Nuggets vs. Spurs Season Finale Has Critical Playoff Implications

Luckily for Denver, regardless of what happens on Sunday, they will have home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, the result could impact their first-round opponent.

With a win on Sunday, the Nuggets secure the third seed and will face the Minnesota Timberwolves in the first round. The Nuggets won their season series 3-1, but were knocked out by Minnesota in the second round of the 2024 playoffs, when they were coming off their first-ever championship in 2023.

With a loss on Sunday and a Los Angeles Lakers win over the Utah Jazz, the Nuggets would fall to the fourth seed and face the Houston Rockets in the first round. The Nuggets also beat the Rockets 3-1 in their season series, but who would want to face Kevin Durant and a loaded Rockets team in the first round of the playoffs?

Either way, the Nuggets would be favored in their first-round matchup, and their decision to rest four starters for Sunday's season finale suggests they do not care who they face between the Timberwolves or Rockets.

San Antonio's path to WCF

Despite the Spurs already locking up the second seed, they are not resting their starting lineup like the Nuggets are. While they have listed Victor Wembanyama as questionable, we can expect the Spurs to do what they can to win Sunday's matchup.

If the Spurs can force the Nuggets to the fourth seed, they would avoid that potential second-round matchup. With the Oklahoma City Thunder in first place and the Nuggets potentially in fourth, the two powerhouses would have to play each other for a trip to the Western Conference Finals. If that happens, the Spurs would have to beat either the Los Angeles Lakers or the Minnesota Timberwolves, which are much more favorable matchups for them.

While this is critical for the Spurs, it does not matter as much for the Nuggets. Either way, the Nuggets will have to go through both Oklahoma City and San Antonio en route to the NBA Finals, and the order in which they do so does not make much of a difference. The Spurs have the power to control their path to the Western Conference Finals, which is huge for them.

For the Nuggets, who seem indifferent about their first-round matchup, Sunday's matchup does not have much of an impact. For the Spurs, though, who should be trying to avoid a second-round battle with the Nuggets, will be doing what they can to walk out of the finale with a win.

The Nuggets and Spurs are set to tip off at 6:30 p.m. MT on ESPN in San Antonio.