The Western Conference is as competitive as ever, especially at the top. With less than a week left in the NBA season, there's still plenty of uncertainty regarding the placement of the conference's heavyweights in the playoffs.
The Timberwolves, Nuggets and Thunder sit in a three-way tie for first place in the West. The Thunder hold the three-way tiebreaker.
The Nuggets are perfectly aware of the benefits of capturing the top prize in the Western Conference. Just last year, they rode a first-place finish in the regular season to their first-ever NBA title.
The West is no slouch: The Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, Suns and Warriors are all vying for the seventh- and eighth-seed in the postseason. But the pathway to a championship is a lot clearer when you nab the No. 1 seed.
Just what does Denver need to do to snag the No. 1 seed? The Sporting News examines the Nuggets' chances at the top spot.
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Nuggets playoff scenarios 2024
The chances for Mike Malone's squad to claim the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference hinge on overtaking the Timberwolves and Thunder in the final game of the regular season.
Denver's final game of the season is against an injury-riddled Memphis Grizzlies team on Sunday, April 14. The Nuggets, Timberwolves and Thunder share the top spot as of April 12 with matching 56-25 records.
Since it's a three-way tie between teams in the same division (Northwest Division), the tiebreaker would come down to head-to-head records. The Thunder are 5-3 against Minnesota and Denver, while the Timberwolves are 4-4 and Nuggets are 3-5.
Oklahoma City owns the tiebreaker if all teams end the season tied, and Minnesota would be the No. 2 seed.
In order for Denver to earn the No. 1 seed, the Nuggets need to win and both the Timberwolves and Thunder need to lose on Sunday.
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Nuggets standings 2024
The Nuggets are in a three-way tie with the Timberwolves and Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference with a 56-25 record.
| Seed | Team | Record | Games back |
| 1 | Thunder | 56-25 | — |
| 2 | Timberwolves | 56-25 | — |
| 3 | Nuggets | 56-25 | — |
| 4 | Clippers | 51-29 | 4.5 |
| 5 | Mavericks | 50-31 | 6 |
| 6 | Pelicans | 48-32 | 7.5 |
| 7 | Suns | 47-33 | 8.5 |
| 8 | Lakers | 46-35 | 10 |
| 9 | Kinga | 45-35 | 10.5 |
| 10 | Warriors | 45-35 | 10.5 |
Nuggets remaining schedule
The Nuggets have one game remaining in the 2023-24 regular season to decide their playoff seeding.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| April 14 | at Grizzlies | 3:30 p.m. |