NBA teams rest 168 players as Jokic and Gilgeous-Alexander sit out
At least 168 players, including recent Most Valuable Player award winners Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, were held out of Friday’s penultimate NBA regular-season fixtures.
All 30 franchises were in action for game 81 of the gruelling 82-game basketball schedule.
However, the Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets opted to rest all of their regular starters.
The Memphis Grizzlies were among the most severely depleted rosters, with 14 squad members absent through injury or illness.
Focus shifts to the postseason
The Thunder have already secured the number one overall seed for the upcoming Western Conference playoffs.
Head coach Mark Daigneault insisted his squad had earned the right to manage their physical workloads.
“If we didn’t clinch coming into tonight, everybody would be playing.”
Mark Daigneault explained to reporters before tip-off.
The situation remains slightly different for the Nuggets and their Serbian superstar.
Award eligibility drives playing time
Denver entered the weekend still battling for vital playoff seeding.
Furthermore, their three-time league MVP requires one more appearance to meet the NBA’s strict 65-game threshold for end-of-season awards.
It is widely expected he will feature in Sunday’s finale to ensure his name remains on the official ballot.
San Antonio Spurs phenomenon Victor Wembanyama successfully cleared that identical hurdle on Friday night.
The French rookie needed to play precisely 20 minutes to reach his required 65-game total.
“If I had 65 games before, I for sure wouldn’t have played.”
Victor Wembanyama admitted after logging 26 minutes on the court.
The towering center still managed to deliver a breathtaking performance, finishing with 40 points, 13 rebounds and five assists.
Record-breaking shooting in Boston
Elsewhere across the league, the Boston Celtics equalled an all-time NBA record by sinking 29 three-pointers.
It marks only the fourth time in league history a franchise has hit that astonishing number from beyond the arc.
“Hopefully, we didn’t use them all up in one game.”
Joked Celtics head coach Joe Mazzulla following the historic shooting display.
Meanwhile, the Golden State Warriors utilised their penultimate fixture to fine-tune their starting lineup.
Head coach Steve Kerr reunited veteran mainstays Stephen Curry and Draymond Green as the team prepares for the high-stakes play-in tournament.
