Nuggets Jump Lakers for No. 3 Seed in the West

The Denver Nuggets are back in the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference after grinding out an overtime win over the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday. The Lakers, meanwhile, continue to slide — losing the 3 seed they'd held for weeks as injuries pile up.

Without Austin Reaves (oblique, done for the regular season) and with Luka Doncic still in Spain getting specialized hamstring treatment, the Lakers are a shell of themselves. They got blown out 123-87 by OKC and the losses keep stacking up. LA was once looking like a legitimate threat in the West — now they might be the team nobody wants to be in the first round.

The Western Conference playoff picture entering the final week: OKC is one win from the overall 1 seed, San Antonio is locked at 2, Denver moves to 3, and the Lakers drop to 4. With the regular season ending April 12, every game matters for seeding.