The worst loss of the Nuggets’ season immediately followed its best win.

Here are three takeaways from Denver’s 121-120 loss Friday in San Antonio:

1. That was the least professional performance from the Nuggets in a long, long time. Sure, there have been a handful of disappointing performances throughout the season but none compare in magnitude to Friday’s disaster. Letting a 17-point lead dissolve in the final 10 minutes cost Denver two places in the Western Conference standings. Minnesota, Oklahoma City and Denver enter the final game of the regular season with identical 56-25 records, but the Thunder and Timberwolves both own tiebreakers over Denver. The Nuggets need the Suns to win in Minnesota and the Mavericks to win in Oklahoma City, coupled with a Denver win in Memphis, on Sunday to finish with the No. 1 seed.

2. Seeding wasn’t the only thing at stake Friday. Denver lost the opportunity to set a new franchise record for regular season wins. Now, the best Denver can do is match the 57 wins from the 2012-13 squad. One more win would move Michael Malone past George Karl for most regular season wins as Nuggets coach. That loss wasn’t about coaching, and Malone deserved better from his players.

3. Denver played like a half-hearted performance would be enough to keep its lead in the West. The Nuggets gave up 32 or more points in three of the four quarters. The exception was San Antonio’s 18-point second quarter, proving what was possible with a little effort. The Spurs finished with a 49-32 advantage on the glass. Nikola Jokic (7) and Peyton Watson (6) were the only Nuggets to grab more than five rebounds. The Nuggets also settled for 3-point attempts when they needed offense in the fourth quarter but finished 13 for 36 from 3.

SPURS 121, NUGGETS 120

What happened: Spurs guard Devonte Graham scored four points in the final 30 seconds for a shocking upset that reset the Western Conference standings.

San Antonio led by a point to start the second, but a 25-9 run in the final seven minutes of the second gave Denver a 68-50 lead at halftime. The Nuggets led by as many as 23 in the third but settled for a 13-point advantage to start the fourth. San Antonio made it a one-possession game in the final minutes and closed the game with a 4-0 spurt in the final 30 seconds.

What went right: Well, at least Jamal Murray continued to play well individually. Denver’s starting point guard scored a game-high 35 points on 14-of-26 shooting. He went 5 of 11 from 3, sunk both of his free throws and added five rebounds with four assists. He was also the only player to get back on Graham’s go-ahead bucket.

What went wrong: The Nuggets let Victor Wembanyama score 17 of his 34 points in a three-minute stretch of the third quarter and gave up 34 points in the decisive fourth quarter. Worst of all, the Nuggets didn’t even get a look at a game-winning buzzer beater, as Murray couldn’t find an open teammate in the allotted five seconds.

Highlight of the night: The only way Peyton Watson’s driving dunk in the second quarter would’ve been better is if Victor Wembanyama decided to contest. After Christian Braun kicked the ball out to the right wing, Watson took one dribble and took off for a tomahawk dunk with Wembanyama opting to watch. The Spurs rookie also opted to watch in the third quarter, when Watson stole a pass and finished with a reverse, double-pump dunk in transition.

Up next: The Nuggets conclude the regular season with a Sunday matinee in Memphis.