Who do Denver Nuggets play next? Looking at potential matchup for 2023 NBA Western Conference Finals
The Denver Nuggets eliminated the Phoenix Suns with their 125-100 win in Game 6 on Thursday. Nikola Jokic led the way with 32 points, 10 rebounds and 12 assists, registering his fifth triple-double during this year's playoffs.
Never easy. Great series, @Suns 🤝 https://t.co/xHBrwRnsTf
Denver moved on to the Western Conference finals with the win. As the No. 1 seed, they will have home court advantage in the series. Denver is undefeated at home during the playoffs. They went 34-7 at home during the regular season, the best home record in the NBA.
Denver now awaits the winner of the Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Lakers series. Los Angeles has a 3-2 series lead ahead of Game 6 on Friday and will try to advance with a win at home.
This will be the second conference finals for Denver since 2020. It is the fifth conference finals in franchise history. Denver has never made the NBA Finals. Let’s take a look at how the Nuggets matchup with each potential opponent in the Western Conference finals.
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How do the Nuggets match up against the Lakers?
The Nuggets were 2-2 against the Lakers this season. They won both games at home and lost both games in LA. None of the four games were particularly close affairs. Every game was decided by at least 11 points.
The Lakers are one of the few teams in the NBA with the size to give Jokic issues. He averages 19.0 points vs the Lakers in his career.
Jokic only scored more than 25 once in his four games against LA this season. The Lakers were 2-1 against Denver in games with LeBron James and Anthony Davis.
How do the Nuggets match up against the Warriors?
Denver was a perfect 3-0 against the Warriors this season. The Nuggets won both of their home games against Golden State by two and 17 points, respectively. They won by five on the road against the defending champions.
The Warriors have been one of the worst road teams in the league. Golden State is 2-4 on the road this postseason. They were 11-30 on the road this season, which was fourth worst in the league.
Denver’s defense played well in those games. They held sharpshooter Stephen Curry to 11 of 30 shooting from 3-point range.