Lakers, Nuggets clinch
Thanks to the Suns' loss last night, both the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets clinched playoff spots—updates confirmed in live NBA coverage. Their qualifications tighten the West race as teams jostle for seeding in the final two weeks. (sports.yahoo.com)
The NBA’s official postseason update lists the Lakers as having clinched the Pacific Division and a Western Conference top‑6 playoff seed after Phoenix’s 115‑111 loss to Orlando. (nba.com) Los Angeles is shown at 50‑26 on the CBS standings page and holds the listed tiebreakers over Denver and Minnesota. (cbssports.com) Denver is recorded at 48‑28 and is noted as having clinched a playoff berth with a SportsLine/NBA projection putting the Nuggets as the No. 4 seed if the season ended today. (cbssports.com) The NBA’s published bracket (if the season ended today) pairs No. 3 Lakers with No. 6 Houston and No. 4 Nuggets with No. 5 Minnesota in the first round. (nba.com) The league calendar confirms the SoFi NBA Play‑In Tournament runs April 14–17 and that the first round of the 2026 playoffs begins April 18. (nba.com) The NBA’s social channels posted real‑time confirmations of both clinches immediately after Phoenix’s game went final, which was captured in live coverage summaries. (sports.yahoo.com)
