The Denver Nuggets are almost at the mountaintop, but they have already made franchise history in the process.
The team has reached the NBA Finals for the first time after sweeping the Los Angeles Lakers in the 2023 Western Conference Finals. Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Co. earned the West’s No. 1 seed and have played like the conference’s top team throughout the playoffs, losing just three games across the first three rounds.
The Finals are uncharted territory for the franchise, which has been around since 1967. While it still needs four more wins to reach the ultimate goal of an elusive NBA title, Denver has removed itself from the lonely group of teams that have never reached the league’s championship series.
With the Nuggets finally clearing the Western Conference Finals hurdle, how many teams have still yet to reach the NBA Finals?
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Which teams have never appeared in the NBA Finals?
Five current NBA franchises have still yet to play in the Finals with one team in the midst of a half-century drought.
- Los Angeles Clippers – 53 seasons
- Minnesota Timberwolves – 34 seasons
- Charlotte Hornets – 33 seasons
- Memphis Grizzlies – 28 seasons
- New Orleans Pelicans – 21 seasons
Which NBA teams have never reached the conference finals?
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The Hornets and Pelicans are the only two active franchises that have never made it past the second round of the NBA playoffs.
The Clippers, Timberwolves and Grizzlies each have one Western Conference Finals appearance.
Which teams have made the NBA Finals but never won it?
Five teams have made it to the NBA Finals but have yet to lift the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
- Phoenix Suns – 3 Finals appearances
- Orlando Magic – 2 Finals appearances
- Brooklyn Nets – 2 Finals appearances
- Utah Jazz – 2 Finals appearances
- Indiana Pacers – 1 Finals appearance
