The Denver Nuggets will look to secure the top spot in the Western Conference when they clash with the undermanned San Antonio Spurs on Friday, marking the second last game of the regular season for both squads.

Coming off a thrilling 116-107 victory against the Minnesota Timberwolves on Wednesday, the Nuggets (56-24) claimed the lead in the Western Conference standings.

Nikola Jokic, a two-time NBA MVP, shot an impressive 16 of 20 from the field and tallied 41 points, with 24 of them coming in the second half during the Wednesday’s win. He also contributed 11 rebounds, seven assists, and three steals for the Nuggets, who have a chance to secure the top position in the West by clinching victories against San Antonio on Friday and Memphis on Sunday.

Jamal Murray, despite being injured, managed to score 20 points for Denver, while Michael Porter Jr. added 18.

With the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder both trailing Denver by just one game in the West standings, the Nuggets must maintain their performance in the final two matches.

“I have a feeling that we’re probably going to see (Minnesota) again in the playoffs,” Denver coach Michael Malone said. “It will be a hell of a series because they’re a very good team. They’re well-coached and they have a lot of talent over there.”

After trailing by up to seven points, the Nuggets finished the third quarter with a 9-1 run, establishing a narrow three-point lead of 83-80 that carried into the final quarter where they dominated the game.

Following a 127-89 defeat against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, the Spurs are back home for their final two matches. Victor Wembanyama, a former top rookie contender, missed the game due to a right ankle injury.

Zach Collins led the Spurs with 20 points in the loss to Oklahoma City, marking their second consecutive season with 60 losses, and the fourth such season in franchise history. San Antonio struggled with only 11 points in a dismal first quarter and shot a season-low 33.3 percent from the field in the defeat.

In the same game, Sidy Cissoko achieved a career-best 14 points for the Spurs, with RaiQuan Gray and Tre Jones contributing 13 points each. Both Cissoko and Gray had been playing in the G-League throughout the season until recently.

“Doesn’t matter what’s going on on the court, it’s about them executing — how to play not just with each other, but improving their individual games,” San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said of his inexperienced players.

“They’re all young guys trying to make a career. So all the minutes of that experience adds up over time.”

Devin Vassell, Jeremy Sochan, and Keldon Johnson have been sidelined due to injuries, leaving the Spurs (20-60) with a depleted lineup.

San Antonio must secure a victory in one of their remaining two matches to avoid tying their worst-ever full-season record in franchise history of 20-62 set in 1997.

Although facing the Nuggets presents a tough challenge, the Spurs will conclude the season against the struggling Detroit Pistons, one of the two teams (along with Washington) with a worse performance than San Antonio in the 2023-24 season.