SALT LAKE CITY — Motivation can be a cruel and fickle mistress.
Technically, the Nuggets didn’t have anything to play for Saturday afternoon, having already clinched the No. 1 seed in the West. Yet the decision to trot out their regular starters suggested otherwise.
A slow, disconcerting start gave way to a more promising finish even if Denver’s reserves faltered in the fourth quarter. The Nuggets finished the road portion of the regular season with a 118-114 loss, dropping their record to 52-29.