The 1993-94 Denver Nuggets had a noteworthy season, finishing with a 42-40 record. Coached by Dan Issel, the team secured the eighth seed in the Western Conference playoffs. The standout player was Dikembe Mutombo, who anchored the defense and averaged 12 points, 11.8 rebounds, and 4.1 blocks per game.
The Nuggets’ postseason was historic. They upset the top-seeded Seattle SuperSonics in the first round, becoming the first eighth seed to win a playoff series under the current format. After falling behind 0-2, Denver won three straight games in the best-of-five series, with Mutombo’s iconic reaction after the decisive Game 5 victory etched in NBA lore. Despite their momentum, the Nuggets fell to the Utah Jazz in the Western Conference semifinals in seven games. This season remains memorable for its demonstration of resilience and the emergence of the Nuggets as a formidable playoff contender.
- Regular Season Record: 42-40
- Playoff Result: Western Conference First Round: 3-2, Western Conference Semifinals: 3-4
Denver Nuggets Roster and Stats for 1993-94 Season
| Regular Season | Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Player | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% | GP | PTS | REB | AST | STL | BLK | 3P% |
| Mahmoud Abdul-Rauf | 80 | 18.0 | 2.1 | 4.5 | 1.0 | 0.1 | 31.6 | 12 | 12.9 | 1.5 | 2.5 | 0.4 | 0.1 | 32.4 |
| LaPhonso Ellis | 79 | 15.4 | 8.6 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 30.4 | 12 | 14.8 | 8.1 | 2.2 | 0.8 | 0.9 | 50.0 |
| Reggie Williams | 82 | 13.0 | 4.8 | 3.7 | 1.4 | 0.8 | 27.8 | 12 | 14.3 | 5.1 | 3.5 | 0.8 | 1.0 | 40.0 |
| Bryant Stith | 82 | 12.5 | 4.3 | 2.4 | 1.4 | 0.2 | 22.2 | 12 | 11.3 | 4.7 | 2.2 | 0.9 | 0.2 | 0.0 |
| Dikembe Mutombo | 82 | 12.0 | 11.8 | 1.5 | 0.7 | 4.1 | 0.0 | 12 | 13.3 | 12.0 | 1.8 | 0.7 | 5.8 | 0.0 |
| Robert Pack | 66 | 9.6 | 1.9 | 5.4 | 1.2 | 0.1 | 20.7 | 12 | 11.8 | 2.3 | 4.3 | 1.5 | 0.5 | 30.0 |
| Rodney Rogers | 79 | 8.1 | 2.9 | 1.3 | 0.8 | 0.6 | 38.0 | 12 | 5.1 | 1.8 | 1.3 | 0.6 | 0.5 | 31.6 |
| Bison Dele | 80 | 8.0 | 5.6 | 0.6 | 0.6 | 1.1 | 0.0 | 12 | 9.3 | 7.4 | 0.9 | 0.3 | 0.9 | 0.0 |
| Mark Macon | 7 | 5.1 | 1.0 | 1.6 | 0.9 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Tom Hammonds | 74 | 4.1 | 2.7 | 0.5 | 0.3 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 8 | 1.1 | 1.6 | 0.3 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Marcus Liberty | 3 | 3.0 | 1.7 | 0.7 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Kevin Brooks | 34 | 2.5 | 0.6 | 0.1 | 0.0 | 0.1 | 17.4 | 2 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Adonis Jordan | 6 | 2.5 | 1.0 | 3.2 | 0.0 | 0.2 | 30.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Mark Randall | 28 | 2.1 | 0.8 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 0.1 | 14.3 | 2 | 0.0 | 2.5 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.5 | 0.0 |
| Darnell Mee | 38 | 1.9 | 0.9 | 0.4 | 0.4 | 0.3 | 20.8 | 3 | 2.3 | 0.7 | 0.7 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 25.0 |
| Jim Farmer | 4 | 1.0 | 0.5 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
| Roy Marble | 5 | 0.8 | 1.6 | 0.2 | 0.0 | 0.4 | 0.0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0.0 |
Denver Nuggets in the 1994 NBA Playoffs
Playoffs First Round vs. Seattle SuperSonics
In the 1994 NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets made history in the first round by becoming the first eighth-seeded team to defeat a top-seeded team, the Seattle SuperSonics. Led by Dikembe Mutombo's dominant defense and clutch performances, the Nuggets rallied from a 2-0 series deficit to win the best-of-five series 3-2. This stunning upset was capped by an iconic image of Mutombo lying on the floor, clutching the ball in jubilation after the Game 5 victory.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 28, 1994 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 106-82 | |
| Apr 30, 1994 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 97-87 | |
| May 02, 1994 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 110-93 | |
| May 05, 1994 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 94-85 | |
| May 07, 1994 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | W 98-94 |
Playoffs Second Round vs. Utah Jazz
In the 1994 NBA Playoffs, the Denver Nuggets, led by Dikembe Mutombo, made history by becoming the first eighth-seeded team to defeat a first seed when they upset the Seattle SuperSonics in the first round. In the second round, they continued their underdog journey against the Utah Jazz, pushing the series to seven games before ultimately falling short. The Nuggets' tenacity and Mutombo's iconic defensive prowess captivated fans, underscoring their reputation as a formidable and resilient playoff contender.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| May 10, 1994 | @ Utah Jazz | L 100-91 | |
| May 12, 1994 | @ Utah Jazz | L 104-94 | |
| May 14, 1994 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 111-109 | |
| May 15, 1994 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 83-82 | |
| May 17, 1994 | @ Utah Jazz | W 109-101 | |
| May 19, 1994 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 94-91 | |
| May 21, 1994 | @ Utah Jazz | L 91-81 |
Denver Nuggets 1993-94 Regular Season Game Log
Here is the game log for the 1993-94 season for the Denver Nuggets.
| Date | Opponent | Result | High Scorer |
|---|---|---|---|
| Nov 05, 1993 | @ Sacramento Kings | L 109-100 | |
| Nov 07, 1993 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | W 99-97 | |
| Nov 09, 1993 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 118-86 | |
| Nov 12, 1993 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 113-84 | |
| Nov 13, 1993 | vs. Golden State Warriors | L 106-98 | |
| Nov 16, 1993 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 86-74 | |
| Nov 18, 1993 | vs. Cleveland Cavaliers | W 100-93 | |
| Nov 20, 1993 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 90-89 | |
| Nov 23, 1993 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 109-94 | |
| Nov 24, 1993 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 130-97 | |
| Nov 26, 1993 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | W 112-101 | |
| Nov 27, 1993 | vs. New Jersey Nets | W 111-89 | |
| Nov 30, 1993 | @ Utah Jazz | L 103-92 | |
| Dec 03, 1993 | vs. Charlotte Hornets | W 102-94 | |
| Dec 05, 1993 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 115-110 | |
| Dec 07, 1993 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 95-90 | |
| Dec 10, 1993 | vs. Utah Jazz | W 107-98 | |
| Dec 11, 1993 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 105-100 | |
| Dec 14, 1993 | @ New York Knicks | L 93-84 | |
| Dec 15, 1993 | @ Philadelphia 76ers | L 101-93 | |
| Dec 17, 1993 | @ Charlotte Hornets | L 99-96 | |
| Dec 18, 1993 | @ Atlanta Hawks | L 102-96 | |
| Dec 21, 1993 | vs. Phoenix Suns | W 121-95 | |
| Dec 23, 1993 | @ Houston Rockets | W 106-93 | |
| Dec 26, 1993 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 100-97 | |
| Dec 28, 1993 | @ Dallas Mavericks | W 97-85 | |
| Dec 30, 1993 | vs. Golden State Warriors | W 101-96 | |
| Jan 02, 1994 | vs. Philadelphia 76ers | L 96-80 | |
| Jan 04, 1994 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | L 119-118 | |
| Jan 05, 1994 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | L 109-95 | |
| Jan 07, 1994 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | L 84-76 | |
| Jan 08, 1994 | vs. Sacramento Kings | W 104-98 | |
| Jan 11, 1994 | @ Detroit Pistons | W 94-86 | |
| Jan 12, 1994 | @ Indiana Pacers | L 107-96 | |
| Jan 14, 1994 | @ New Jersey Nets | L 103-96 | |
| Jan 16, 1994 | @ Boston Celtics | L 105-100 | |
| Jan 18, 1994 | vs. Portland Trail Blazers | L 104-103 | |
| Jan 20, 1994 | vs. Houston Rockets | W 111-106 | |
| Jan 22, 1994 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 98-91 | |
| Jan 27, 1994 | vs. Indiana Pacers | W 113-106 | |
| Jan 29, 1994 | vs. Detroit Pistons | W 128-110 | |
| Feb 01, 1994 | vs. Chicago Bulls | L 118-98 | |
| Feb 02, 1994 | @ Golden State Warriors | L 97-84 | |
| Feb 04, 1994 | @ Sacramento Kings | W 108-83 | |
| Feb 06, 1994 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 99-89 | |
| Feb 08, 1994 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 96-95 | |
| Feb 10, 1994 | @ San Antonio Spurs | L 94-87 | |
| Feb 15, 1994 | @ Cleveland Cavaliers | L 111-99 | |
| Feb 16, 1994 | @ Milwaukee Bucks | W 107-95 | |
| Feb 18, 1994 | @ Chicago Bulls | W 109-84 | |
| Feb 20, 1994 | vs. Atlanta Hawks | W 97-92 | |
| Feb 22, 1994 | @ Houston Rockets | L 98-97 | |
| Feb 23, 1994 | vs. Boston Celtics | W 102-94 | |
| Feb 25, 1994 | vs. New York Knicks | W 102-94 | |
| Feb 27, 1994 | @ Portland Trail Blazers | L 104-97 | |
| Mar 04, 1994 | vs. Orlando Magic | W 98-89 | |
| Mar 06, 1994 | vs. Minnesota Timberwolves | W 117-97 | |
| Mar 08, 1994 | @ Orlando Magic | L 95-88 | |
| Mar 09, 1994 | @ Miami Heat | L 102-80 | |
| Mar 11, 1994 | @ Washington Bullets | L 100-93 | |
| Mar 14, 1994 | vs. San Antonio Spurs | W 116-88 | |
| Mar 17, 1994 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 102-99 | |
| Mar 18, 1994 | vs. Sacramento Kings | L 115-103 | |
| Mar 20, 1994 | vs. Washington Bullets | W 132-99 | |
| Mar 22, 1994 | vs. Milwaukee Bucks | W 108-94 | |
| Mar 24, 1994 | vs. Miami Heat | W 113-101 | |
| Mar 26, 1994 | vs. Dallas Mavericks | W 112-101 | |
| Mar 28, 1994 | @ Seattle SuperSonics | L 111-97 | |
| Apr 02, 1994 | @ Utah Jazz | L 101-91 | |
| Apr 03, 1994 | @ Phoenix Suns | L 108-98 | |
| Apr 05, 1994 | vs. Los Angeles Clippers | L 92-91 | |
| Apr 07, 1994 | vs. Seattle SuperSonics | W 104-90 | |
| Apr 08, 1994 | @ Los Angeles Lakers | W 112-99 | |
| Apr 10, 1994 | vs. Houston Rockets | L 93-92 | |
| Apr 12, 1994 | vs. Phoenix Suns | L 107-102 | |
| Apr 13, 1994 | @ San Antonio Spurs | W 83-78 | |
| Apr 15, 1994 | @ Dallas Mavericks | L 99-97 | |
| Apr 17, 1994 | @ Minnesota Timberwolves | W 99-88 | |
| Apr 19, 1994 | vs. Los Angeles Lakers | W 105-98 | |
| Apr 20, 1994 | @ Los Angeles Clippers | W 100-85 | |
| Apr 22, 1994 | vs. Utah Jazz | L 113-106 | |
| Apr 24, 1994 | @ Houston Rockets | W 115-107 |