Image Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Nikola Jokic Creates NBA History as Denver Nuggets Clinch No. 4 Seed and Home Court Advantage for Playoffs

Denver Nuggets will now take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of NBA playoffs.

Image Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

The Denver Nuggets dropped one of the best performances on the regular-season finale to beat the Houston Rockets 126-111 and clinched the No. 4 seed in the Western Conference. With this win, Denver also bagged a homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Nuggets’ all-five starters recorded at least 10 points and seven rebounds to stun the No. 2 seed Rockets.

Michael Porter Jr. led all the scorers with 19 points. Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokic scored 18 each. The three-time MVP made the NBA history on finale night. Jamal Murray, who appeared in his second matchup after a six-game absence, added 16 points. Russell Westbrook contributed 17 points off the bench and guided the Nuggets to a seventh postseason appearance following locker-room drama and the head coach’s mid-season firing.

Four seed & home court secured 🔒
#MileHighPlayoffs | #KeepClimbing pic.twitter.com/XxD3bIDXGs
— Denver Nuggets (@nuggets) April 13, 2025

Also Read: Golden State Warriors to Feature in Play-In Tournament for Second Straight Year after an OT Loss to LA Clippers

Jokic makes history and Denver Nuggets mark their 7th straight playoff appearance

It was the toughest assignment for the Nuggets as they would have slipped to the Play-In in case of the defeat. Denver had immense pressure amid their management drama but they delivered their best performance on Sunday afternoon. The Rockets played their strongest roster in the regular season finale and pulled their starters after that big run.

Nuggets held a 13-point lead at halftime after a dominant first quarter and a 10-2 run in the third helped them to take an 86-63 lead. Denver outscored Houston 37-19 in the third quarter and took full control of the game. The Nuggets cleared their bench when they had a 33-point lead in the game. The Nuggets won their third straight game under interim coach David Adelman, who took charge in place of Michael Malone last week.

More history for a special player 🃏

Nikola Jokić is the 3rd player in NBA history to average a triple-double for an entire season, joining Russell Westbrook (4x) and Oscar Robertson! pic.twitter.com/NPzb7KegTT
— NBA (@NBA) April 12, 2025

Nikola Jokic also joined teammate Russell Westbrook and Hall of Famer Oscar Robertson as the only players to average a triple-double for the season. The Serbian superstar became the first-ever center to average a triple-double in a season. Jokic averaged 29.8 points, 12.8 rebounds and 10.3 assists in the 2024-25 regular season.

For the Rockets, Amen Thompson and Fred VanVleet each scored 15 points. Houston had nothing to gain or lose from this game but had a chance to spoil Denver’s party. Despite the loss on Sunday, the Rockets finished the regular season with a 52-30 record, marking their first winning season since 2019-20.

Also Read: Oklahoma City Thunder’s Scoring Dominance Shines Over the Past 16 Years!

Denver Nuggets will now take on the Los Angeles Clippers in the first round of NBA playoffs. The Clippers edged out the Warriors in an overtime thriller to clinch the No. 5 seed. The Timberwolves finished sixth in the West after a comfortable win over the Jazz. The Rockets will now wait for their opponent. They will face the winner of the game between the Grizzlies and the Warriors.

Image Credit: Thomas Shea-Imagn Images

Denver Nuggets

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.