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NBA Daily Playoff Picture: The one when the West is everything everywhere all at once

ben rohrbach
Senior writer
·3 min read
11

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.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Denver Nuggets (52-29)
Clinched No. 1 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 8 seed (determined by play-in tournament)

2. Memphis Grizzlies (51-30)
Clinched No. 2 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 7 seed (LAC, GSW, NOP, LAL or MIN)

3. Sacramento Kings (48-33)
Clinched No. 3 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 6 seed (LAC, GSW, NOP or LAL)

4. Phoenix Suns (45-36)
Clinched No. 4 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 5 seed (LAC, GSW or NOP)

5. Los Angeles Clippers (43-38)

  • Remaining schedule: @PHX

  • Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 7)

  • Own tiebreakers against: Lakers, Warriors

6. Golden State Warriors (43-38)

  • Remaining schedule: @POR

  • Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7. New Orleans Pelicans (42-39)

  • Remaining schedule: @MIN

  • Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)

  • Own tiebreakers against: Clippers

8. Los Angeles Lakers (42-39)

  • Remaining schedule: UTA

  • Highest possible finish: No. 6 seed (clinched no lower than No. 8)

  • Own tiebreakers against: Warriors, Pelicans

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (41-40)

  • Remaining schedule: NOP

  • Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed (clinched no lower than No. 9)

  • Own tiebreakers against: Clippers, Lakers

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (39-42)
Clinched No. 10 seed and play-in tournament game vs. No. 9 seed (LAC, GSW, LAL, NOP or MIN)

Sunday's games of consequence (all times Eastern)

Clippers at Phoenix (3:30 p.m.)

  • LAC will be the No. 5 seed with a win.

  • LAC will be the No. 6 seed with a loss and: 1) a MIN win and a GSW win or 2) a NOP win, a GSW loss and a LAL win.

  • LAC will be the No. 7 seed with a loss, a NOP win and a LAL loss.

Golden State at Portland (3:30 p.m.)

  • GSW will be the No. 5 seed with a win and a LAC loss.

  • GSW will be the No. 6 seed with a win and a LAC win.

  • GSW will be the No. 6 seed with a loss, a LAL loss and: 1) a MIN win or 2) a NOP win and a LAC win.

  • GSW will be the No. 7 seed with a loss and: 1) a MIN and a LAL win or 2) a NOP win, a LAL loss and a LAC win.

  • GSW will be the No. 8 seed with a loss, a NOP win and a LAL win.

Utah at Lakers (3:30 p.m., ESPN)

  • LAL will be the No. 6 seed with a win, a GSW loss and: 1) a MIN win or 2) a NOP win and a LAC win.

  • LAL will be the No. 7 seed with a win and: 1) a MIN win and a GSW win; 2) a NOP win, a GSW win and a LAC win; or 3) a NOP win, a GSW loss and a LAC loss.

  • LAL will be the No. 8 seed with 1) a loss or 2) a win, a NOP win, a GSW win and a LAC loss.

New Orleans at Minnesota (3:30 p.m.)

  • The loser of NOP at MIN will be the No. 9 seed and host OKC in a play-in tournament game.

  • NOP will be the No. 5 seed with a win, a GSW loss and a LAC loss.

  • NOP will be the No. 6 seed with a win, a GSW win and: 1) a LAC loss or 3) a LAC win and a LAL loss.

  • NOP will be the No. 7 seed with a win, a LAC win and: 1) a LAL win and a GSW loss or 2) a LAL loss and a GSW win.

  • NOP will be the No. 8 seed with a win, a LAL win, a GSW win and a LAC win.

  • MIN will be the No. 7 seed with a win and a LAL loss.

  • MIN will be the No. 8 seed with a win and a LAL win.

Stephen Curry's defending champion Golden State Warriors can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday. (Ed Szczepanski/USA Today Sports)
Stephen Curry's defending champion Golden State Warriors can clinch a playoff berth with a win on Sunday. (Ed Szczepanski/USA Today Sports)

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Milwaukee Bucks (58-23)
Clinched No. 1 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 8 seed (MIA, ATL, TOR or CHI)

2. Boston Celtics (56-25)
Clinched No. 2 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 7 seed (MIA or ATL)

3. Philadelphia 76ers (53-28)
Clinched No. 3 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 6 Brooklyn Nets

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)
Clinched No. 4 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 5 New York Knicks

5. New York Knicks (47-34)

6. Brooklyn Nets (45-36)

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

7. Miami Heat (43-38)
Clinched No. 7 seed and play-in tournament game vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks

8. Atlanta Hawks (41-40)

9. Toronto Raptors (40-41)
Clinched No. 9 seed and play-in tournament game vs. No. 10 Chicago Bulls

10. Chicago Bulls (39-42)