Even without exerting significant effort on Sunday, the Denver Nuggets cemented their position as the third seed in the Western Conference playoffs, ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers.
On the NBA regular season’s closing day, a Nuggets squad that sidelined four of its five primary players defeated a depleted San Antonio Spurs roster, missing Victor Wembanyama, with a score of 128-118 on Sunday.
This victory solidified the third seed in the Western Conference for Denver and guaranteed that the Los Angeles Lakers would conclude the season as the fourth seed.
The Lakers also triumphed, beating the Utah Jazz 131-107, and possessed an opportunity to reclaim the third position on Sunday. Nevertheless, Denver’s victory prevented them from doing so.
Are the undermanned Lakers capable of contending with the Rockets?
As the fourth seed, the Lakers are scheduled to face the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets in the initial round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the third-seeded Nuggets are set to play against the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
The Lakers are poised to commence the postseason with a considerable handicap. Both of their primary point-getters, Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, will enter the playoffs nursing injuries.
Dončić is suffering from a Grade 2 hamstring strain and is reportedly consulting a European expert to hasten his return to play. A return date remains unconfirmed, yet current information indicates he is unlikely to be prepared for the playoff opener.
Austin Reaves, on the other hand, is dealing with a Grade 2 oblique strain, an injury anticipated to keep him off the court for the entirety of the first round.
Did the Nuggets desire the third seed?
Denver benched key players during the final games, including their entire starting lineup in a Friday victory against Oklahoma City, who also rested their main players. This choice fueled conjectures that the Nuggets were intentionally seeking a loss to secure the fourth seed and avoid the Timberwolves, a team that eliminated them from the playoffs two seasons prior.
Subsequently, on Sunday, they rested all of their primary players except for three-time MVP Nikola Jokić. Jokić might have only played to reach 65 games, thus guaranteeing his qualification for end-of-season accolades and All-NBA recognition. Jokić participated for merely 18 minutes, remaining on the bench for the entire second half.
Nonetheless, facing a Spurs team already guaranteed the second seed and playing without Victor Wembanyama, the deployed lineup proved sufficient to secure the triumph. This victory for the Nuggets establishes a potential second-round confrontation featuring Wembanyama against Jokić. However, both franchises must first advance beyond their initial playoff rounds.
Western Conference postseason pairings
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) play-In winner
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) play-In winner
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Western Conference play-in tournament pairings
(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers
(9) LA Clippers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
