Northwest Division (NBA)

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Northwest Division
ConferenceWestern Conference
LeagueNational Basketball Association
SportBasketball
Inaugural season2004–05 season
Teams
No. of teams5
Championships
Most recent champion(s)Utah Jazz (4th title)
Most titlesOklahoma City Thunder/Seattle SuperSonics (6 titles)

The Northwest Division is one of the three divisions in the Western Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams: the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the Portland Trail Blazers and the Utah Jazz. The Northwest Division is by far the most geographically expansive of the six divisions; the Nuggets, Trail Blazers and Jazz are geographically closer to the Pacific Division, the Thunder is geographically closer to the Southwest Division, and the Timberwolves are geographically closer to the Central Division.

The division was created at the start of the 2004–05 season, when the league expanded from 29 to 30 teams with the addition of the Charlotte Bobcats. The league realigned itself into three divisions in each conference. The Northwest Division began with five inaugural members: the Nuggets, the Timberwolves, the Trail Blazers, the Seattle SuperSonics and the Jazz.[1][2] The Trail Blazers and SuperSonics joined from the Pacific Division, while the Nuggets, the Timberwolves and Jazz joined from the now-defunct Midwest Division.

The most recent division champion are the Utah Jazz, having won a fourth division championship in the 2020–21 NBA season. The SuperSonics-Thunder franchise has won the most Northwest Division titles, with six, while the Nuggets have won five, the Jazz have won four, the Trail Blazers have won two, and the Timberwolves have never won the Northwest Division title. In the 2009–10 season, all four teams that qualified for the playoffs each had more than 50 wins, and in 2018–19 all four teams that qualified for the playoffs had at least 49 wins.

2020–21 standings[]

Main article: 2020–21 NBA season
Northwest Division
W L PCT GB Home Road Div GP
z – Utah Jazz 52 20 .722 0.0 31–5 21–15 7–5 72
x – Denver Nuggets 47 25 .653 5.0 25–11 22–14 9–3 72
x – Portland Trail Blazers 42 30 .583 10.0 20–16 22–14 6–6 72
Minnesota Timberwolves 23 49 .319 29.0 13–23 10–26 5–7 72
Oklahoma City Thunder 22 50 .306 30.0 10–26 12–24 3–9 72

Notes

  • y – Clinched division title
  • x – Clinched playoff spot
  • pb – Clinched play-in spot
  • o – Eliminated from playoff contention

Teams[]

Team City Year From
Joined
Denver Nuggets Denver, Colorado 2004 Midwest Division
Minnesota Timberwolves Minneapolis, Minnesota 2004 Midwest Division
Oklahoma City Thunder (2008–present)
Seattle SuperSonics (1967–2008) 		Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
Seattle, Washington 		2004 Pacific Division
Portland Trail Blazers Portland, Oregon 2004 Pacific Division
Utah Jazz Salt Lake City, Utah 2004 Midwest Division

Division champions[]

^ Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season
Season Team Record Playoffs result
2004–05 Seattle SuperSonics 52–30 (.634) Lost Conference Semifinals
2005–06 Denver Nuggets 44–38 (.537) Lost First Round
2006–07 Utah Jazz 51–31 (.622) Lost Conference Finals
2007–08 Utah Jazz 54–28 (.659) Lost Conference Semifinals
2008–09 Denver Nuggets 54–28 (.659) Lost Conference Finals
2009–10 Denver Nuggets 53–29 (.646) Lost First Round
2010–11 Oklahoma City Thunder 55–27 (.671) Lost Conference Finals
2011–12[a] Oklahoma City Thunder 47–19 (.712) Lost NBA Finals
2012–13 Oklahoma City Thunder 60–22 (.732) Lost Conference Semifinals
2013–14 Oklahoma City Thunder 59–23 (.720) Lost Conference Finals
2014–15 Portland Trail Blazers 51–31 (.622) Lost First Round
2015–16 Oklahoma City Thunder 55–27 (.671) Lost Conference Finals
2016–17 Utah Jazz 51–31 (.622) Lost Conference Semifinals
2017–18 Portland Trail Blazers 49–33 (.598) Lost First Round
2018–19 Denver Nuggets 54–28 (.659) Lost Conference Semifinals
2019–20[b] Denver Nuggets 46–27 (.630) Lost Conference Finals
2020–21[c] Utah Jazz^ 52–20 (.722) Lost Conference Semifinals

Titles by team[]

Team Titles Season(s) won
Seattle SuperSonics/Oklahoma City Thunder 6 2004–05, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2012–13, 2013–14, 2015–16
Denver Nuggets 5 2005–06, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2018–19, 2019–20
Utah Jazz 4 2006–07, 2007–08, 2016–17, 2020–21
Portland Trail Blazers 2 2014–15, 2017–18
Minnesota Timberwolves 0 –

Season results[]

^ Denotes team that won the NBA championships
+ Denotes team that won the Conference Finals, but lost the NBA Finals
* Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Playoffs
× Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart
Season Team (record)
1st 2nd 3rd 4th 5th
  • 2004: The Northwest Division was formed with five inaugural members. The Portland Trail Blazers and the Seattle SuperSonics joined from the Pacific Division, while the Denver Nuggets, the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Utah Jazz joined from the Midwest Division.
2004–05 Seattle* (52–30) Denver* (49–33) Minnesota (44–38) Portland (27–55) Utah (26–56)
2005–06 Denver* (44–38) Utah (41–41) Seattle (35–47) Minnesota (33–49) Portland (21–61)
2006–07 Utah* (51–31) Denver* (45–37) Portland (32–50) Minnesota (32–50) Seattle (31–51)
2007–08 Utah* (54–28) Denver* (50–32) Portland (41–41) Minnesota (22–60) Seattle (20–62)
  • 2008: The Seattle SuperSonics relocated and became the Oklahoma City Thunder.
2008–09 Denver* (54–28) Portland* (54–28) Utah* (48–34) Minnesota (24–58) Oklahoma City (23–59)
2009–10 Denver* (53–29) Utah* (53–29) Portland* (50–32) Oklahoma City* (50–32) Minnesota (15–67)
2010–11 Oklahoma City* (55–27) Denver* (50–32) Portland* (48–34) Utah (39–43) Minnesota (17–65)
2011–12[a] Oklahoma City+ (47–19) Denver* (38–28) Utah* (36–30) Portland (28–38) Minnesota (26–40)
2012–13 Oklahoma City* (60–22) Denver* (57–25) Utah (43–39) Portland (33–49) Minnesota (31–51)
2013–14 Oklahoma City* (59–23) Portland* (54–28) Minnesota (40–42) Denver (36–46) Utah (25–57)
2014–15 Portland* (51–31) Oklahoma City (45–37) Utah (38–44) Denver (30–52) Minnesota (16–66)
2015–16 Oklahoma City* (55–27) Portland* (44–38) Utah (40–42) Denver (33–49) Minnesota (29–53)
2016–17 Utah* (51–31) Oklahoma City* (47–35) Portland* (41–41) Denver (40–42) Minnesota (31–51)
2017–18 Portland* (49–33) Oklahoma City* (48–34) Utah* (48–34) Minnesota* (47–35) Denver (46–36)
2018–19 Denver* (54–28) Portland* (53–29) Utah* (50–32) Oklahoma City* (49–33) Minnesota (36–46)
2019–20[b] Denver* (46–27) Oklahoma City* (44–28) Utah* (44–28) Portland* (35–39) Minnesota× (19–45)
2020–21[c] Utah* (52–20) Denver* (47–25) Portland* (42–30) Minnesota (23–49) Oklahoma City (22–50)

Notes[]

  • a 1 2 Because of a lockout, the season did not start until December 25, 2011, and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule.[3]
  • b 1 2 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the 82-game regular season schedule was suspended on March 11, 2020. The season was restarted on July 30 under an eight-game seeding format in the 2020 NBA Bubble to conclude the regular season and determine playoff berths. Games were played inside the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex at Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.
  • c 1 2 Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the season did not start until December 22, 2020, and all 30 teams played a shortened 72-game regular season schedule.

References[]

General
  • "NBA & ABA League Index". Basketball-Reference.com. Sports Reference LLC.
Specific
  1. ^ "NBA Approves Realignment for 2004-05 Season". National Basketball Association. November 17, 2003. Retrieved April 10, 2015.
  2. ^ "Expansion Bobcats prompt change". ESPN.com. ESPN Internet Ventures. Associated Press. November 17, 2003. Retrieved May 29, 2011.
  3. ^ Jenkins, Lee (December 5, 2011). "'tis The Season". CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 30, 2012.

External links[]

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