Joel Embiid's 76ers, Nikola Jokic's Nuggets could both face unprecedentedly difficult roads to NBA Finals

Depending on how the standings shake out, both Philadelphia and Denver could encounter historic opposition

With less than a month remaining in the NBA regular season, it's time to start taking a serious look at the playoff picture -- not only in terms of who's in and who's out but also in terms of matchups. It's not uncommon to see teams jockeying for the seed that they want in the final days of the regular season, even if it's a lower seed, in order to get the first-round opponent they feel they have the best chance to beat. (1) Denver Nuggets vs. (8) Los Angeles Lakers (4) Phoenix Suns (7) Golden State Warriors (3) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6) Miami Heat (2) Boston Celtics (1) Milwaukee Bucks

It's still a bit too early to tell which teams could pull some shenanigans and sit their best players on the last day of the season, but there are two teams likely hoping that the standings don't end up in a certain configuration.

The Western Conference No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets and the Eastern Conference No. 3 seed Philadelphia 76ers could both face unprecedented roads to a potential championship. No NBA team has ever beaten the previous three conference champions before the NBA Finals, according to CBS Sports research. Led by top MVP candidates Nikola Jokic and Joel Embiid, both the Nuggets and 76ers may have to make history in order to reach the Finals this postseason.