David Adelman Reacts to Nuggets Chasing Lakers for 3rd Seed

With just five games remaining in the Denver Nuggets' regular season before the playoffs get underway, there’s only a 1.5-game distance between them and the LA Lakers for the third seed in the Western Conference behind the OKC Thunder and San Antonio Spurs.

If a few more games fall in their favor, the Nuggets could sneak their way into a top-three seed after a year facing a multitude of injuries paired with various ups and downs throughout— a massive accomplishment for all involved, and could also play a major role in who their first-round matchup becomes.

The possibility of making that climb is certainly exciting, and looks totally feasible with how Denver's been playing as of late. However, Nuggets head coach David Adelman won't be getting carried away with the idea just yet, particularly because of the Lakers' similarly productive streak:

"Yeah, the Lakers are playing great," Adelman said of potentially passing the Lakers in the standings. "We just have to keep winning games, If they happen to stumble, great. If they don't, good for them."

"They beat us in the tiebreaker game. But to me, the tiebreaker game really, it doesn't matter anymore right now, because of the way they're playing. And I'm sure they're saying the same thing about us, knowing that we just keep coming."

"As they win games, we're winning games. We have a tough one coming up this weekend with a great San Antonio team. And [the Lakers] play OKC tomorrow. So, the schedule never stops. We both know that."

David Adelman Confident in Any Nuggets' First Round Matchup

Even when factoring in the Nuggets' seven-straight wins, that hot streak still hasn't been enough for Denver to vault over the Lakers within playoff seeding just yet. While the Nuggets are 8-2 in their last 10 games, LA is even better at 9-1.

In fact, the top four teams in the West sit at a staggering combined record of 36-4 in their last 10 games combined; a testament to how competitive the conference is at the top, and shows Adelman that the Nuggets certainly have their work cut out for them.

"It just speaks to the West on what it is. You win seven in a row, and you basically haven't moved anywhere. And that's just what this conference is right now. It's a monster, and all these teams are very deserving of where they're at, because of how good they are."

"So, I'm happy to say we're one of them. We're in the mix. If we catch them, great. If not, full confidence and whatever matchup we have that we can succeed."

Mar 2, 2026; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; Denver Nuggets head coach David Adelman watches his team play defense during the second half against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center. Mandatory Credit: Peter Creveling-Imagn Images | Peter Creveling-Imagn Images

If the Lakers are able to drop a couple of their next six games, a slate that includes two matchups against the reigning champion Thunder and a playoff team in the Phoenix Suns, maybe then the Nuggets could find some room to creep up to that coveted third spot.

Denver has a tough gauntlet to face themselves, though. With two games against the San Antonio Spurs, and one against the Thunder themselves among their next five outings, the Nuggets have little room for error if they want to catch the Lakers in the seeding hunt.

But, if they do claim that number three seed, it could be their key to avoiding a second-round matchup against OKC, a squad that's given them— and really every other team besides the Spurs— fits all season long, and might be a huge shift in the right direction for Denver's path to the Finals.

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