The Denver Nuggets will enter the 2024 NBA postseason as one of many two favorites to hoist the Larry O’Brien trophy in mid-June, as they’ve been one of the constant groups within the league this 12 months. However it’s unclear but precisely who they’ll tackle within the first spherical, as they await to see who wins the matchup between the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans arising on Tuesday night.
Nuggets Await Winner Of Lakers/Pelicans
FINAL 2023-24 NBA STANDINGS:
Western Convention
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. Path BlazersJapanese Convention
1. Celtics
2. Knicks
3. Bucks…— NBA (@NBA) April 14, 2024
They haven’t run away with their convention just like the Boston Celtics have. Since November nineteenth, Nikola Jokić and firm have spent simply 11 days alone in first place, and can end the season because the #2 crew within the West regardless of ending with an similar document because the Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder.
However regardless of their lack of standard season dominance, Denver is barely barely behind Boston relating to their odds of profitable the NBA Finals. DraftKings has the Celtics listed at +160 to take dwelling the {hardware} coming into the postseason, whereas the Nuggets are again at +290. There isn’t anybody else remotely near the top-two, because the Clippers are subsequent on the record at +1100, adopted by the Bucks at +1300.
Lakers May Be Underdogs For Tuesday’s Sport
The NBA has introduced the 2024 Play-In Event schedule:
Tuesday:
(8) Lakers @ (7) Pelicans
(10) Warriors @ (9) KingsWednesday:
(8) Warmth @ (7) Sixers
(10) Hawks @ (9) Bulls pic.twitter.com/6dc2HeETGb— ClutchPoints (@ClutchPoints) April 14, 2024
The Lakers might enter their 7 vs 8 matchup with the Pelicans as slight underdogs. LeBron James had a monster efficiency in LA’s decisive win over New Orleans on Sunday afternoon that locked them into the eighth spot, however star heart Anthony Davis left the motion with an obvious again harm late within the sport. It’s unclear what the prognosis shall be, however will probably be a brief, practically 48-hour window that he has to heal earlier than Tuesday’s motion.
Ought to the Lakers take down the Pelicans once more, they’ll lock themselves into the seventh seed and guarantee themselves a date with the Nuggets. It could be a rematch of final 12 months’s Western Convention Finals, which led to a sweep by Denver, however didn’t come with out phrases and drama between James and Nuggets’ head coach Michael Malone.
Because it stands within the early hours of the betting line being out there, the Lakers are 1-point underdogs for Tuesday’s sport.
