NBA Regular Season Finale: Playoff Positions Still Up for Grabs

PHOTO: NBA.com

Un’altra regular season NBA is about to go down in history and, a few hours before the grand finale, everything is still in the balance. Very few positions have already been decided for the Playoffs and, once again, the introduction of the Play-In proves to be a real godsend to keep the level of competition high even among the teams outside the top 8 positions by Conference. For those who have forgotten, we remind you that the teams that finish between seventh and tenth place, both in the east and in the west, will have to play the last 2 slots available for the Playoffs: there will be dry matches between 7th and 8° and between 9° and 10°; in the first case, the winner will advance as seventh qualifier, while the loser will go on to challenge the team that emerged from the other challenge; whoever triumphs in this second phase will occupy the eighth seed. Having made the right assumptions, let’s start with an in-depth analysis of all the ranking positions still at stake and the tiebreakers, highlighting the key matches:

Western Conference: positions 1-3

There have never been 3 teams in NBA history competing for first place with the same record on the last day of the regular season. The Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder e Denver Nuggets they are returning from a sensational season, well above expectations for the first two, but they are not finished yet. Here are all the possibilities:

• Timberwolves, Nuggets e Thunder vincono: Thunder 1°, Timberwolves 2°, Nuggets 3°
• Timberwolves, Nuggets e Thunder perdono: Thunder 1°, Timberwolves 2°, Nuggets 3°
• Timberwolves vincono, Nuggets e Thunder perdono: Timberwolves 1°, Thunder 2°, Nuggets 3°
• Timberwolves perdono, Nuggets e Thunder vincono: Thunder 1°, Nuggets 2°, Timberwolves 3°
• Nuggets vincono, Thunder e Timberwolves perdono: Nuggets 1°, Timberwolves 2°, Thunder 3°
• Nuggets perdono, Thunder e Timberwolves vincono: Timberwolves 1°, Thunder 2°, Nuggets 3°
• Thunder vincono, Timberwolves e Nuggets perdono: Thunder 1°, Timberwolves 2°, Nuggets 3°
• Thunder perdono, Timberwolves e Nuggets vincono: Timberwolves 1°, Nuggets 2°, Thunder 3°

Western Conference: positions 4-5

Everything already decided between Los Angeles Clippers e Dallas Mavericks, fourth and fifth respectively. Scroll, there’s nothing to see here.

Western Conference: positions 6-7

A little more complex, however, is the situation between sixth place, which would mean direct Playoffs, and Play-In. Phoenix Suns e New Orleans Pelicans they are 1 victory away, with the second ones ahead of the first ones, but in case of a tie the Arizona team would have the tiebreaker in favor:

• Suns lose, Pelicans win: Pelicans 6th, Suns 7th
• Suns win, Pelicans lose: Suns 6th, Pelicans 7th
• Suns and Pelicans win: Pelicans 6th, Suns 7th
• Suns lose to Pelicans: Pelicans 6th, Suns 7th

Western Conference: positions 8-10

As for the first position, there will also be a fight to decide who will occupy the last 2 places in the Play-In, from which 2 consecutive victories would be needed to move up. The eighth-placed team would win a double chance, being able to play for the last Playoffs place even in the event of a defeat in the first Play-In match. This last day could change an entire season for Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers e Golden State Warriors:

• Lakers vincono, Kings e Warriors perdono: Lakers 8°, Kings 9°, Warriors 10°
• Lakers perdono, Kings e Warriors vincono: Kings 8°, Warriors 9°, Lakers 10°
• Kings vincono, Lakers e Warriors perdono: Kings 8°, Lakers 9°, Warriors 10°
• Kings perdono, Lakers e Warriors vincono: Lakers 8°, Warriors 9°, Kings 10°
• Warriors vincono, Lakers e Kings perdono: Warriors 8°, Lakers 9°, Kings 10°
• Warriors perdono, Lakers e Kings vincono: Lakers 8°, Kings 9°, Warriors 10°
• Lakers, Kings e Warriors vincono: Lakers 8°, Kings 9°, Warriors 10°
• Lakers, Kings e Warriors perdono: Lakers 8°, Kings 9°, Warriors 10°

▪️ 3-way tie record-wise for top seed
▪️ NOP & PHX each seek 6th spot
▪️ 1 game separating 8 through 10

Tune in to Sunday’s 15-game slate to see how the West seeding unfolds! https://t.co/T1BDh9u1u4

— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2024

Eastern Conference: 1st position

I Boston Celtics kindly invite you to continue reading.

Eastern Conference: positions 2-4

Things definitely get more fun between Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks e Cleveland Cavaliers, in the running for second place. Of course, it is a war between the “well-off”, all of them have already secured the field factor, but being able to occupy a part of the scoreboard without Boston, regardless of who comes out of the Play-In, will be in everyone’s interest:

• Bucks vincono, Knicks e Cavs perdono: Bucks 2°, Knicks 3°, Cavs 4°
• Bucks perdono, Knicks e Cavs vincono: Knicks 2°, Cavs 3°, Bucks 4°
• Knicks vincono, Bucks e Cavs perdono: Knicks 2°, Bucks 3°, Cavs 4°
• Knicks perdono, Bucks e Cavs vincono: Bucks 2°, Knicks 3°, Cavs 4°
• Cavs vincono, Bucks e Knicks perdono: Cavs 2°, Bucks 3°, Knicks 4°
• Cavs perdono, Bucks e Knicks vincono: Bucks 2°, Knicks 3°, Cavs 4°
• Bucks, Knicks e Cavs vincono: Bucks 2°, Knicks 3°, Cavs 4°
• Bucks, Knicks e Cavs perdono: Bucks 2°, Knicks 3°, Cavs 4°

Eastern Conference: positions 5-8

The NBA powder keg award, however, belongs in this range. Orland Magic, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers e Miami Heat, 4 teams, grouped within the range of 1 victory, with the top 3 tied, there shouldn’t be much more to ask for. Don’t worry, we’ll take care of going crazy with the calculations:

• Magic vincono, Pacers, 76ers e Heat perdono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, 76ers 7°, Heat 8°
• Magic perdono, Pacers, 76ers e Heat vincono: Pacers 5°, 76ers 6°, Miami 7°, Magic 8°
• Pacers vincono, Magic, 76ers e Heat perdono: Pacers 5°, 76ers 6°, Magic 7°, Heat 8°
• Pacers perdono, Magic, 76ers e Heat vincono: 76ers 5°, Magic 6°, Pacers 7°, Heat 8°
• 76ers vincono, Magic, Pacers e Heat perdono: 76ers 5°, Magic 6°, Pacers 7°, Heat 8°
• 76ers perdono, Magic, Pacers e Heat vincono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, Heat 7°, 76ers 8°
• Heat vincono, Magic, Pacers e 76ers perdono: Heat 5°, 76ers 6°, Pacers 7°, Magic 8°
• Heat perdono, Magic, Pacers e 76ers vincono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, 76ers 7°, Heat 8°
• Magic e Pacers vincono, Heat e 76ers perdono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, 76ers 7°, Heat 8°
• Magic e Pacers perdono, Heat e 76ers vincono: 76ers 5°, Heat 6°, Magic 7°, Pacers 8°
• Magic e Heat vincono, Pacers e 76ers perdono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, Heat 7°, 76ers 8°
• Magic e Heat perdono, Pacers e 76ers vincono: Pacers 5°, 76ers 6°, Magic 7°, Heat 8°
• Magic e 76ers vincono, Pacers e Heat perdono: 76ers 5°, Magic 6°, Pacers 7°, Heat 8°
• Magic e 76ers perdono, Pacers e Heat vincono: Pacers 5°, Heat 6°, 76ers 7°, Magic 8°
• Magic, Pacers, 76ers, Heat vincono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, 76ers 7°, Heat 8°
• Magic, Pacers, 76ers, Heat perdono: Magic 5°, Pacers 6°, 76ers 7°, Heat 8°

Eastern Conference: positions 9-10

Disappointing ending, why Chicago Bulls e Atlanta Hawks they will certainly already be at the Play-In between ninth and tenth.

▪️ 7 spots undetermined in the East
▪️ MIL, NYK & CLE all have a chance for 2 seed
▪️ ORL, IND, PHI & MIA all still alive for 5 seed

The regular season finale tips off Sunday at 1pm/et! https://t.co/ULWf5bjwju

— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2024

Key matches

Obviously, due to the tiebreaker issue and the reasons listed above, all games will be decisive for the final NBA ranking. There are 3 in particular, however, which are worth paying attention to:

• Los Angeles Lakers – New Orleans Pelicans

The first to take into consideration is, without any doubt, the one that will essentially decide the Play-In in the west. The Pelicans must necessarily win to be masters of their own destiny and maintain 6th place even in the event of a Suns victory, while the Lakers with a success would guarantee themselves 8th place – and, therefore, a double chance in the event of a defeat at the first Play-In match. Furthermore, if the yellow-purple were to beat New Orleans and if Phoenix were to achieve success by moving to 6th place, it would be an “anticipation” of the challenge for 7th place in the west which would be repeated a few days later.

• Phoenix Suns – Minnesota Timberwolves

Another potential preview of a Playoffs challenge: if the Suns were to win, perhaps managing to steal 6th place from the Pelicans, and if Denver and OKC were to close with a success, dropping Minnesota to 3rd place, the two teams would go then to play the first round against each other. The stakes are very high, considering that a matchup of this type could even favor Phoenix, which has so far surpassed the Wolves in all 2 previous seasons.

• Milwaukee Bucks – Orlando Magic

A more “distance” challenge than the other 2 discussed, but here too a potential crossover in the Playoffs area. If the Magic were to drop to the Play-in zone and the Bucks remain 2nd, or if vice versa Orlando were to retain 5th place and Milwaukee fall to 4th, we would have another first round starter – a crossover would be possible even in the case of 3 ° and 6th place, just take a look at the combinations above. All that’s left to do is get the popcorn.

2024-04-13 21:29:36
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