Nuggets clinch No. 1
The Denver Nuggets clinched the NBA’s No. 1 seed on the final day of the regular season, securing home‑court advantage through at least the conference semis. CBS Sports notes Denver finished atop the bracket as the postseason field was finalized and the schedule was set. (cbssports.com)
Denver finished the regular season as the Western Conference’s No. 3 seed, beating out the Los Angeles Lakers on the final day and locking in home court for its first-round series. (cbssports.com) The Nuggets closed 53-28, one game ahead of the Lakers at 52-29, according to the final standings. Denver also reached the playoffs on an 11-game winning streak, while Oklahoma City and San Antonio had already secured the West’s top two seeds. (espn.com) (nba.com) That result set Denver against the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves in the 3-versus-6 matchup. Game 1 is scheduled for Saturday, April 18, at 3:30 p.m. Eastern at Ball Arena and will stream on Prime Video. (nba.com) (cbssports.com) The West bracket stayed unsettled until the last day because seeds three through 10 were still moving late in the week. CBS Sports reported before Sunday that one playoff spot and 10 postseason seeds were still up for grabs entering the finale. (cbssports.com) Denver’s late push changed the shape of that bracket. Instead of dropping into the play-in race or sliding behind Los Angeles, the Nuggets moved into the upper half of the playoff field and avoided the SoFi Play-In Tournament entirely. (cbssports.com) (nba.com) The reward is immediate but limited. As the No. 3 seed, Denver opens at home against Minnesota and would host a conference semifinal only if the bracket breaks its way, because the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder and second-seeded San Antonio Spurs hold the higher seeds above it. (nba.com) (espn.com) The full Western first round now has Denver facing Minnesota and the Lakers facing the Houston Rockets, while Oklahoma City and San Antonio wait for play-in winners. The West play-in games begin April 14 and April 15, with the final No. 8 seed decided April 17. (cbssports.com) (nba.com) So the regular season ended with Denver out of the scramble and into a set series. The Nuggets know the opponent, the arena and the tip time now, and Minnesota is next. (nba.com)
