It’s Wednesday, April 5, 2023 and there are exactly five regular season evenings/nights left. Five days during which many things remain to be defined in the standings, and with a nice list of unmissable matches. Mark your calendars!
Clippers vs Lakers
On the night of Wednesday April 5 to Thursday April 6, 4 a.m.
The Battle of Los Angeles! Since the arrival of Anthony Davis, Kawhi Leonard and Paul George in LA in 2019, we have rarely had an Angelino derby with so much challenge and pressure. For good reason, the Lakers and the Clippers today have exactly the same record (41 wins – 38 losses), with exactly the same objective: a place in the Top 6 of the Western Conference to avoid the play-in tournament. The winner of this meeting will take sixth place in the conf’, and at the same time an option for direct qualification in the Playoffs. It’s going to be hot at the Crypto.com Arena!
Sixers vs Heat
On the night of Thursday April 6 to Friday April 7, 1:30 a.m.
A big meeting in the Eastern Conference, between two teams that can potentially meet in the first round of the Playoffs. The Sixers are currently third in the standings while Miami is seventh, but slightly behind sixth Brooklyn (2 wins). If the Heat still hope to grab the Top 6 to avoid the play-in, we imagine that Philadelphia has other plans in mind for Erik Spoelstra’s men. Indeed, while Joel Embiid’s band should finish in third position, they would surely rather play the young Nets team in the first round of the Playoffs than the Heat of Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Co. (who eliminated Philly last year ). A good battle in perspective.
Kings vs Warriors
On the night of Friday April 7 to Saturday April 8, 4 a.m.
Like the Lakers and the Clippers, the Warriors have yet to validate their place in the Playoffs and aim to finish in the Top 6 in the West, they who are currently fifth in the standings with a half-game lead on the two teams. from Los Angeles. The defending champion will therefore arrive in Sacramento with the firm intention of winning, since a victory associated with another success in Portland on the last day would ensure a place in the Top 6 at Golden State. This 100% Californian meeting could also prove to be a preview of a first round of Playoffs between the Kings and the Warriors, which would please Draymond Green a lot. It remains to be seen whether Sactown will field their best players for this game, with Mike Brown’s men certain to finish third in the West.
Lakers vs Suns
On the night of Friday April 7 to Saturday April 8, 4:30 a.m.
The Suns are already guaranteed to finish in fourth place in the Western Conference, and this meeting in Los Angeles will therefore have little importance for them. On the other hand, for the Lakers, the challenge will always be to secure a place in the Top 6 of the West, they who can theoretically climb to fifth position in the standings to meet Phoenix in the first round of the Playoffs (which they would probably like to avoid). Additional reason to put down this meeting: LeBron James and Kevin Durant could face each other for the first time since… December 25, 2018. And that is not missing.
Wolves vs Pelicans
Sunday April 9 at 9:30 p.m.
It’s unclear what exactly the West’s standings will look like on the final day of the regular season, but something tells us this game between Minnesota and New Orleans is going to weigh heavily when it comes to the tally. As of this writing, only one loss separates the two teams: the Pelicans are eighth in the conference with a record of 40 wins and 39 losses, while the Wolves are ninth with a balance sheet of 40-40. The difference between eighth place and ninth is obviously very important in view of the play-in, since the higher ranked of the two has two opportunities to qualify for the Playoffs, against only one for the lower ranked. Last info to keep in mind: this meeting between Minny and NOLA will determine the tie-breaker between the two teams (1-1 today).
Suns vs Clippers
Sunday April 9 at 9:30 p.m.
Same situation as the Lakers-Suns above. Phoenix won’t have anything to play for (other than maybe building automation) but the Clippers will likely still be in the midst of a Top 6 battle in the West. It is perhaps this match that will determine whether Kawhi Leonard’s band must go through the play-in tournament or if it manages to win its ticket directly to the Playoffs. In the second case, the opposition Suns – Clippers could even turn into a first round of Playoffs between seeds #4 and #5.
