The Denver Nuggets are not looking to control their first-round playoff opponent.

The Nuggets hosted the Thunder on Friday in a matchup of Western Conference powers, but most of the stars were in street clothes. Oklahoma City, which has already clinched the league’s best record, rested nine rotation players in an effort to boost Denver’s chances at holding onto the No.

Nikola Jokic and the Denver Nuggets take on the Portland Trail Blazers in a meeting of two Northwest Division teams headed for the postseason. The Nuggets picked up the 136-134 victory — snapping the Spurs' 11-game win streak — after Aaron Gordon forced overtime with a massive dunk.

SAN ANTONIO - The regular-season finale between the Spurs and Nuggets will decide Denver's place in the playoff bracket, and based on how many rotation players

Aaron Gordon and Tim Hardaway Jr. had a brief conversation before the veteran guard signed with the Denver Nuggets.

But with this loss, Houston is locked into the Western Conference's fifth seed. The Rockets (51-30) are one game behind the Lakers (52-29), but Los Angeles took the season series after back-to-back wins in Houston in March. Even if they won their final game and the Lakers lost, the Rockets would still be No. 5 in the conference.

The Denver Nuggets have two playoff scenarios ahead of their regular season finale.

Just as the Los Angeles Lakers were looking like one of the biggest threats in the Western Conference, they suffered multiple major setbacks. That gave the Denver Nuggets an opportunity to snatch the third seed. Suddenly, the Nuggets are the hottest team ...