Per FantasyData and RotoWire (confirmed as of ~T-2h):
Tim Hardaway Jr. (PROBABLE, left knee soreness) is not in the starting five — he is listed as a bench contributor who is expected to play but not confirmed. (RotoWire lineups, Apr 4; FantasyData, Apr 4)
All statuses unchanged from T-12h entry; no new downgrades or upgrades:
No new injuries or surprise scratches detected since the early research run.
T-12h lines (from early run):
T-2h lines (current, across books):
Line movement assessment: The spread has nudged slightly toward the Spurs at some books (from -1.5 to -2 at BetRivers), while the Nuggets' moneyline has drifted from +115 to +105/+109 — suggesting mild Spurs-side money or public action on San Antonio's 11-game win streak. The total has crept up at certain outlets (242.5 → 243.5), reflecting some over-side action. The movement is modest and consistent with public narrative (Spurs streak) rather than sharp-side steam. The spread disagreement across books (-1.5 at BetMGM vs. -2 at BetRivers) indicates the market is not fully settled — there is line shopping value on Denver +2 at BetRivers.
Denver Advantages:
Denver Vulnerabilities:
KEY UPDATE vs. Early Entry: Wembanyama is no longer questionable — he is fully cleared with no designation. Full rotation available.
No change from early entry. Spurs played GSW (Apr 1) → LAC (Apr 2) → Denver (Apr 4): third game in four nights, second straight road game. Wembanyama sat Apr 2 vs. Clippers for back-to-back load management, giving him two full rest days before this tip. The rest of the rotation played full minutes vs. Clippers. Per coach Mitch Johnson post-Clippers (Heavy.com): "We don't have any more back-to-backs, so that helps him with more recovery time."
In his last outing (Apr 1 vs. Golden State), Wembanyama scored 41 points on 72.7% shooting with 18 rebounds, 3 assists, and 3 blocks in ~29 minutes — leading the Spurs to a 127-113 win (Heavy.com). Over the last 5 games he is averaging 30.0 PPG (MajorWager), well above his season average of 24.7. He is in MVP-race form entering this game.
Spurs Advantages:
Spurs Vulnerabilities:
Both prior season meetings were played without Wembanyama. The Spurs won 139-136 and lost 136-131; this is the first Wembanyama-Jokic matchup of 2025-26. Both prior games combined for 270+ points each.
Spurs are 59-18 (2nd seed, West), 2.0 GB behind OKC (61-16) with no remaining H2H vs. Thunder. Must win out + get help to claim the #1 seed. An 11-game winning streak (also 29-11 on the road) is on the line. Seeding urgency is at its peak with 5 games remaining.