If the Eastern Conference has already delivered its verdict, pending the result of the play-in involving Miami, Atlanta, Toronto and Chicago, there is still suspense in the western conferenceas the 2022/23 regular season ends tonight with a fireworks display of 15 games, which will kick off at 7:00 p.m. or 9:30 p.m.
As a reminder, the order of the Top 4 in the West will be composed as follows: denver, Memphis, Sacramento Then phoenixall in possession of first-round home advantage.
Then things get complicated, with five teams (LA Clippers, Golden State, LA Lakers, New Orleans And Minnesota) who still do not know their final ranking, whileOklahoma City is guaranteed to finish 10th, to participate in the play-in.
- 43-38—LA Clippers (5)
- 43-38—Golden State (6)
- 42-39—LA Lakers (7)
- 42-39—New Orleans (8)
- 41-40—Minnesota (9)
Concretely, taking into account the various “tie-breakers”, combined results and upcoming matches, here are the scenarios that are still relevant.
- Suns vs. Clippers
- Blazers vs. Warriors
- Lakers vs. Jazz
- wolves vs. Pelicans
— If the Clippers win, they will be 5th. If the Clippers lose, they’ll be 5th, 6th or 7th.
— If the Warriors win, they will be 5th or 6th. If the Warriors lose, they will be 6th, 7th or 8th.
— If the Lakers win, they will be 6th, 7th or 8th. If the Lakers lose, they will be 8th.
— If the Pelicans win, they will be 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th. If the Pelicans lose, they will be 9th.
— If Wolves win, they will be 7th or 8th. If Wolves lose, they will be 9th.
Why is it dangerous for the Clippers to “tank”?
If the Clippers lose to Phoenix, essentially to avoid the Suns in the first round of the playoffs, they can drop to 7th place. This will be the case if the Pelicans win in Minnesota, and it is perfectly possible since the Wolves have validated their place in the “play-in”, and they are the only ones who are out of the running for the playoffs. On the other hand, the Pelicans can still finish 5th or 6th if the Clippers bow to Phoenix, and that is necessarily motivating.
How can the Lakers finish 6th?
To qualify directly for the playoffs, and challenge the Kings in the first round, the Lakers will essentially have to rely on a defeat for the Warriors. Which remains unlikely.
What posters if the logic is respected?
If the Warriors, Clippers, Lakers and Wolves win, here’s what the playoff and play-in table would look like:
Denver (1) – winner of Game 3 of the play-in
Memphis (2) – winner of Lakers – Wolves
Sacramento (3) – Golden State (6)
Phoenix (4) – LA Clippers (5)
—
Lakers (7) – Wolves (8)
Pelicans (9) – Thunder (10)
What do the odds say?
The Clippers have a 63% chance of finishing 5th
The Warriors have a 44% chance of finishing 6th
Lakers and Wolves have a 25% chance of finishing 7th
The Lakers have a 56% chance of finishing 8th
Wolves and Pelicans each have a 50% chance of finishing 9th
Suffice to say that the calculators will be out at the end of each match to better discover which team will inherit 5th, 6th, 7th, 8th and 9th place. What is certain is that the Clippers are the only team to have their destiny in their hands, because a victory will ensure them no matter what happens in 5th place. It remains to be seen whether they really want it, since that would mean challenging the Suns for entry.
