How Lakers can still steal No. 3 seed from Nuggets

Story by

Julian Ojeda, ClutchPoints

Sat, Apr 11, 2026 ·

2 min read

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The Los Angeles Lakers remain in position to claim the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference after a dominant 101-73 victory over the Phoenix Suns on Friday night, keeping pressure on the Denver Nuggets entering the final day of the regular season.

Los Angeles improved to 52-29 with the win and sits just one game behind Denver (53-28). The Nuggets secured a 127-107 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder on Friday, though both teams rested starters in that contest . Despite trailing in the standings, the Lakers hold the critical tiebreaker over Denver, meaning a win combined with a Nuggets loss would elevate Los Angeles into the No. 3 spot.

The Lakers have already secured a top-four seed and home-court advantage in the first round following the Houston Rockets ’ 136-132 loss to the Minnesota Timberwolves . That outcome locked Los Angeles into a favorable postseason position, but the opportunity to climb higher remains.

Final day scenarios leave Lakers needing win and Nuggets loss to clinch No. 3 seed

Both teams will close their regular seasons Sunday at 5:30 p.m. PT. The Lakers will host the Utah Jazz (22-59), a team at the bottom of the standings, while Denver travels to face the San Antonio Spurs (62-19) on ESPN.

San Antonio ’s positioning adds intrigue to the scenario. The Spurs could have incentive to play their starters in an effort to influence playoff seeding, potentially pushing Denver into a more difficult bracket that includes Oklahoma City . Such a decision could directly impact the Lakers’ chances of moving up.

For Los Angeles, the path is straightforward: secure a win over Utah and hope for a Denver loss in San Antonio. If both outcomes occur, the Lakers would leapfrog the Nuggets due to the head-to-head tiebreaker and enter the postseason as the No. 3 seed.

The final day of the regular season will determine whether Los Angeles can complete the climb or settle into its current position with momentum heading into the playoffs.