Ahead of the postseason, the western conference was doing a little bit to hedge their bets. Teams wanted to avoid a first round matchup against the defending champions, OKC. The shorthanded Lakers were an ideal fit. For the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves, going against each other in the postseason has become a rite of passage. David Adelman, in fact, said he didn’t want to play against Luka Doncic if he returned to the Lakers lineup in the first round. Apparently the Timberwolves took that personally. After Chris Finch took a big jab at the eliminated Nuggets, one humbled star had to warn him about his next matchup.

Following the Denver Nuggets’ 110-98 Game 6 defeat and subsequent elimination from the playoffs, Cameron Johnson put a magnifying glass on the reality of postseason strategy. Johnson was responding to claims made by  Finch, who suggested that Denver effectively “chose” to play his team by winning their regular-season finale against the San Antonio Spurs.

Dismissing the idea of calculated matchmaking, Johnson pointed to the specific motivation of the players on the floor during that season-ending victory. “As players, you’re always going to try and win,” Johnson told reporters during the postgame fallout. He emphasized that the win over the Spurs was a matter of individual survival rather than deliberate maneuvering.

“If you’re talking about San Antonio specifically, we’re talking about a group of guys that were playing and fighting for their careers,” Johnson argued. “They were never going to lay down. It’s not about seeking a match, it’s about winning the games that come our way. And then the playoffs come, and you want to do it all over again.”

Talking about the backups who played in that game, he said that they were only doing their best to earn a spot in the rotation. “The guys that won that game did not have Minnesota on their minds, to seek a match up, they wanted to go out there and prove something for themselves, and to the team.”

The Nuggets beat the Spurs 128-118 in that game. In a previous game against OKC, Adelman rested his starters to jockey for playoff positioning. “I think people need to calm down with ‘Let’s play the Lakers.’ If Luka comes back and feels good, do you want to play Luka Doncic? Like, I think you’re messing with the game when you think that,” Adelman said back then.

So the chosey comments aren’t entirely far off. But Johnson wouldn’t allow the efforts of his teammates get negated against a force like Victor Wembanyama.

Chris Finch had a contrasting stance on the Nuggets’ previous opponents

Chris Finch took the bragging rights of beating the Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets a step further. “Denver had the chance to pick who they wanted to play coming down the stretch, and they chose us,” Finch told the reporters after the game.

“We used that as motivation all the way through preparation and through the series. They chose us. They didn’t have to choose us. They chose us, and our guys were up for the challenge of that,” He boasted.

Jockeying for playoff positioning is a sore but common topic. JJ Redick also acknowledged it that everyone was targeting them before Luka Doncic healed from hamstring strain.

But as much bravado Finch had about beating the Nuggets, he was equally fearful about going up against the Spurs in the next round.

 “I’m not sure what we have left standing before we go down there,” Finch said about the San Antonio Spurs, the exact team the Nuggets beat for playoff positioning according to the Wolves HC. 

Finch let his nervousness show since he’s up against a “generational talent” like Victor Wembanyama without Anthony Edwards and Donte DiVincenzo. Like the Nuggets, Finch’s backups will have to fill the void.

As much Finch used that narrative to fuel his locker room, Cameron Johnson has a point. It’s going to fall on the players to carry the team.