Nuggets' Standing in Western Conference Keeps Looking Better

Just a few weeks after the Denver Nuggets had sunk to the sixth seed in the Western Conference, they're already back on the upwards trend under a month away from the regular season coming to a close.

Thanks to the Nuggets rattling off a two-game win streak in their last couple of games, paired with some outside help from those around them in the West, Denver now sits as the fourth seed in the conference, currently with home-court advantage in the first round.

The Nuggets are currently tied with the Minnesota Timberwolves record-wise, both at 44-28, but hold the tiebreaker in terms of seeding, giving them a slight edge as the fourth seed.

However, when factoring in the Houston Rockets' latest humbling loss to the Chicago Bulls on Monday, a game in which they fell short 124-132, it now takes them down to the West's sixth seed instead of their previous spot at four, while the other two teams have shifted upwards.

Nuggets Claim Top-4 Seed in West... For Now

With just 10 games to go on the schedule, the Nuggets are now settling into the right place they need to be.

The roster is healthier than it's been since early in November, they're able to establish further on-court chemistry at the right time, and the results of that turnaround are starting to show in the standings.

If they can keep it up for the weeks ahead in order to cement a coveted top-four seed to show for it, claiming home-court advantage in the Mile High will be a huge leg up on whoever would be slotted below them.

The last three times Denver's had home court in the first round, it's come with a series win in all of them, making it extra important that this group continues their momentum throughout the regular season to claim that top spot in the West once again for mid-April.

Mar 22, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) looks on in the second half against the Portland Trail Blazers at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

Looking ahead, the Nuggets have four games on the schedule against teams currently slated to make the postseason in the West: two games against the San Antonio Spurs, one against the Phoenix Suns, and one final game of the year against the OKC Thunder.

All of those talented matchups could help the Nuggets continue to establish their footing against top-level teams in the final month of the season, but so will their other six games on the schedule against lesser talents.

Four of those contests are against teams projected to have top-seven odds or better in this year's lottery. The other two games— at home against the Steph Curry-less Golden State Warriors and a Portland Trail Blazers team that hasn't won in Denver since 2020— could end up as an easy wins in the left column as well.

Simply put, there's still a ton of time left in the regular season for the West standings to change, and with it, the Nuggets could very easily move up or down throughout the coming weeks.

But as of where they stand with just a week to go in March, their playoff standing is beginning to look better and better as health is on their side, which certainly bodes well for the title aspirations this team has clung onto all season long.

Sign up for our free Denver Nuggets On SI newsletter, and get breaking Nuggets news delivered to your inbox daily!