Lakers and Nuggets clinch
The Lakers and Nuggets officially clinched playoff spots after a Suns loss sent both teams over the line — clinches announced in the latest standings update. ( )
Phoenix lost 115-111 to the Orlando Magic on March 31, 2026, a result that closed the standings scenarios used by the league office that night. (sports.yahoo.com) Los Angeles followed with a 127-113 win over Cleveland in which Luka Dončić scored 42 points and dished 12 assists as the Lakers improved to 50-26. (espn.com) The Lakers’ 50th victory on the season also clinched the Pacific Division crown for Los Angeles, according to the NBA’s March 31 postseason update. (nba.com) Denver’s standing in most trackers sits at 48-28 and listed as the No. 4 seed in the West after the Suns’ loss, locking the Nuggets into a protected top-six slot. (espn.com) NBA.com’s bracket after March 31 projects first-round matchups of (3) Lakers vs. (6) Houston and (4) Nuggets vs. (5) Minnesota, and it lists the SoFi Play-In Tournament for April 14 with the first-round playoffs starting April 18. (nba.com) The league acknowledged the automatic clinch scenarios on social posts late Tuesday, which were embedded in live updates from outlets covering the night’s results. (sports.yahoo.com)
