The Denver Nuggets (56-25) are in action tonight for the final game of the regular season as they wrap up their year against the Memphis Grizzlies (27-54). All 30 teams are in action today, and the final seedings for 15 different playoff spots are still up for grabs, including each of the top three spots in the Western Conference. 

For the Nuggets, they dropped their last game against the San Antonio Spurs on the road, and they need a little help to lock up the top spot in the West. With a win and losses by both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver would claim the top seed. However, if either of those teams come away with a victory, Denver will settle into the three seed no matter how their game ends. 

For Memphis, the injury bug has bitten them hard this year, and their plans for playoff glory were derailed long ago. They’re 3-7 over their last 10 games, and, despite playing with a severely diminished lineup, they’ll be looking to play spoiler and build some momentum into the summer with some players hoping to gain steam as they look for contracts in free agency.

The Essentials

Who: Denver Nuggets (56-25, 33-17 away) @ Memphis Grizzlies (27-54, 9-31 home)

When: 1:00 p.m. MST

Where: FedEx Forum

How to watch/listen: Denver Stiffs does not condone piracy..unless it’s the romanticized 18th-century type. AltitudeTV where available. League Pass for non-Denver market viewers. Show up in Memphis. 92.5 FM KKSE Altitude Sports Radio

Expected Starting Lineups:

MEM: PG Scotty Pippen Jr., SG Jordan Goodwin, SF GG Jackson, PF Jake LaRavia, C Trey Jemison

DEN: PG Jamal Murray, SG Kentavious Caldwell-Pope, SF Michael Porter Jr., PF Aaron Gordon, C Nikola Jokic

Injuries: Essentially every player on the Grizzlies is out, and every player in the Nuggets’ rotation is going to play but will likely have a minutes limit

Things to Watch

How Long Do They Play?

As I said previously, the Nuggets still have an outside shot at the top seed in the West. However, I doubt that they’ll be playing for that with all of the help that they need. The question then becomes whether or not the starters will play the full game or just the first half, which is what I’m expecting here. During that time, I’d expect Denver to maybe work on some things that have been giving them trouble as of late ahead of the playoffs.

Scrappy Play

This Memphis roster has been scrappy all season long. They never seem to roll over easily, and they’ve been waiting for a moment like this. They can come out and put up some high-scoring numbers against the reigning champs to close out their year strong. If Denver does plan on playing their starters the full game, I don’t see that being as easy as some people might think.