Denver Nuggets Playoff Tracker

After missing the playoffs the past five seasons, the Denver Nuggets have clinched a spot in this year’s postseason. Here’s everything to keep track of who they will be playing once they get there.

The past couple years have seen the Denver Nuggets fighting for a playoff spot in the season’s final days — falling just a game short both times.

This year, that won’t be a problem. The Nuggets clinched their playoff berth March 18 with a win over the Celtics.

It’s Denver’s first playoff appearance since 2013.

The Nuggets led the Western Conference for most of the first half of the season, eventually settling in comfortably in second.

There’s a lot of basketball still to be played, though. So here’s everything you could need to know about the Nuggets playoff chances.

Western Conference Standings

Team                                    Record         G.B.     Last 10    Remaining S.O.S.*

Golden State Warriors              52-24              – –             7-3              20

Denver Nuggets                         51-25              1                7-3               4

Houston Rockets                       49-28              3.5             7-3              28

Portland Trail Blazers                48-28              4                8-2              10

Utah Jazz                                      46-30               6               9-1               17

Los Angeles Clippers                 47-31               6               8-2               5

San Antonio Spurs                     44-33               8.5            6-4               27

Oklahoma City Thunder            44-33               8.5           3-7                8

Rank among NBA teams. The lower the number, the tougher the schedule, provided by Tankathon.

Sitting a game behind the Warriors with just six games to go, the Nuggets have a legitimate chance to secure the No. 1 seed — especially with a game against the Warriors remaining.

Here’s what will have to happen for the Nuggets to grab the top spot

For the First Seed

If GSW Go    Denver Must Go

6-0                             Impossible

5-1                              6-0

4-2                              5-1

3-3                              4-2

2-4                              3-3

1-5                              2-4

0-6                              1-5

But if nothing else, the goal should be the second seed and home court advantage throughout the first two rounds of the playoffs. But, they will have Houston and Portland chasing them.

Here’s how they can clinch that No. 2 seed.

For The Second Seed

If Portland Goes  Denver Must Go   If Houston Goes     Denver Must Go

6-0                                   4-2                              5-0                                      4-2

5-1                                   3-3                              4-1                                      3-3

4-2                                   2-4                              3-2                                      2-4

3-3                                   1-5                              2-3                                      1-5

2-4                                    0-6                             1-4                                      0-6

Tiebreakers

The Nuggets hold the season advantage over the Trailblazers, winning both of the two matchups so far. But with two matchups remaining, Denver hasn’t clinched the tiebreaker yet.

The Rockets clinched the season series 3-1 with a win over Denver last week.

The Warriors claim the tiebreaker against the Nuggets, holding a 2-1 record against Denver this season. The Nuggets two have one remaining matchup, however, so neither has clinched the season series yet.

Remaining Schedules

Golden State                        Denver                          Oklahoma City

Vs. Denver*                                     @ Golden State*                Vs. L.A. Lakers

Vs. L.A. Lakers                                Vs. San Antonio*                Vs. Detroit*

Vs. Cleveland                                  Vs. Portland*                      @ Minnesota

Vs. L.A. Clippers*                            @ Portland*                       Vs. Houston*

@ New Orleans                             @ Utah*                              @ Milwaukee*

@ Memphis                                    Vs. Minnesota

Houston                               Portland                         San Antonio

@ Sacramento                          @ Minnesota                         Vs. Atlanta

@ L.A. Clippers*                         Vs. Memphis                         @ Denver

Vs. New York                              @ Denver*                             @ Washington

Vs. Phoenix                                 Vs. Denver*                            @ Cleveland

@ Oklahoma City*                    @ L.A. Lakers                        @ Dallas

Vs. Sacramento

Utah                                       Los Angeles

Vs. Charlotte                               Vs. Houston*

@ Phoenix                                   Vs. L.A. Lakers

Vs. Kings                                       @ Golden State*

@ L.A. Lakers                              Vs. Utah*

Vs. Denver*

@ L.A. Clippers*

* Currently in the playoffs

Now, with the Nuggets in a battle with the Warriors, Nuggets fans will naturally start rooting against the Golden State.

I’m not going to pretend I have any idea how the bottom half of the Western Conference is going to play out.

Ideally, though, the Nuggets would get the Clippers in the first round, then either the Blazers or Spurs in round 2. But that likely won’t happen.

Denver will most likely want to avoid the Thunder in the first round — despite their recent success against OKC — and the Rockets in the second round.