Headline: Nikola Jokic Leads Denver Nuggets to Secure Home-Court Advantage as They Clinch Fourth Seed in Western Conference Playoffs

In a commanding performance at the Toyota Center, the Denver Nuggets clinched the fourth spot in the Western Conference standings. Although they were at risk of dropping down to the 2025 SoFi Play-In Tournament, they ultimately secured home-court advantage for the first round of the Playoffs presented by Google.

The Nuggets overwhelmed the Houston Rockets with a 123-103 victory, with Serbian sensation Nikola Jokic contributing significantly by scoring 18 points on 7-of-10 shooting. He also recorded seven assists, seven rebounds, two steals, and one block during the nearly 31-minute matchup.

“This is who we are. If we maintain this level of play, we can make a deep playoff run,” Jokic expressed in a postgame interview, reflecting his enthusiasm about the team’s progress as they prepare for the postseason.

Croatian player Dario Saric and Slovenian Vlatko Cancar remained on the bench under coach David Adelman’s guidance.

Meanwhile, with their position secured in second place and awaiting their playoff challenger from the Play-Ins, Turkish player Alperen Sengun finished with 14 points, five rebounds, four assists, and one block.

The fifth seed was claimed by the Los Angeles Clippers, who set up a best-of-seven series against the Nuggets after edging out the Golden State Warriors, 124-119, in overtime. Croatian Ivica Zubac achieved a double-double with 22 points and 17 rebounds, alongside three assists, one block, and one steal. Serbian Bogdan Bogdanovic had a quieter game with just five points, one rebound, and one steal, while Frenchman Nicolas Batum (right groin strain) continued to be unavailable. For the Warriors, Dutch player Quinten Post recorded three rebounds in 20 minutes of play.

The Portland Trail Blazers wrapped up the 2024-25 Regular Season with a 109-81 win against the Los Angeles Lakers in Moda Center, following the announcement of a multi-year contract extension for head coach Chauncey Billups. Israeli player Deni Avdija (right thumb sprain) was out, but Belgian Toumani Camara made an impact with 14 points, six rebounds, and four assists. Two French players off the bench, Rayan Rupert and Sidy Cissoko, delivered solid performances, with Rupert achieving a double-double of 13 points and 10 rebounds, joined by Cissoko’s seven points, four assists, two rebounds, one block, and one steal.

On the other side, Slovenian Luka Doncic (left quad soreness) and Maxi Kleber (right foot surgery) joined the injury list, while Ukrainian Alex Len started and contributed four points, two rebounds, one block, and one steal. JJ Redick’s team was already positioned third in the playoff bracket, with the Minnesota Timberwolves lined up as their first-round opponent in the playoffs.

The Timberwolves showed their strength in the paint, defeating the Utah Jazz 116-105 at Target Center. Frenchman Rudy Gobert facilitated the win with his fantastic double-double of 19 points and 18 rebounds, as well as blocking four shots and providing one assist. Bosnian Luka Garza did not play, and Dutch player Jesse Edwards was unavailable. For the Jazz, Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk contributed 14 points, four assists, four rebounds, and one block, but Lauri Markkanen (left knee injury management) remained out.

In the Golden 1 Center, Lithuanian Domantas Sabonis recorded his league-leading 61st double-double as the Sacramento Kings topped the Phoenix Suns, 109-98, securing the ninth seed in the Play-In bracket with 20 points from 8-of-10 shooting, 12 rebounds, six assists, and three steals. Jonas Valanciunas added a double-double of his own with 22 points and 10 rebounds alongside four assists, while Serbian Vasilije Micic did not take the floor for the Suns.

“It was fantastic. He works hard. He’s a true professional enjoying his time on the court,” said Sabonis regarding his Lithuanian teammate in a postgame press conference.

After suffering a loss to the Memphis Grizzlies, 132-97, the Dallas Mavericks ended up in the tenth seed and are set to face the Kings. “This is a crucial game. It’s win-or-go-home. We need to be ready for it. The atmosphere will be intense, and I have no doubt the fans will stand by us,” Valanciunas commented on the upcoming matchup with the Mavericks, “I can’t wait.”

Moving on to the Play-Ins as the eighth seed, the Grizzlies, led by Finnish coach Tuomas Iisalo, will proceed without Spanish Santi Aldama (left ankle soreness) for their season finale.

In a matchup of eliminated teams, Georgian Sandro Mamukelashvili made his mark for the San Antonio Spurs, scoring 12 points, grabbing four rebounds, and stealing the ball once in a 125-118 victory over the Toronto Raptors at Frost Bank Center. Polish Jeremy Sochan (low back inflammation) and Victor Wembanyama (right shoulder deep vein thrombosis) were unable to play. The Raptors, under Serbian coach Darko Rajakovic, also had to manage the absence of Austrian Jakob Poeltl (right hand MCP joint contusion).

At the Smoothie King Center, the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the New Orleans Pelicans 115-100. With French Ousmane Dieng (left calf strain), German Isaiah Hartenstein (left Achilles tendinitis), and Serbian Nikola Topic (left knee surgery) sidelined, Belgian Ajay Mitchell saw action and recorded seven points, two assists, one rebound, and one block. Croatian Karlo Matkovic (left hamstring soreness) was out for the Pelicans.

In other matchups: Atlanta Hawks defeated Orlando Magic 117-105; Boston Celtics narrowly beat Charlotte Hornets 93-86; Philadelphia 76ers lost to Chicago Bulls 102-122; Miami Heat fell to Washington Wizards 118-119; Brooklyn Nets were beaten by New York Knicks 105-113; Milwaukee Bucks triumphed over Detroit Pistons 140-133 in overtime; Cleveland Cavaliers lost to Indiana Pacers 118-126 in double overtime; Sacramento Kings took down Phoenix Suns 109-98; Memphis Grizzlies overwhelmed Dallas Mavericks 132-97; Minnesota Timberwolves outperformed Utah Jazz 116-105; Portland Trail Blazers fell to Los Angeles Lakers 81-109; and Houston Rockets lost to Denver Nuggets 111-126; New Orleans Pelicans were defeated by Oklahoma City Thunder 100-115; San Antonio Spurs beat Toronto Raptors 125-118; Golden State Warriors fell to Los Angeles Clippers 119-124 in overtime.

For the Eastern Conference:

– Cleveland Cavaliers: 64-18
– Boston Celtics: 61-21
– New York Knicks: 51-31
– Indiana Pacers: 50-32
– Milwaukee Bucks: 48-34
– Detroit Pistons: 44-38
– Orlando Magic: 41-41
– Atlanta Hawks: 40-42
– Chicago Bulls: 39-43
– Miami Heat: 37-45
– Toronto Raptors: 30-52
– Brooklyn Nets: 26-56
– Philadelphia 76ers: 24-58
– Charlotte Hornets: 19-63
– Washington Wizards: 18-64

For the Western Conference:

– Oklahoma City Thunder: 68-14
– Houston Rockets: 52-30
– Los Angeles Lakers: 50-32
– Denver Nuggets: 50-32
– Los Angeles Clippers: 50-32
– Minnesota Timberwolves: 49-33
– Golden State Warriors: 48-34
– Memphis Grizzlies: 48-34
– Sacramento Kings: 40-42
– Dallas Mavericks: 39-43
– Phoenix Suns: 36-46
– Portland Trail Blazers: 36-46
– San Antonio Spurs: 34-48
– New Orleans Pelicans: 21-61
– Utah Jazz: 17-65

-The top six teams from each conference qualified for the Playoffs. Teams ranked seventh through tenth advanced to the Play-Ins.

In the Play-In matchups:

1. Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks
2. Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat
3. Loser of 1 vs. Winner of 2

4. Golden State Warriors vs. Memphis Grizzlies
5. Sacramento Kings vs. Dallas Mavericks
6. Loser of 4 vs. Winner of 5

7. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Winner of 3
8. Indiana Pacers vs. Milwaukee Bucks
9. New York Knicks vs. Detroit Pistons
10. Boston Celtics vs. Winner of 1

11. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Winner of 6
12. Denver Nuggets vs. Los Angeles Clippers
13. Los Angeles Lakers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
14. Houston Rockets vs. Winner of 4

15. Winners of 7-8
16. Winners of 9-10

17. Winners of 11-12
18. Winners of 13-14

Winners of 15-16

Winners of 17-18

Champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Stay tuned for the latest updates!