Nuggets' 12‑Game Surge
Denver closed the regular season on a 12‑game winning streak and locked in the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. ( ) That roll reshaped the West standings late in the season and helped determine the playoff bracket before the Play‑In window. (x.com)
Denver ripped through the season’s final stretch, won 12 straight games and finished third in the Western Conference at 54-28. (espn.com) The streak ended with a 128-118 win over San Antonio on Sunday, April 12, after Denver entered the day still needing a result to secure its seed. Nikola Jokić scored 23 first-half points in his 65th game, which made him eligible for season awards under the league’s participation rule. (espn.com) Denver’s closing run pushed it past the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets in the final standings. ESPN’s table showed the Nuggets at 54-28, the Lakers at 52-29 and the Rockets at 51-30 when the regular season ended Sunday night. (espn.com) The surge also set Denver’s first-round matchup before the Play-In Tournament began. The Nuggets drew the Minnesota Timberwolves, the West’s No. 6 seed at 48-33, while the Play-In field started with Phoenix, Portland, the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State. (denverpost.com (nba.com)) That late climb changed the shape of the West behind Oklahoma City and San Antonio, which finished first and second. Denver ended 10 games behind the Thunder and eight games behind the Spurs, but its 12-game finish was enough to avoid the crowded middle of the bracket. (basketball-reference.com) The numbers underline how hot Denver was at the finish. ESPN listed the Nuggets on a 12-game winning streak and 10-0 in their last 10, while no other West contender closed with a longer active streak. (espn.com) Part of the run came through games with direct seeding impact. NBA.com highlighted Denver’s overtime win over San Antonio on April 4 as the club’s eighth straight, and by April 8 the league was calling it Denver’s ninth straight after a comeback win over Portland. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)) The bracket now moves on a fixed calendar. The National Basketball Association scheduled the Play-In Tournament for April 14-17, with the first round of the playoffs beginning April 18, so Denver’s reward for the sprint is a few days off and a locked-in series with Minnesota. (nba.com)
