Jamal Murray scored 21 points, Nikola Jokic had 15 points and 15 rebounds, and the defending champion Denver Nuggets secured the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference with a 126-111 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies on Sunday.

The Nuggets (57-25) matched a franchise high for wins and finished with the same record as Oklahoma City, but the Thunder took the top spot in the West because of a head-to-head tiebreaker. Minnesota’s loss to Phoenix dropped the Timberwolves into third, one game behind Denver.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said the key to matching the franchise record was “not being satisfied with last year.”

“To tie the franchise record for wins in a season is outstanding, especially on the heels of winning a championship,” Malone said. “That’s been the mantra all year long. Not being satisfied.”

Denver, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota were tied at three points going into the game. With three teams vying for the top spot, it was the first time such a deadlock had developed on the last day of the season. The Thunder’s victory over Dallas guaranteed them the top place.

In a first-round playoff series, the Nuggets will take either the Los Angeles Lakers or the New Orleans Pelicans. On Tuesday night, the Pelicans will host the Lakers in a play-in game.

“I’m just happy to be done with the regular season,” Malone said.

“We have the 2 seed, and we’ll tune in Tuesday night and watch the New Orleans-LA game.”

Christian Braun scored 19 points for the Nuggets and Aaron Gordon added 15.

“We just have an identity now,” said Denver forward Michael Porter Jr., who finished with 12 points, five rebounds and four assists. “It’s been a long time since we’ve stared playing together — our core guys. We’ve developed a chemistry.”

GG Jackson led Memphis with a career-high 44 points. Jake LaRavia finished with 29 points for the Grizzlies, who finished 27-55, 13th in the West. Memphis ended the season on a five-game skid.

Jackson, the 45th pick in last year’s draft, began the season as a two-way player. He signed a multi-year contract in February and eclipsed the 40-point mark in his final game of the season.

Denver couldn’t build a significant lead in the first half, until a 9-0 run in the latter stages led to a 66-54 halftime advantage. Denver shot 51% in the half, with Murray scoring 19 points.

An 11-2 burst for Denver to open the second half increased the lead to 21, and the Nuggets eased home, with their starters sitting out the fourth quarter.

While key Denver players like Jokic and Murray were listed as questionable before the game, the team’s regular starters all played.