There is just one week left in the NBA season and very little is settled.
The top couple of seeds in each conference are set — Oklahoma City and Houston in the West, Cleveland and Boston in the East — and after that things open up quickly. Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA Playoffs heading into the final week of the season.
NBA standings
NBA playoff picture
If the season ended today (April 7).
East Play-In matchups
8. Hawks at 7. Magic
10 Heat at 9. Bulls
East first-round matchups
1. Cavaliers vs. 8. Magic/Hawks/Heat/Bulls
2. Celtics vs. 7. Magic/Hawks
3. Knicks vs. 6. Pistons
4. Pacers vs. 5. Bucks
West Play-In matchups
8. Grizzlies vs. 7. Timberwolves
10. Mavericks vs. 9. Kings
West first-round matchups
1. Thunder vs. 8. Grizzlies/Timberwolves/Mavericks/Kings
2. Rockets vs. 7. Grizzlies/Timberwolves
3. Lakers vs. 6. Warriors
4. Nuggets vs. 5. Clippers
Playoff projections
Let’s break it down by conference, taking a closer look at each race (the listed games back in each race are from the leader of that grouping, not the top-seeded team).
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Houston Rockets
Oklahoma City has been clear and away the best team in the West during the regular season and has long ago locked up the No. 1 seed. Houston is 13.5 games back of OKC, and had a little slump that made things interesting recently, but the Rockets’ magic number to lock up the No. 2 seed is one (one Rockets win or Lakers loss this week). One thing to watch: Other teams don’t fear the Rockets in the playoffs the way they fear the Thunder (or even the Warriors/Lakers/Nuggets), so don’t be surprised if teams try to jockey into the 3 or 6 seeds to get on Houston’s side of the bracket.
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Denver Nuggets (-1.5)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (-2)
6. Golden State Warriors (-2)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (-2)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (-2)
The NBA wants drama in the final week of the season, and the West is delivering.
The Lakers are in control of the No. 3 seed: Two wins in their final four games guarantees them the No. 3 seed, and just one win guarantees a top-six finish. After that, the other five teams all have 32 losses — it is one big tie that could go in any direction. A couple of key games to watch this week in this group:
• Lakers at Thunder (Tuesday). The Lakers won the first game of this two-game set on Sunday.
• Rockets at Clippers (Wednesday). The Clippers’ elite defense against the young legs of the Rockets will be entertaining.
• Timberwolves at Grizzlies (Thursday). Ja Morant vs. Anthony Edwards will be a show.
• Rockets at Lakers (Friday). Houston will have things locked up as the two seed, but is not going to take it easy against the Lakers.
9. Sacramento Kings
10. Dallas Mavericks (-0.5)
11. Phoenix Suns (-3)
Phoenix enters the week mathematically alive, if it can win its final four games this week it has a chance to catch Dallas (two losses, however, and the Suns are eliminated). In reality, the Suns let go of the rope and have games against the Warriors and Thunder this week. The Suns are toast.
Sacramento has one game lead in the loss column but has a slightly tougher schedule this week with the Nuggets, Clippers and Pistons coming up. The race to host the first round of the Play-In Tournament could come down to the final days.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Cleveland Cavaliers
2. Boston Celtics
No drama at the top of the East standings, the Cavaliers have locked up the No. 1 seed (technically their magic number for the top seed is one, but that’s happening) and Boston is locked in at No. 2.
3. New York Knicks
4. Indiana Pacers
While not mathematically locked in yet, these teams will finish in this order. New York’s magic number to clinch the No. 3 seed is one (just one win or Pacers loss). Indiana controls its own destiny to host a first-round series, its magic number for the No. 4 seed is two (with two games against the Cavaliers, one against Orlando and one against Washington this week).
5. Milwaukee Bucks
6. Detroit Pistons (-1)
The Bucks have a one-game cushion over the Pistons, but these two teams play each other in the final two games of the season (Friday and Sunday). That will determine their seeding, and who is headed to New York and who is headed to Indiana to start the playoffs.
7. Orlando Magic
8. Atlanta Hawks (-1)
9. Chicago Bulls (-2)
10. Miami Heat (-3)
The four teams in the East play-in are locked in, but their order is not — these four could finish in almost any order (well, Miami can’t get up to No. 7, but aside from that, any order). That said, the smart money is on this group finishing in this order, with the Magic and Hawks in the 7/8 Play-In Tournament Game.
The big game to watch in this group is Tuesday night, when Atlanta travels to Orlando — the winner of that game is in the driver’s seat for the No. 7 seed.
Read the full article here