Lakers vs. Nuggets Playoffs Comparison: Summary and Year by Year

Here you can compare, side by side, the all-time postseason performance of the Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets, and how far these two NBA teams advanced in Playoffs each year.

The Los Angeles Lakers have been present in the NBA Playoffs 65 times in 78 seasons while the Denver Nuggets did it 31 times in their 50 seasons. Between the two they total 18 of the 79 NBA championships (22.8%).

They have faced each other in 9 playoff series, 7 of them won by the Lakers and 2 by the Nuggets.

On this page, after a summary of their Playoff history (with championships won, playoff appearances and all-time records), you can see, side by side, how far the Lakers and the Nuggets advanced in the postseason each year. Also, if they met that year, a note with details of the outcome of the series.

Summary of Their Playoff History
	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
Playoff Appearances:	65 (84.4%)	31 (63.3%)
Playoffs Missed:	12 (15.6%)	18 (36.7%)
NBA Titles:	17	1
Finals Lost:	15	0
All-time Playoff Record:	466 wins 321 losses (.592)	112 wins 144 losses (.438)
Total NBA Seasons:	78 1948-49 to present	50 1976-77 to present

Teams Comparison Playoff Performances Year by Year
Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
2026	TBD	TBD
2025	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference Semis
2024	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference Semis
	* The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 4-1 in the Western Conference First Round.
2023	Lost Western Conference Finals	NBA Champions
	* The Nuggets defeated the Lakers 4-0 in the Western Conference Finals.
2022	DNQ	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2021	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference Semis
2020	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Finals
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
2019	DNQ	Lost Western Conference Semis
2018	DNQ	DNQ
2017	DNQ	DNQ
2016	DNQ	DNQ
2015	DNQ	DNQ
2014	DNQ	DNQ
2013	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2012	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 4-3 in the Western Conference First Round.
2011	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2010	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference 1st Round

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
2009	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Finals
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 4-2 in the Western Conference Finals.
2008	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 4-0 in the Western Conference First Round.
2007	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2006	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2005	DNQ	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2004	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
2003	Lost Western Conference Semis	DNQ
2002	NBA Champions	DNQ
2001	NBA Champions	DNQ
2000	NBA Champions	DNQ

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
1989	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1988	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Semis
1987	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 3-0 in the Western Conference First Round.
1986	Lost Western Conference Finals	Lost Western Conference Semis
1985	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference Finals
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 4-1 in the Western Conference Finals.
1984	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1983	Lost NBA Finals	Lost Western Conference Semis
1982	NBA Champions	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
1981	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	DNQ
1980	NBA Champions	DNQ

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
1979	Lost Western Conference Semis	Lost Western Conference 1st Round
	* The Lakers defeated the Nuggets 2-1 in the Western Conference First Round.
1978	Lost Western Conference 1st Round	Lost Western Conference Finals
1977	Lost Western Conference Finals	Lost Western Conference Semis
1976	DNQ	-
1975	DNQ	-
1974	Lost Western Conference Semis	-
1973	Lost NBA Finals	-
1972	NBA Champions	-
1971	Lost Western Conference Finals	-
1970	Lost NBA Finals	-

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
1959	Lost NBA Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1958	DNQ (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1957	Lost Western Division Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1956	Lost Western Division Semis (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1955	Lost Western Division Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1954	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1953	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1952	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1951	Lost Western Division Finals (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1950	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-

Playoffs	Los Angeles Lakers	Denver Nuggets
1949	NBA Champions (as Minneapolis Lakers)	-
1948	-	-
1947	-	-