Raptors beat Nuggets as starters focus on rest

The regular season “seeding play” portion of the NBA restart is wrapping up, with the playoffs starting Monday. Here’s the Denver Post on today’s Nuggets game:

For seeding purposes, Friday’s game between the Nuggets and Raptors was meaningless, and both teams would treat it as such. The Nuggets’ playoff quest begins Monday vs. Utah, and they would do nothing to jeopardize the availability of the team’s regulars.

On the bus ride to the arena, Denver’s coaching staff got word Toronto planned to rest several of its starters, including Kyle Lowry, Fred VanVleet and Pascal Siakam. The Nuggets acted accordingly, limiting starters Nikola Jokic and Jamal Murray to just 10 minutes each.

The Raptors hung on against most of Denver’s reserves, winning the final game of the regular season, 117-109. The Nuggets finished the regular season 46-27, content to cede minutes to reserves Monte Morris, P.J. Dozier and Troy Daniels.

In the win for the Raptors, Stanley Johnson came off the bench to put up 23 points, four rebounds and six assists, while Paul Watson, also off the bench, had 22 points and six rebounds.

In the loss for the Nuggets, PJ Dozier off the bench had 20 points, five rebounds, eight assists and two steals.

Author: Inside Hoops

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