ENGLEWOOD, Colo. (AP) — The Denver Broncos won their first AFC West title in a decade Saturday when the Houston Texans beat the Los Angeles Chargers 20-16.

That means they'll host their first playoff game since January 2016. They can wrap up the AFC's No. 1 seed as early as Sunday, if the Patriots, Jaguars and Bills all lose or tie their Week 17 games.

The Broncos’ division title ended a nine-year run by the Kansas City Chiefs (6-10), whose run of seven consecutive AFC championship game appearances came to an end with an injury-riddled season that included a serious knee injury to Patrick Mahomes.

If the conference’s top seed is still in play after Sunday’s slate, the Broncos can clinch the top seed and the first-round by that comes with it by beating the Chargers (11-5) at home next weekend.

The Broncos (13-3) have lost all three games to the Chargers since Jim Harbaugh took over as their coach last season.

When the Texans won Saturday, the Broncos tweeted “AFC WEST CHAMPS” with a green checkmark next to Goal No. 1 and the message, “And we're still climbing.”

After the Broncos clinched a playoff spot earlier this month, coach Sean Payton insisted several times that there was nothing to celebrate yet because they hadn't reached any of their three goals:

1. AFC West title.

2. Highest playoff seed possible.

3. Super Bowl 60.

Asked after their 20-13 win at Kansas City on Christmas night if it would be weird clinching the division from the couch this weekend, Payton retorted, "No. It will be relaxing, it will be nice.”

Broncos quarterback Bo Nix was so focused on winning in Week 18 that he swore he wasn't paying much mind to the Houston-L.A. game Saturday.

“At the end of the day, none of it really matters,” Nix said after Denver's first win at Arrowhead since 2015. “We have to play the final game, and we have to take care of it. They (the Chargers) are going to be a good football team. Some other team could help us along the way, but at the end of the day, it is going to come down to us versus them. We are excited to have them at home.”

The Broncos are 7-1 at Empower Field at Mile High this year and have won 12 of their last 13 home games.

“It is going to be a really good environment and atmosphere,” Nix said. "It is honestly playoff atmosphere. It is going to be tough. I have not beaten them, but it is going to be a good nine days of preparation. On the tenth day, it will be all you have got for four quarters or however long it takes.

"We are excited about it. It will be good to have rest. It will be a good long weekend for us.”

Black scores career-high 38, Magic overcome Jokic, Nuggets for 127-126 victory

ORLANDO, Fla. (AP) — Anthony Black scored a career-high 38 points, Desmond Bane made two free throws with 6.9 seconds left and the Orlando Magic overcame another huge triple-double by Nikola Jokic to beat the Denver Nuggets 127-126 on Saturday night.

Jokic had 34 points, 21 rebounds and 12 assists, his 180th triple-double and 16th of the season. Two nights after finishing with 56 points, 16 rebounds and 15 assists in a Christmas overtime victory over Minnesota, he pulled within one of Oscar Robertson for second on the NBA's career triple-doubles list.

It was Jokic's eighth career 30-20-10 game, second-most behind Wilt Chamberlain's 16.

Jamal Murray scored 24 points for Denver, but missed a long jump shot at the horn after Bane's free throws completed Orlando's comeback from a 17-point deficit.

Bane scored 15 of his 24 points in the fourth quarter for the Magic, who shot 67.4% in the second half.

Denver's loss, in the opener of a seven-game road trip, was its second straight on the road after 11 straight road victories.

Tim Hardaway Jr. scored 20 points for the Nuggets, who shot 51.2% for the game.

Wendell Carter Jr. had 18 points and seven rebounds for the Magic before fouling out with 11.9 seconds left after a replay reversal put Jokic on the line for Denver's final points.

Black shot 14 for 24 overall and made 7 of 11 3-point shots. He also had a steal from Jokic that led to a layup for his final points late in the fourth quarter.

Up next

Nuggets: Visit Miami on Monday.

Magic: Visit Toronto on Monday.

Necas scores twice, MacKinnon gets shootout winner, Avs top Knights 6-5

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Martin Necas scored two goals in regulation and another during the shootout and the Colorado Avalanche beat the Vegas Golden Knights 6-5 on Saturday night.

Nathan MacKinnon also scored for Colorado in the shootout, while Mitch Marner was the only one to score for the Knights.

Colorado, which extended its win streak to seven games, has registered points in 27 of its last 28 games. The Avalanche are 23-1-4 during that stretch.

The Avs also improved to 9-1-2 in their last 12 on the road.

Colorado is the only team in the NHL with at least 60 points, sitting atop the Central Division with 63.

Vegas has now lost four of its last five, having split the first two of a four-game homestand. In earning a point for the 10th time in 12 games, the Knights took sole possession of first place in the Pacific Division with 45 points, one point ahead of both Anaheim and Edmonton.

After Vegas blew a pair of two-goal leads, allowing the Avalanche to tie the game in the second and third periods, it appeared to seize momentum when Colton Sissons scored with four minutes left in regulation.

But Artturi Lehkonen’s goal with 1:57 left tied the game and forced the Knights to their 15th overtime this season. Vegas is 4-11 in overtime this season, including 1-5 in shootouts.

Samuel Girard and Nathan MacKinnon added goals for the Avalanche. Scott Wedgewood stopped 20 shots.

Alexander Holtz, Ivan Barbashev, Ben Hutton and Brett Howden also scored for the Golden Knights, while Carter Hart made 33 saves.

Up next

Avalanche: Host Los Angeles on Monday night.

Golden Knights: Host Minnesota on Monday night.