The race is on for the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference between the Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets.
But it is truly unclear which team has the edge considering both clubs’ lengthy injury reports. Denver and L.A. are both in action today, as is the entire NBA for the regular season finale.
This season has come down to the final straw. Multiple seeds are still up for grabs, and with so many teams opting for rest over a high seed, it really throws everything into a flux.
But it surely offers more intrigue and drama for the fans.
Right now, the Nuggets own the third seed, but with how the Lakers have played in their last two games, it started feeling like L.A. would still somehow end up higher than Denver in the final standings. Of course, many people wrote off Los Angeles’ chances at claiming the third seed when the team lost Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves to same-day injuries.
However, the Lakers have won their last two games, keeping them very much in the play for the third seed. Tonight, they’ll be gifted with an easy-peasy game against the (tanking) Utah Jazz. If L.A. wins and Denver loses, it finishes as the third seed.
But a win tonight perhaps won’t come as easily as we once thought.
Just a few hours before tipoff, the Lakers announced a key player will miss the season finale.
Denver Nuggets See Hope for Third Seed After Latest Development
Like many teams, Los Angeles may not be anywhere close to being whole in tonight’s season finale.
The Lakers were going to be shorthanded for a while anyway. Doncic and Reaves are on multi-week timelines. It would be a mini-miracle if either returned during their team’s first round series.
Meanwhile, the Nuggets are totally OK with losing tonight against the San Antonio Spurs. Minus Nikola Jokic, all starters will be in street clothes. The only reason Jokic hasn’t been ruled out is because he has yet to obtain eligibility to be considered for postseason awards. The 31-year-old Denver star must play at least 15 minutes tonight to satisfy the 65-game rule.
It certainly appears the Lakers solid chances at claiming the third seed, especially considering they own the tie-breaker over the Nuggets.
But anything could happen. Denver is set to play a depleted Spurs team tonight and some news out of L.A. could boost the Nuggets chances at finishing higher in the standings.
According to Lakers team insider Dave McMenamin, the team has announced big man Jaxson Hayes will miss tonight’s game against the Jazz.
Jaxson Hayes (left foot) is out today vs. UTA, per the Lakers
— Dave McMenamin (@mcten) April 12, 2026
For a Los Angeles team already down multiple bodies, losing Hayes is yet another blow. The Lakers will have one center to rely on the entire game. That’s a recipe for a loss — even against a team like Utah.
Nuggets Positioned for Brutal Playoff Run if They Fall to No. 4
If L.A. moves up in the standings, Denver is poised for an extremely daunting playoffs.
In the first round, the Nuggets will matchup against the Houston Rockets, a team that has caused Denver some problems this season. A series between these two clubs can definitely come down to a seventh game.
If the Nuggets manage to tip-toe past the Rockets, the next opponent will almost certainly be a well-rested, athletic and physical Oklahoma City Thunder team.
In the three meaningful games Denver and Oklahoma City have played this season, the reigning NBA champions are 3-0. They won the first meeting of the season in a blowout, the second game in overtime (despite Shai Gilgeous-Alexander not playing in the extra period) and the third game on a Gilgeous-Alexander game-winner.
Long-story-short: there is still plenty at stake for the Nuggets and Lakers. The standings will be all said and done after tonight.
Nuggets Get Major Boost in No. 3 Seed Race After Sudden Lakers Injury News