Mar 27, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) passes the ball up the floor after a rebound during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

Nuggets Can Clinch Playoff Spot in One Simple Way

Originally posted on Denver Nuggets on SI | By Jared Koch | Last updated Mar 31, 2026 5:26 PM ET

Now just under two weeks to go until the 2025-26 NBA season comes to a close, the Denver Nuggets are right within reach of claiming their ticket to be one of the select six playoff teams in the Western Conference to advance to the postseason without having to fight their way through the Play-In Tournament.

And in order to officially stamp their place within the playoff picture just under two weeks out from the season coming to a close, the Nuggets now just need one simple result to fall in their favor in March 31st's slate of games––one that they don't even control their own destiny in.

If the Orlando Magic defeat the Phoenix Suns in their Tuesday matchup, dropping the Suns to their 34th loss of the year, it will effectively allow the Nuggets to clinch their own standing in the playoffs as a top-six seed.

Postseason scenarios for Tuesday, March 31 ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/Oh5gSQzHP2
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) March 31, 2026

The Nuggets, of course, can cement their own fate moving forward once they finish off the final games of the regular season that won't require outside help from the Magic or another team, but this could certainly help decipher their fate much quicker.

Nuggets Need Magic Win to Clinch Playoff Berth

It's a credit to the Nuggets and their resiliency to still be able to claim a top seed in the conference over a week away from the season ending, most notably because of how beaten-up they were due to injury all season long.

Key names in their rotation such as Christian Braun, Peyton Watson, Aaron Gordon, and of course, three-time league MVP Nikola Jokic, all missed significant time across the year due to their respective injury issues that caused a ripple effect for David Adelman and his rotation decisions.

Despite that adversity, though, the Nuggets have been able to prevail thanks to their outstanding depth who stepped up in the place of those to miss time, along with the likely All-NBA emergence of Jamal Murray to carry the offensive load throughout.

Christopher Hanewinckel-Imagn Images

And now that the Nuggets have only gotten healthier and more potent, it's only heightened the ceiling of just how this group could look in the postseason that now sits just weeks away from ensuing, especially as they now sit in the midst of a lengthy five-game win streak.

The Nuggets' official seeding and first-round matchup will become clearer in due time once those final regular season games shake out. But with just one more win to fall their way for Orlando, it could be the final domino that needs to fall before Denver claims an eighth-consecutive playoff berth, the second-longest streak currently standing in the NBA.

This article first appeared on Denver Nuggets on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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