The Nuggets won’t play LeBron James, the Lakers and the refs in Round 1

While the Nuggets await their Round 1 playoff opponent, we know who they won’t be facing.

The Lakers escaped the Timberwolves in overtime on Tuesday night, locking them in as the No. 7 seed in the NBA playoffs. They’ll face Memphis in the first-round.

That means Minnesota will host the winner of the Pelicans and Thunders for the No. 8 seed and a chance to travel to Denver. New Orleans and Oklahoma City meet on Wednesday night, with the game for all the marbles on Friday night. The NBA announced that the Nuggets game will be the last to start Round 1, regardless of the opponent.

Updated #NBAPlayoffs First Round, Game 1 schedule ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/IQIsbcYEHr

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 12, 2023

Let’s be honest, not facing LeBron James, Anthony Davis, the Lakers and the refs to start the postseason is a good thing for the Nuggets. Denver is 0-7 all-time in playoff series against Los Angeles, including three losses in the Western Conference Finals.

Sure, the Nuggets are the better team on paper, but did anyone really want to see that matchup? It would’ve been an intensely frustrating series, as the stars in the Lakers uniforms would’ve gotten all the calls. The NBA loves a good upset, especially when it’s their most famous team taking out poor little Denver.

I’m not going full conspiracy theory here, but it’ll be a much more enjoyable experience to watch the Nuggets play the Wolves, Pelicans or Thunder in Round 1. The league doesn’t exactly have a strong interest in who wins or loses that series.

When (if?) Denver gets past the first-round, they’ll have to face the Suns or Clippers. For all those who want a “tough path” to the NBA Finals, it’ll get plenty tough in Round 2 and beyond. Dodging the Lakers, and the zebras, was a gift to a Nuggets franchise that seemingly never catches playoff breaks.

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