In the second-to-last game of the regular season, the Utah Jazz will host the Denver Nuggets. The puck drops at Vivint Arena in Salt Lake City at 3:30 p.m. EDT on Saturday.
The Nuggets are the top seed in the Western Conference at 52-28, while the Jazz sit at 36-44 and are eliminated from playoff contention. Denver has dominated the season series, winning two of the three matchups so far.
Updates on Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray’ injury status
With a record of 52-28, the Denver Nuggets have clinched the top seed in the Western Conference, giving them home court advantage throughout the playoffs. The Nuggets are unlikely to have many starters on the court on Saturday afternoon.
Take a look at the injury list. All of Jamal Murray, Nikola Jokic, Michael Porter, Aaron Gordon, and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope have been ruled out.
That’s pretty much the entire starting lineup. I don’t think any of them will play on Saturday. The Nuggets almost beat the Suns on Thursday, but fell 119-115.
Because the Nuggets have already secured the top seed in the Western Conference, they may rest several key players in the final two games.
With nothing on the line when Utah and Denver meet Saturday afternoon in Salt Lake City, it’s unclear who will play, especially since the Nuggets may benefit more from rest than a win and the Jazz may benefit more from a loss.
The Jazz (36-44) were eliminated from postseason contention with a 114-98 home loss to the Oklahoma City Thunder despite missing a number of players.
The Utah Jazz were expected to be one of the worst teams in the NBA after trading away their stars, Rudy Gobert and Donovan Mitchell, in the offseason.
However, they had an unexpectedly strong start, and while they gradually faded, they remained in playoff contention for the majority of the season until a late-season slump.
Overall, they outperformed expectations with a 36-44 record, and they’ve developed some nice pieces in Walker Kessler, Jordan Clarkson, Collin Sexton, and Lauri Markkanen.
In addition, all four of these players are listed as doubtful for Saturday’s game. Given that Utah is now out, don’t expect them to play on Saturday.
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Jazz injuries:
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Talen Horton-Tucker | Ankle | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Collin Sexton | Hamstring | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Lauri Markkanen | Hand | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Rudy Gay | Back | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Kelly Olynyk | Rest | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Jordan Clarkson | Finger | Expected to be out until at least Apr 9 |
| Walker Kessler | Concussion | Expected to be out until at least Apr 12 |
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Nuggets injuries:
| PLAYER | INJURY | STATUS |
| Jamal Murray | Thumb | Game Time Decision |
| Bruce Brown | Knee | Game Time Decision |
| Michael Porter Jr. | Heel | Game Time Decision |
| Reggie Jackson | Back | Game Time Decision |
| Kentavious Caldwell-Pope | Illness | Game Time Decision |
| Nikola Jokic | Calf | Game Time Decision |
| Aaron Gordon | Shoulder | Game Time Decision |
| Collin Gillespie | Lower Leg | Expected to be out until at least Apr 15 |
