Nuggets clinch playoffs berth on their day off

The Denver Nuggets (48-28) will officially be competing in the NBA playoffs for an eighth consecutive year. They clinched their spot in the Western Conference gauntlet on Tuesday night, and they did not even have to lift a finger. All the fourth-place squad needed was a loss by the seventh-place Phoenix Suns. The Orlando Magic obliged, dishing out a stifling defensive attack in the fourth quarter to earn a 115-111 win. The Nuggets’ group chat is surely blowing up amid the good news.

This is only a small step forward for the 2023 champions, however. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon and the rest of this formidable squad entered the season with championship ambitions and a deeper bench, and both things remain true going into April. Denver has endured injuries throughout the campaign, but it is displaying splendid chemistry during its current six-game winning streak.

Jokic is averaging a triple-double for a second straight season, Murray is posting the best campaign of his career, Tim Hardaway Jr. is drawing Sixth Man of the Year consideration, Peyton Watson has made big strides and the team leads the league in both points per game (121.3) and 3-point shooting percentage (39.5). Translation: the Nuggets are dangerous.

If the season were to end today, they would host the Minnesota Timberwolves (46-29) in the opening round of the playoffs. Denver has suffered some bitter losses at the hands of Chris Finch’s crew in the recent past, most notably in the 2024 postseason, but it did win the head-to-head battle in 2025-26 (3-1). It is too early to preview potential matchups, though.

With six games left in the regular season, the Nuggets can snatch the No. 3 seed from the Los Angeles Lakers (49-26) or slide down to the No. 6 slot. They must remain hungry in the coming weeks, and possibly months.

Denver next visits the abysmal Utah Jazz and will welcome in the Portland Trail Blazers and Memphis Grizzlies next week. If the Nuggets can handle those inferior teams (Blazers are much better than the other two) and grab at least one W versus the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder, they should be well-positioned for another memorable run in the NBA playoffs.