnesota lose Sunday.
“It’s simple to get up from Minnesota,” Malone stated. “I imply, our guys were secured, they were focused, they were severe. And I do not believe we had the very same method for tonight’s video game. You had an opportunity to get the 1-seed and now certainly we’ll likely be the 3-seed. End of the day, no matter what seed we are, we understand what we’re capable of. And we got another video game. Let’s attempt to complete it up right in Memphis and get ready for the preliminary.”
This marks the very first time in NBA history that 3 groups through 81 video games have the exact same record and a possibility to catch the No. 1 seed in their particular conference.
Denver led San Antonio by as lots of as 23 points before the Spurs stormed back. Not just was it San Antonio’s biggest resurgence of the season, however it likewise was the Nuggets’ biggest collapse of 2023-24. It likewise connected the second-largest blown lead for Denver in the previous 25 seasons.
In Oklahoma City, Thunder coach Mark Daigneault discovered of the Nuggets’ loss as he was strolling off the Paycom Center court following his group’s 125-107 win over the Milwaukee BucksMatt Tumbleson, the Thunder’s vice president of basketball interactions, notified Daigneault of the upset and provided a caution.
“He stated, ‘This is all [the media] is going to wish to discuss,’ and you guys are actually providing on