Fans who bought tickets in advance to see the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Denver Nuggets — the No. 1 and 3 teams in the West — probably weren’t thrilled when the starting lineups were released.
With the end of the regular season two days away, the only regular starter available between the two teams was dependable 3-and-D man Lu Dort for the Thunder. Everyone else, including MVP contenders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokić, was ruled out.
That left the starting lineups looking like this:
Thunder: Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Branden Carlson, Jared McCain, Nikola Topić
Nuggets: Julian Strawther, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardaway Jr., Tyus Jones
With Jokić at 64 games played, he is now required to play in the Nuggets’ season finale if he wants to be eligible for the NBA’s end-of-season awards. That game is a road date with the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.
The Nuggets actually had pronounced their entire starting lineup (Jokić, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun) questionable in an injury report, then ruled them all out.
That quintet was five of a whopping 156 players ruled out across the NBA’s 15 games on Friday for injury, illness or rest. That doesn’t include several two-way players who were out in the G League, nor players not currently with their team (Terry Rozier, D’Angelo Russell).
The only team to have no players out: the Detroit Pistons in their game against the Charlotte Hornets. The team with the most players out: the Memphis Grizzlies with 14.
That’s how you get a starting lineups of Toby Okani (4 games played), Adama Bal (7), Jahmai Mashack (29), Dariq Whitehead (4) and Lucas Williamson (5), which is the group Memphis rolled out against the Utah Jazz.
The full list of players ruled out:
Cleveland Cavaliers
Jarrett Allen (right knee injury management)
Thomas Bryant (left calf strain)
Sam Merrill (left hamstring injury management)
Donovan Mitchell (right ankle injury management)
Atlanta Hawks
Jock Landale (right high ankle sprain)
Detroit Pistons
none
Charlotte Hornets
PJ Hall (right ankle fracture)
Coby White (left groin soreness)
Miami Heat
Tyler Herro (right foot soreness)
Nikola Jović (left ankle sprain)
Davio Mitchell (right shoulder contusion)
Norman Powell (right groin soreness)
Dru Smith (right foot soreness)
Washington Wizards
Justin Champagnie (right knee contusion)
Anthony Davis (left finger sprain)
Kyshawn George (left elbow sprain)
Tre Johnson (right foot sprain)
Alex Sarr (left big toe capsulitis)
Tristan Vukcevic (right knee contusion)
Cam Whitemore (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis
Trae Young (low back pain, right quad contusion
New Orleans Pelicans
Saddiq Bey (rest)
Herbert Jones (rest)
Karlo Matković (low back injury management)
Bryce McGowens (right toe fracture)
Yves Missi (right hand/finger sprain)
Trey Murphy III (right ankle sprain)
Dejounte Murray (left hand contusion)
Zion Williamson (right knee injury management)
Boston Celtics
Jayson Tatum (right Achilles management)
Philadelphia 76ers
Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery)
Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery)
Cameron Payne (right hamstring strain)