The NBA regular season will wind down this week and with just three playoff spots still up for grabs, the spotlight is solely on the respective postseason races. While as many as five teams are still in contention for the final three spots, there are a number of teams that won’t move from their current position.
Here is a look at the NBA standings and what to expect during this final week of regular season action from the teams that have either clinched a postseason spot or are still in contention.
Eastern Conference
1. Atlanta Hawks – The Hawks have clinched the top seed.
2. Cleveland Cavaliers – The Cavs have clinched the second seed.
3. Toronto Raptors – While the Hawks and Cavaliers are locked in as the top two teams in the Eastern Conference, the Raptors are still fighting for the No. 3 seed with two games remaining against the Boston Celtics and Charlotte Hornets. Toronto is also playing to generate some momentum heading in to the postseason so don’t expect them to rest anyone. Kyle Lowry has been dealing with a back injury but he’s back in the lineup and playing.
4. Chicago Bulls – The Bulls are competing with the Raptors for the No. 3 seed and while fans will hold their breath every time Derrick Rose goes to the floor, they have to like that he looks very comfortable on the floor. Chicago will visit Brooklyn on Monday and his minutes are expected to be ramped up. Then they host the Hawks in their season finale. While the Nets will be playing for their playoff lives, Atlanta has nothing left to play for now that it is locked in as the No. 1 seed.
5. Washington Wizards – The Wizards have clinched the fifth seed.
6. Milwaukee Bucks – The Bucks have clinched the sixth seed.
7. Boston Celtics – The Celtics are up a game on Brooklyn and Indiana for the seventh seed and while Toronto should provide a tough test, they visit a Milwaukee team that is already locked in to the No. 6 seed in their season finale.
8. Brooklyn Nets – The Nets have a pair of home games against Chicago and Orlando, and while they can expect the Bulls to bring their best they should be able to earn a victory against the Magic in the game that could determine whether they make the playoffs or not.
9. Indiana Pacers – The Pacers beat Oklahoma City on Sunday night to keep their playoff hopes alive but they will need a pair of wins and some help just to get in. Indiana wraps up its season with Washington in town Tuesday before visiting Memphis on Wednesday, so look for them to lay it all on the line.
Western Conference
1. Golden State Warriors – The Warriors have clinched the top seed.
2. San Antonio Spurs – San Antonio, Los Angeles, Memphis and Houston are separated by one game or less ranging from the No. 2 seed to the No.6 seed in the Western Conference. The Spurs are currently the second seed but might need a win over New Orleans in their regular season finale to clinch that spot and that could mean pushing the Pelicans out of a playoff spot.
3. Los Angeles Clippers – The Clippers still have the best chance at jumping over San Antonio for the No. 2 seed trailing by one game with two games left to play against a pair of non-contenders in Denver and Phoenix to wrap up the season
4. Portland Trail Blazers – The Trail Blazers have clinched the fourth seed.
5. Memphis Grizzlies – It feels like it wasn’t long ago at all that the Grizzlies would be a lock to finish No. 2 in the Western Conference but they have faltered since the All-Star break and now they face an uphill climb. To have any shot at finishing higher than No. 5, they have to win the games at Golden State and against a desperate Indiana team to close out the regular season.
6. Houston Rockets – The Rockets will have a shot at making a move with two very winnable games remaining against Charlotte and Utah to close out the season. A pair of Houston wins over Charlotte and Utah combined with a Spurs loss to New Orleans could push the Rockets in to the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference.
7. Dallas Mavericks – The Mavs have clinched the seventh seed.
8. New Orleans Pelicans – New Orleans holds the tiebreaker ahead of the Thunder for the final playoff spot in the Western Conference, which means they hold their own destiny heading on to their final two games against Minnesota and San Antonio. The Pelicans should have no problem knocking off the Timberwolves and that could leave a date with the defending champs to decide whether they get in or not.
9. Oklahoma City Thunder – The Thunder thought they lost Russell Westbrook for a key game against Portland due to an automatic one-game suspension for his 16th technical foul of the season but the NBA rescinded it this morning. Oklahoma City needs to finish ahead of New Orleans to clinch the eighth spot since they don’t hold the tiebreaker and it’s still possible. They’ll face the Portland Trail Blazers on Monday, who will be without LaMarcus Aldridge and then finish up with Minnesota.
