Denver Nuggets’s win ensured that the Los Angeles Lakers secured the fourth seed in the Western Conference ahead of the NBA playoffs, which begin this weekend.
Despite missing key scorers Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves due to injury, the Lakers delivered a commanding 131–107 victory over the Utah Jazz. Veteran star LeBron James, 41, impressed early, recording 18 points, six assists, and four rebounds in the first half.
Denver will now host the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves in the opening round, while the Lakers are set to face the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets.
Three-time MVP Nikola Jokic, 31, played just over 18 minutes, contributing eight rebounds and reaching the 65-game threshold required for season-end award eligibility. Teammates Julian Strawther and Jonas Valanciunas added 25 points and a double-double (16 points, 11 rebounds), respectively.
For San Antonio, De’Aaron Fox led with 24 points, while MVP contender Victor Wembanyama was rested after a standout 40-point performance against the Dallas Mavericks in their previous game.
Second-seeded San Antonio Spurs will face the winner of the play-in clash between the Portland Trail Blazers and the Phoenix Suns.
The play-in tournament, held after the regular season, determines the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference. Meanwhile, defending champions and top seed Oklahoma City Thunder, along with Eastern Conference leaders Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics, will learn their first-round opponents once the tournament concludes on Friday.
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