With only one day remaining in the NBA regular season and the playoffs approaching in less than a week, Sunday`s finale is packed with significant decisions. While all 10 Eastern Conference playoff and play-in seeds are already determined, the focus now turns to the Western Conference. Saturday is a day off, setting the stage for Sunday to decide playoff seeding for teams like the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Grizzlies.
The Western Conference playoff picture is complex, with numerous seeding possibilities. Here’s a simplified breakdown of what`s at stake in the final weekend of the NBA season.
Lakers and Knicks Clinch Third Seed
This outcome is straightforward. Following their Friday victory, the Lakers have secured the No. 3 seed in the West. Despite a loss to the top-ranked Cavaliers, the Knicks benefited from the Pacers` loss to the Magic and the Bucks` win over the Pistons on Friday, guaranteeing New York the No. 3 seed in the East.
In the first round of the playoffs, the Knicks will face the No. 6 Pistons. The Lakers, however, must wait for Sunday`s results to determine their first-round opponent. If the playoffs were to begin immediately, Los Angeles would host a highly anticipated opening series against the Warriors.
Western Conference Playoff Scenarios
The Lakers secured the No. 3 seed with a decisive win against the Rockets on Friday. The top three seeds in the West are now locked: Thunder, Rockets, and Lakers, in that order. However, teams ranked fourth through eighth are still vying for playoff positions, with only two games separating them in the standings.
The head-to-head matchup between the Warriors and Clippers on Sunday at 3:30 ET will be particularly important in shaping the Western Conference seeds and could lead to significant shifts in the standings.
The Nuggets have the potential to climb to fourth place if they win their Sunday game against Houston. Conversely, the Clippers, Warriors, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves could land anywhere between fourth and eighth place. The Clippers and Warriors game on Sunday adds another layer of drama, potentially causing considerable upheaval in the standings depending on the result. All these teams will be intensely competitive, aiming for the best possible playoff seeding.
Bucks and Pistons Matchups Determine Eastern Fifth Seed
The Bucks entered the weekend with a one-game lead over the Pistons for the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. Milwaukee`s Friday win secured their fifth seed. Interestingly, the Bucks also play the Pistons on Sunday. Had Detroit won both games, they would have overtaken the No. 5 seed from the Bucks.
The Bucks have now won seven consecutive games and hold a 3-0 season series lead against Detroit.
The stakes were high for both teams. The difference between the fifth and sixth seed is a first-round matchup against either the Knicks or Pacers. Both teams would likely prefer facing Indiana, especially Milwaukee, who are currently without All-Star guard Damian Lillard due to a blood clot. The Bucks are now locked into the fifth seed, avoiding a potential second-round matchup with the reigning champion Boston Celtics.
Hawks and Bulls Secure Play-in Tournament Spots
While less dramatic, the Hawks and Bulls also had playoff implications this weekend. Atlanta needed just one win to secure the No. 8 play-in spot in the East, which they achieved on Friday against the 76ers. This sets up a possible play-in preview against the Orlando Magic at the end of the regular season.
Chicago, while not in control of overtaking the Hawks, won their Friday game. This win secured the No. 9 spot, meaning the Bulls will host a play-in game against the Heat, a team they recently defeated on April 9. This is likely a more favorable matchup than traveling to play No. 7 Orlando.
Kings Still in Contention for Ninth Seed
Further down the Western Conference standings, the Kings and Mavericks are two underperforming teams who made notable trades at the deadline. Sacramento traded De`Aaron Fox to the Spurs, and Dallas traded Luka Doncic to the Lakers. Despite the vast differences between these trades, both teams have struggled since losing their franchise cornerstones. This weekend, both teams are competing for the right to host a play-in game, a significant drop for the Mavericks, who reached the NBA Finals last June.
Sacramento, after a 101-100 loss to the Clippers on Friday, can secure the ninth spot by winning their final game Sunday against the Suns. Dallas could overtake the Kings if Sacramento loses Sunday and the Mavericks win against the Grizzlies. It`s likely the Kings will host the 9/10 game, but the outcome of that matchup is uncertain. Both teams have been playing disappointingly recently, and both franchises are likely looking forward to the offseason.
Jasper Hawthorne