Player grades: Thunder help Nuggets' seeding with 127-107 loss
Player grades for the Oklahoma City Thunder's 127-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets.
Ripping the ball away from Nikola Topic before he even crossed halfcourt, Julian Strawther's steal-and-slam was OKC's signal to exit the upside-down world. Finagling the standings with a weekend to go, the reigning NBA champions punted this game to its bigger-picture benefits. The Oklahoma City Thunder completed their necessary mission with a 127-107 loss to the Denver Nuggets .
For the first time in years, most fans likely rooted for this result. Part of the wacky nature of April regular-season hoops. With the first seed clinched, the Thunder have zero incentive to run out their starters in these last two games.
And if anything, they have an incentive to drop this one. The Nuggets are jockeying for the third seed. If they can stay there, that means OKC won't see either of them or the San Antonio Spurs until the Western Conference Finals.
That's why it made strategic sense for the Thunder to sit out their entire rotation — even if it goes against the spirit of the game. And weirdly enough, the Nuggets did the same. For what reason?
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