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NBA Daily Playoff Picture: The one when the Los Angeles Lakers can clinch a play-in berth

ben rohrbach
Senior writer
·5 min read
40

The NBA playoff picture will come into clearer view each day between now and the end of the regular season on Sunday. In the meantime, we will provide detailed daily updates on the landscape, including magic numbers, strength of schedule, relevant tiebreakers and the stakes for every day's slate of games.

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Milwaukee Bucks (56-22)
Magic number for No. 1 seed: 3

2. Boston Celtics (54-24)
Magic number for No. 2 seed: 1

3. Philadelphia 76ers (51-27)
Magic number for No. 3 seed: 1

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (49-30)
Magic number for No. 4 seed: 1

5. New York Knicks (46-33)
Magic number for No. 5 seed: 2

6. Brooklyn Nets (43-35)
Magic number for No. 6 seed: 2

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7. Miami Heat (41-37)

  • Projected record: 43-39

  • Net rating: -1.2

  • Remaining schedule: @DET, @PHI, @WAS, ORL

  • Remaining schedule strength: .433 (easiest of East's possible play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Hawks

8. Atlanta Hawks (39-39)

  • Projected record: 41-41

  • Net rating: -0.2

  • Remaining schedule: @CHI, WAS, PHI, @BOS

  • Remaining schedule strength: .567 (second-hardest of East's possible play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Raptors

9. Toronto Raptors (39-39)

  • Projected record: 41-41

  • Net rating: 1.4

  • Remaining schedule: @CHA, @BOS, @BOS, MIL

  • Remaining schedule strength: .607 (hardest of East's possible play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Heat, Bulls

10. Chicago Bulls (38-40)

  • Projected record: 40-42

  • Net rating: 1.4

  • Remaining schedule: ATL, @MIL, @DAL, DET

  • Remaining schedule strength: .473 (second-easiest of East's possible play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed

  • Own tiebreakers against: Heat

Other meaningful tiebreakers

  • Boston holds tiebreakers for the No. 1 against Milwaukee and No. 3 seed against Philadelphia.

  • Philadelphia holds the tiebreaker for the No. 3 seed against Cleveland.

  • New York holds the tiebreaker for the No. 4 seed against Cleveland.

  • Brooklyn holds the tiebreaker for the No. 6 seed against Miami.

Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics can clinch a top-two seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs with a victory against Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. (Winslow Townson/USA Today Sports)
Jayson Tatum's Boston Celtics can clinch a top-two seed in the NBA's Eastern Conference playoffs with a victory against Joel Embiid's Philadelphia 76ers on Tuesday night. (Winslow Townson/USA Today Sports)

Tuesday's schedule (all times Eastern)

  • Milwaukee at Washington (7 p.m.)

  • Toronto at Charlotte (7 p.m.)

  • Cleveland at Orlando (7 p.m.): The Cavaliers can clinch a home playoff seed, eliminate the Magic and set the 10-team playoff field in the East with a win.

  • Miami at Detroit (7 p.m.): The Heat can clinch no worse than the No. 8 seed with a win.

  • Minnesota at Brooklyn (7:30 p.m.): The Nets can clinch a playoff berth with a win and a Heat loss.

  • Boston at Philadelphia (8 p.m., TNT): The Celtics can clinch a top-two seed with a win.

  • Atlanta at Chicago (8 p.m.): The Bulls can clinch a play-in tournament berth, set the 10-team playoff field in the East and secure a tiebreaker against the Hawks with a win.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Denver Nuggets (52-26)
Magic number for No. 1 seed: 1

2. Memphis Grizzlies (49-29)
Magic number for No. 2 seed: 3

3. Sacramento Kings (47-31)
Magic number for No. 3 seed: 1

4. Phoenix Suns (43-35)
Magic number for No. 4 seed: 2

5. Los Angeles Clippers (41-38)

  • Projected record: 43-39

  • Net rating: 0.2

  • Remaining schedule: LAL, POR, @PHX

  • Remaining schedule strength: .496 (third-easiest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 4 seed (clinched no lower than No. 10)

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Lakers

6. Golden State Warriors (41-38)

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7. Los Angeles Lakers (40-38)

  • Projected record: 42-40

  • Net rating: 0.5

  • Remaining schedule: @UTA, @LAC, PHX, UTA

  • Remaining schedule strength: .498 (fourth-easiest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 4 seed

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Warriors, Pelicans, Thunder

8. New Orleans Pelicans (40-38)

  • Projected record: 42-40

  • Net rating: 2.1

  • Remaining schedule: SAC, MEM, NYK, @MIN

  • Remaining schedule strength: .576 (hardest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 4 seed

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Clippers, Thunder

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (39-40)

  • Projected record: 41-41

  • Net rating: -0.2

  • Remaining schedule: @BKN, @SAS, NOP

  • Remaining schedule strength: .440 (easiest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Clippers, Lakers, Thunder, Mavericks

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (38-40)

  • Projected record: 39-43

  • Net rating: 0.8

  • Remaining schedule: @GSW, @UTA, MEM

  • Remaining schedule strength: .536 (third-hardest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Clippers, Mavericks

11. Dallas Mavericks (37-42)

  • Projected record: 39-43

  • Net rating: 0.1

  • Remaining schedule: SAC, CHI, SAS

  • Remaining schedule strength: .449 (second-easiest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 8 seed

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Lakers, Jazz

12. Utah Jazz (36-42)

  • Projected record: 38-44

  • Net rating: -0.5

  • Remaining schedule: LAL, OKC, DEN, @LAL

  • Remaining schedule strength: .543 (second-hardest of West's potential play-in teams)

  • Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed

  • Owns tiebreakers against: Clippers, Pelicans

Other meaningful tiebreakers

  • Sacramento currently holds the tiebreaker for the No. 2 seed against Memphis.

Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers can secure a play-in tournament berth with a win against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. (Erik Williams/USA Today Sports)
Anthony Davis, LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers can secure a play-in tournament berth with a win against the Utah Jazz on Tuesday night. (Erik Williams/USA Today Sports)

Tuesday's schedule (all times Eastern)

  • Minnesota at Brooklyn (7:30 p.m.)

  • Portland at Memphis (8 p.m.)

  • Denver at Houston (8 p.m.): The Nuggets can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win or a Grizzlies loss.

  • Sacramento at New Orleans (8 p.m.): The Kings can clinch no worse than the No. 3 seed with a win. The Pelicans can clinch a play-in tournament berth with a win.

  • Lakers at Jazz (9 p.m.): The Lakers can clinch a play-in tournament berth with a win.

  • Oklahoma City at Golden State (10 p.m.): The Warriors can clinch no worse than the No. 8 seed and a tiebreaker against the Thunder with a win.

  • San Antonio at Phoenix (10 p.m.): The Suns can clinch no worse than the No. 5 seed with a win.