The Denver Nuggets are one of four teams jockeying for the Nos. 3 to 6 seeds in the West, with the others being the Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Minnesota Timberwolves. Chances are, the Nuggets will face one of them in the first round of the playoffs, and they already have an advantage, having won the regular-season series against two of them.
Houston, we don't have a problem
On Wednesday, the Nuggets figured in a crucial matchup with the Rockets. As expected from a couple of the best teams in the West, it was a tight-knit affair in the first half. However, Denver pulled away in the third quarter, where it led by as many as 24 points behind a combined 34 markers from Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Cameron Johnson, and Christian Braun in the period.
The Nuggets completed the 129-93 victory to secure the regular-season series 3-1. The lone loss occurred in December, with Aaron Gordon and Peyton Watson sitting out the contest due to injuries.
Also, the Nuggets' win pushed them to a 40-26 record, while Houston is just 0.5 games ahead of them at 40-25.
Taking care of business against the rest
Denver has already finished its series with the 40-26 Wolves, securing the first three matchups before losing the fourth bout earlier this month.
The only series that has yet to be decided is against the Lakers, who currently sit in third place in the conference with a 40-25 record.
The rivals have defeated one another once, with their third and final showdown set for Saturday. It will certainly be an interesting affair because both squads will be looking to gain the upper hand in the standings. What the Nuggets have going for them is that Jokic is 21-17 in his head-to-head matchups with LeBron James and 10-9 against Luka Doncic.
Anything can happen between now and the end of the regular season. The four Western contenders can go on a strong run or endure a slump that could define their fate in the playoffs. But wherever the Nuggets end up seeded, as long as it is between the third and sixth spots and not in play-in territory, they should be favored to advance to the second round.
It's also worth mentioning that the Phoenix Suns can crash the party, as they are just 1.5 games behind the No. 6 seed and are winners of three straight. Well, Denver has their number, too, having beaten them twice by an average margin of 20 points per contest. The teams are slated to meet in the regular season one last time later this month.