Chauncey Billups was part of the 2009 Nuggets team that made it to the Western Conference Finals.
The Denver Nuggets have made 31 trips to the playoffs during their time in the NBA. They have five appearances in the Conference Finals to show for it. Let’s highlight each of those seasons and discuss the results of each series.
1978
The Nuggets went 48-34 during the 1977-78 regular season. They were led by David Thompson, who averaged 27.2 points, 4.9 rebounds and 4.5 assists per game. That helped him make the All-Star team and finish third in MVP voting. Bobby Jones also made the All-Star team, while Dan Issel averaged 21.3 points per game. The Nuggets faced the Bucks in the Western Conference semifinals and won the series in seven games. They then lost to the SuperSonics in the Western Conference Finals in six games.
1985
A 52-30 record during the 1984-85 season resulted in the Nuggets making the playoffs. They had six players average at least 10.1 points per game during the regular season. Alex English averaged 27.9 points per game and made the All-Star team, with Calvin Natt also joining him on that All-Star team averaging 23.3 points per game. The Nuggets beat the Spurs in five games in the first round, then knocked out the Jazz in five games in the semifinals. In the Western Conference Finals, they lost in five games to the Lakers.
2009
The Nuggets went 54-28 during the 2008-09 regular season. They had six players average at least 11.7 points per game and two of them made the All-Star team, Allen Iverson and Chauncey Billups. Billups averaged 17.9 points and 6.4 assists per game on his way to finishing sixth in MVP voting. They defeated the Hornets in five games in the first round of the playoffs, then dispatched the Mavericks in five games in the semifinals. Their playoff run was halted once again by the Lakers, whom they lost to in six games in the Western Conference Finals.
2020
The Nuggets reached the playoffs in 2019-20 with a regular season record of 46-27. Nikola Jokić led the way, averaging 19.9 points, 9.7 rebounds and 7.0 assists per game. He made the All-Star team and finished inside the top 10 in MVP voting. It wasn’t an easy path to the Western Conference Finals. First, they needed seven games to defeat the Jazz in the first round. It also took them seven games to get past the Clippers in the semifinals. Once they reached the Western Conference Finals, a familiar foe was waiting for them in the Lakers. The Nuggets ultimately lost in five games.
2023
The Nuggets posted a regular-season record of 53-29 during the 2022-23 season. Jokić finished second in MVP voting, averaging 24.5 points, 11.8 rebounds and 9.8 assists per game. The Nuggets defeated the Timberwolves in five games in the first round, then beat the Suns in six games in the semifinals. The Western Conference Finals brought another matchup against the Lakers. This time, the Nuggets swept them to advance to the NBA Finals. They then defeated the Heat in five games to win the franchise’s first NBA championship.
