The final week of the NBA regular season is here and there is still much to be determined regarding playoff seeding and matchups. With multiple teams fighting for top seeds and to avoid the play-in tournament, every game matters.
The Playoff Picture
Here is what we know about the playoff picture so far:
- The Boston Celtics have clinched the #1 seed in the Eastern Conference.
- The Brooklyn Nets and Houston Rockets have been eliminated from playoff contention.
- The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks will face each other in the play-in tournament on April 17.
Beyond that, there are numerous races and seeding battles to keep an eye on:
- The Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, and Oklahoma City Thunder are within one game of each other for the #1-3 seeds in the Western Conference.
- The Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, and Los Angeles Lakers are within 1.5 games of each other for the #6-9 seeds in the West.
- The Milwaukee Bucks, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers are within 1.5 games of each other for the #2-5 seeds in the Eastern Conference.
- The Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Miami Heat are battling for the #6-8 seeds in the East, while the Cavaliers could also fall into that race.
Marquee Games
With so much on the line, the matchups over this final week will have major playoff implications. Here are 12 of the biggest games to keep an eye on:
Friday, April 12
Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers
The scrappy Magic takes on the talented Sixers in a game that both Eastern Conference teams need for playoff positioning. Orlando is exceeding expectations while Philly has underwhelmed relative to their talent level.
Indiana Pacers at Cleveland Cavaliers
A couple of teams limping their way to the postseason. This game will be an intriguing clash of contrasting styles and could play a role in which squad gets into that 7-8-9 play-in mix out East.
Milwaukee Bucks at Oklahoma City Thunder
Huge cross-conference showdown between teams battling for top-three playoff seeds. Hopefully, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is healthy for the young Thunder in this marquee matchup with Giannis and the Bucks.
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Sunday, April 14 (Final Day of Regular Season)
Milwaukee Bucks at Orlando Magic
This late-season East matchup could see the scrappy Magic playing playoff spoiler against the championship-hopeful Bucks.
Phoenix Suns at Minnesota Timberwolves
An inter-conference clash of talented teams looking to secure playoff seeding on the last day of the regular season.
Los Angeles Lakers at New Orleans Pelicans
LeBron James takes on Zion Williamson in a Western Conference tilt that will impact the final play-in standings.
Dallas Mavericks at Oklahoma City Thunder
Luka Doncic leads his Mavericks against the young, hungry Thunder squad with playoff seeding on the line for both teams.
Players to Watch
With star players on teams clawing for playoff position, the top talent will need to shine in the most crucial games of the regular season:
- Giannis Antetokounmpo – His Bucks are stumbling to the finish line. How The Greek Freak finishes out the season could determine their playoff fate.
- Joel Embiid – Playing at an MVP level but will need to overcome injury and get his 76ers rolling into the postseason.
- Devin Booker – If the Suns hope to avoid the play-in, their newly-extended star guard must light it up.
- Anthony Davis – Davis getting healthy alongside LeBron James is key to any Lakers‘ run through the play-in/playoffs.
- Luka Doncic – He will need to play like an All-NBA superstar to fend off the play-in-hungry Pelicans and Spurs.
Races to Watch
While every game matters for playoff seeding, keep an eye on these down-to-the-wire positional battles:
Western Conference #2-4 Seeds
Just one game separates the fifty-win Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Thunder. Minnesota holds tiebreakers but has the toughest remaining schedule amongst that trio. Buckle up out West.
Western Conference #6-10 Seeds
A whopping 1.5 games separate the Suns down to the Lakers when it comes to clinching a playoff spot or landing in the dreaded play-in scenario. It could come down to flipping a coin between Phoenix, New Orleans, Sacramento, and Los Angeles for those last two playoff seeds.
Eastern Conference #2-5 Seeds
The defending champion Bucks are looking to flip the switch to secure the two seed. Scrappy squads like Orlando, New York, and Cleveland are hoping to play spoiler and move up the ranks in what figures to be a photo finish.
Eastern Conference #6-9 Seeds
Just two games separate Indiana, Philadelphia, and Miami from potentially falling into the play-in fate. It has been an underwhelming year for the talented Sixers, while the Heat are showing signs of life after a rocky regular season. Cleveland crashing this race party would only add more spice to the Eastern Conference mix.
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