Entire Nuggets starting lineup, plus most Thunder starters, among 156 NBA players ruled out Friday

Fans who bought tickets in advance to see the Oklahoma City Thunder play the Denver Nuggets — the No. 1 and 3 teams in the West — probably weren’t thrilled when the starting lineups were released.

With the end of the regular season two days away, the only regular starter available between the two teams was dependable 3-and-D man Lu Dort for the Thunder. Everyone else, including MVP contenders Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Nikola Jokic, was ruled out.

That left the starting lineups looking like this:

Thunder: Lu Dort, Aaron Wiggins, Branden Carlson, Jared McCain, Nikola Topic

Nuggets: Julian Strawther, Bruce Brown, Jonas Valanciunas, Tim Hardway Jr., Tyus Jones

With Jokic at only 64 games played, he is now required to play in the Nuggets’ season finale if he wants to be eligible for the NBA’s end of season awards. That game is a road date with the San Antonio Spurs on Sunday.

The Nuggets actually had pronounced their entire starting lineup (Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Cameron Johnson, Christian Braun) questionable in an injury report, then ruled them all out.

That quintet was five of a whopping 156 players ruled out across the NBA’s 15 games on Friday for injury, illness or rest. That doesn’t include several two-way players who were out in the G League, nor players not currently with their team (Terry Rozier, D’Angelo Russell).

A not small number of the NBA's players were out on Friday.

(AAron Ontiveroz via Getty Images)

The only team to have no players out: the Detroit Pistons in their game against the Charlotte Hornets. The team with the most players out: the Memphis Grizzlies with 14.

Which is how you get a starting lineups of Toby Okani (4 games played), Adama Bal (7), Jahmai Mashack (29), Dariq Whitehead (4) and Lucas Williamson (5), which is the group Memphis rolled out against the Utah Jazz.

We’ll leave you to determine if this is all because of players being too soft,, the game being more high speed than ever, the playoffs being a week away, teams going full tank mode or some other endemic problem in the league.

The full list of players ruled out:

Cleveland Cavaliers

• Jarrett Allen (right knee injury management)
• Thomas Bryant (left calf strain)
• Sam Merrill (left hamstring injury management)
• Donovan Mitchell (right ankle injury management)

Atlanta Hawks

• Jock Landale (right high ankle sprain)

Detroit Pistons

• none

Charlotte Hornets

• PJ Hall (right ankle fracture)
• Coby White (left groin soreness)

Miami Heat

• Tyler Herro (right foot soreness)
• Nikola Jovic (left ankle sprain)
• Davio Mitchell (right shoulder contusion)
• Norman Powell (right groin soreness)
• Dru Smith (right foot soreness)

Washington Wizards

• Justin Champagnie (right knee contusion)
• Anthony Davis (left finger sprain)
• Kyshawn George (left elbow sprain)
• Tre Johnson (right foot sprain)
• Alex Sarr (left big toe capsulitis)
• Tristan Vukcevic (right knee contusion)
• Cam Whitemore (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis
• Trae Young (low back pain, right quad contusion

New Orleans Pelicans

• Saddiq Bey (rest)
• Herbert Jones (rest)
• Karlo Matkovic (low back injury management)
• Bryce McGowens (right toe fracture)
• Yves Missi (right hand/finger sprain)
• Trey Murphy III (right ankle sprain)
• Dejounte Murray (left hand contusion)
• Zion Williamson (right knee injury management)

Boston Celtics

• Jayson Tatum (right Achilles management)
• Philadelphia 76ers
• Johni Broome (right knee surgery recovery)
• Joel Embiid (appendectomy recovery)
• Cameron Payne (right hamstring strain)

Indiana Pacers

• Johnny Furphy (right ACL tear)
• Tyrese Haliburton (right Achilles tear)
• T.J. McConnell (bilateral hamstring injury management)
• Andrew Nembhard (thoracic and lumbar injury management)
• Aaron Nesmith (cervical strain)
• Ben Sheppard (right hip sprain)
• Pascal Siakam (left ankle sprain)
• Ivica Zubac (rib fracture)

Toronto Raptors

• RJ Barrett (right knee soreness)
• Chucky Hepburn (right knee surgery recovery)
• Trayce Jackson-Davis (illness)
• Colliin Murray-Boyles (neck sprain)
• Immanuel Quickley (right foot injury management)

New York Knicks

• Tyler Kolek (right oblique strain)
• Miles McBride (pelvic injury management)
• Mitchell Robinson (left ankle injury management)

Brooklyn Nets

• Nic Claxton (right finger sprain)
• Noah Clowney (left ankle injury management)
• Egor Demin (left plantar fascia injury management)
• Terance Mann (right patella tendinosis)
• Josh Minott (left ankle soreness)
• Michael Porter Jr. (left hamstring strain)
• Drake Powell (left knee injury management)]
• Day’Ron Sharpe (left thumb surgery)
• Ziaire Williams (left foot tenosynovitis/bursitis
• Danny Wolf (left ankle sprain)

Milwaukee Bucks

• Giannis Antetokounmpo (left knee hyperextension/bone bruise/disagreement)
• Gary Harris (right groin tightness)
• Pete Nance (right knee sprain)
• Kevin Porter Jr. (right knee surgery)
• Bobby Portis (left wrist sprain)
• Ryan Rollins (right hip strain)
• Gary Trent Jr. (oblique muscle strain)

Dallas Mavericks

• Daniel Gafford (rest)
• Kyrie Irving (left knee surgery)
• Dereck Lively II (right foot surgery)
• Naji Marshall (left hip contusion)
• Caleb Martin (right plantar fascia strain)
• Klay Thompson (illness)
• P.J. Washington (left elbow sprain)
• Brandon Williams (illness)

San Antonio Spurs

• Stephon Castle (left foot soreness)
• David Jones Garcia (right ankle surgery)

Orlando Magic

• Jett Howard (left ankle sprain)
• Jonathan Isaac (left knee sprain)

Chicago Bulls

• Zach Collins (right toe sprain)
• Noa Essengue (left shoulder surgery)
• Josh Giddey (left hamstring injury management)
• Isaac Okoro (left quad contusion)
• Nick Richards (right elbow sprain)
• Anfernee Simons (left ulnar styloid fracture)
• Jalen Smith (right calf sprain)
• Guerschon Yabusele (left shoulder sprain)

Oklahoma City Thunder

• Alex Caruso (rest)
• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (right oblique injury management)
• Isaiah Hartenstein (left soleus injury management)
• Chet Holmgren (low back spasms)
• Isaiah Joe (left knee soreness)
• Ajay Mitchell (left ankle injury management)
• Thomas Sorber (right ACL surgery recovery)
• Cason Wallace (left toe soreness)
• Jalen Williams (right hamstring injury management)
• Jaylin Williams (right Achilles tendinitis)

Denver Nuggets

• Christian Braun (left ankle injury management)
• Aaron Gordon (right hamstring injury management)
• Cameron Johnson (right ankle injury management)
• Nikola Jokic (right wrist injury management)
• Spencer Jones (right hamstring strain)
• Jamal Murray (right shoulder impingement)
• Peyton Watson (right hamstring strain)

Memphis Grizzlies

• Santi Aldama (right knee surgery recovery)
• Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (right finger surgery recovery)
• Brandon Clarke (right calf strain)
• Walter Clayton Jr. (left hip soreness)
• Cedric Coward (low back soreness)
• Zach Edey (left ankle and elbow surgery recovery)
• Taylor Hendricks (right thumb sprain)
• GG Jackson (left knee soreness)
• Ty Jerome (left ankle sprain)
• Ja Morant (left UCL sprain)
• Scotty Pippen Jr. (right toe surgery recovery)
• Olivier-Maxence Prosper (right ankle soreness)
• Cam Spencer (low back soreness)
• Jaylen Wells (right toe surgery recovery)

Utah Jazz

• Isaiah Collier (left hamstring strain)
• Kyle Filipowski (low back injury management)
• Keyonte George (right hamstring strain)
• Elijah Harkness (left hamstring strain)
• Jaren Jackson Jr. (left knee injury recovery)
• Walker Kessler (left shoulder injury recovery)
• Lauri Markkanen (right hip impingement)
• Jusuf Nurkic (nose injury recovery)
• Brice Sensabaugh (rest)

Minnesota Timberwolves

• Rudy Gobert (rest)
• Bones Hyland (right hip soreness)
• Julius Randle (right hand soreness)
• Naz Reid (right shoulder injury maintenance)

Houston Rockets

• Steven Adams (left ankle surgery)
• Fred VanVleet (right ACL repair)

Golden State Warriors

• Jimmy Butler III (right ACL surgery)
• LJ Cryer (right ankle sprain)
• Seth Curry (left adductor injury management)
• Moses Moody (left patellar tendon surgery)
• Quinten Post (right foot injury management)

Sacramento Kings

• DeMar DeRozan (right hamstring soreness)
• Drew Eubanks (left thumb repair)
• De’Andre Hunter (left eye retinal repair)
• Zach LeVine (right finger tendon repair)
• Keegan Murray (left ankle sprain)
• Domantas Sabonis (left knee meniscus repair)
• Russell Westbrook (right toe injury management)

Los Angeles Clippers

• Bradley Beal (left hip fracture)
• Isaiah Jackson (right ankle sprain)
• Yanic Konan Niederhauser (right Lisfranc ligament tear)

Portland Trail Blazers

• Jerami Grant (right calf strain)
• Vit Krejci (left calf contusion)
• Damian Lillard (left Achilles injury management)

Phoenix Suns

• Devin Booker (right ankle injury management)
• Jordan Goodwin (left ankle sprain)
• Jalen Green (right knee sorenesS)
• Haywood Highsmith (right knee injury management)

Los Angeles Lakers

• Luka Doncic (left hamstring strain)
• Jaxson Hayes (left foot injury management)
• Austin Reaves (left oblique strain)