Nikola Jokic yanked his crimson headband off as soon as he got to Denver’s bench. It did its job, and the Nuggets did theirs, too.
Sporting a headband to help cover up a bloody, first-quarter gash, Jokic steered the Nuggets to a commanding 122-109 win over the Grizzlies on Thursday night to seal a playoff berth with just one game left in the regular season. The win ensures a top-six seed and guarantees they’ll have nothing to do with the play-in tournament.
At 48-33 ahead of Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Lakers, they still have a chance at the No.