The Denver Nuggets will enter the 2024 NBA postseason as one of the two favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in mid-June, as they have been one of the most consistent teams in the league this year. But it is unclear yet exactly who they’ll take on in the first round, as they await to see who wins the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans coming up on Tuesday evening.
Nuggets Await Winner Of Lakers/Pelicans
FINAL 2023-24 NBA STANDINGS:
Western Conference
1. Thunder
2. Nuggets
3. Timberwolves
4. Clippers
5. Mavericks
6. Suns
7. Pelicans
8. Lakers
9. Kings
10. Warriors
11. Rockets
12. Jazz
13. Grizzlies
14. Spurs
15. Trail BlazersEastern Conference
1. Celtics
2. Knicks
3. Bucks…— NBA (@NBA) April 14, 2024
They haven’t run away with their conference like the Boston Celtics have. Since November 19th, Nikola Jokić and company have spent just 11 days alone in first place, and will finish the season as the #2 team in the West despite finishing with an identical record as the Oklahoma City Thunder.
But despite their lack of regular season dominance, Denver is only slightly behind Boston when it comes to their odds of winning the NBA Finals. DraftKings has the Celtics listed at +160 to take home the hardware entering the postseason, while the Nuggets are back at +290. There isn’t anyone else remotely close to the top-two, as the Clippers are next on the list at +1100, followed by the Bucks at +1300.
Lakers Could Be Underdogs For Tuesday’s Game
The NBA has announced the 2024 Play-In Tournament schedule:
Tuesday:
(8) Lakers @ (7) Pelicans
(10) Warriors @ (9) KingsWednesday:
(8) Heat @ (7) Sixers
(10) Hawks @ (9) Bulls pic.twitter.com/6dc2HeETGb— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 14, 2024
The Lakers could enter their 7 vs 8 matchup with the Pelicans as slight underdogs. LeBron James had a monster performance in LA’s decisive win over New Orleans on Sunday afternoon that locked them into the 8th spot, but star center Anthony Davis left the action with an apparent back injury late in the game. It is unclear what the diagnosis will be, but it will be a short, nearly 48-hour window that he has to heal before Tuesday’s action.
Should the Lakers take down the Pelicans again, they’ll lock themselves into the 7th seed and ensure themselves a date with the Nuggets. It would be a rematch of last year’s Western Conference Finals, which ended in a sweep by Denver, but didn’t come without words and drama between James and Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone.
As it stands in the early hours of the betting line being available, the Lakers are 1-point underdogs for Tuesday’s game.
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