AND then there was one. For the Pacers, Hornets, Hawks and Warriors the 2017-18 season is already over, but for the other 26 teams, there is still plenty up for grabs in the regular season finale. Playoff seeding and for some, a spot in the playoffs altogether is on the line in the final game of the season, making tonight’s games incredible important. Don’t miss any of the action!
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EASTERN CONFERENCE
1. Toronto Raptors
- Locked into the 1st seed.
- Locked into the 2nd seed.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
- Will finish 3rd if they beat the Bucks tonight.
- Will finish 4th if they lose to the Bucks tonight and the Cavs beat the Knicks.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers
- Will finish 3rd if they beat the Knicks and the 76ers lose to the Bucks.
- Will finish 4th if the 76ers win.
5. Indiana Pacers
- Locked into the 5th seed.
6. Milwaukee Bucks
- Will finish 6th if they beat the 76ers.
- Will finish 7th if they lose to the 76ers and EITHER the Heat beat the Raptors or the Wizards beat Magic.
- Will finish 8th if they lose to the 76ers and BOTH the Heat beat the Raptors and the Wizards beat the Magic.
Image from nba.com
7. Miami Heat
- Will finish 6th if they beat the Raptors and the Bucks lose to the 76ers.
- Will finish 7th if the Bucks beat the 76ers and the Wizards lose to the Magic, regardless of whether the Heat beats the Raptors or not.
- Will finish 8th if they lose to the Raptors and BOTH the Bucks beat the 76ers and the Wizards lose to the Magic.
8. Washington Wizards
- Will finish 6th if they beat the Magic and BOTH the Bucks lose to the 76ers and the Heat lose to the Raptors.
- Will finish 7th if they beat the Magic and EITHER the Bucks lose to the 76ers or Heat lose to the Raptors.
- Will finish 8th if they lose to the Magic or the Bucks beat the 76ers and the Heat beat the Raptors.
Summary
IT’S highly likely that we are already staring at the finalised Eastern Conference playoff race. The Sixers, who are riding a 15 game winning streak, won’t want to enter the postseason with an L, meaning they will probably take care of the Bucks, locking themselves into the 3rd seed and the Cavs into 4th.
Image from cavstheblog.com
THINGS in the bottom three spots are up for grabs a little bit. It’s also likely that Toronto wins their finale over the Heat leaving the door open slightly for the Wizards to leapfrog them. However, the Raptors could choose to rest some of their starters with the No. 1 seed locked up, but I don’t think Casey will go that route. Washington’s fate is in their own hands to a certain extent and a win over Orlando is far from guaranteed.
Likely Playoff Matchups
(1st) Toronto Raptors vs. (8th) Miami Heat
(2nd) Boston Celtics vs. (7th) Milwaukee Bucks
(3rd) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (6th) Washington Wizards
(4th) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5th) Indiana Pacers
WESTERN CONFERENCE
1. Houston Rockets
- Locked into the 1st seed.
- Locked into the 2nd seed.
3. Utah Jazz
- Will finish 3rd if they beat the Blazers.
- Will finish 4th if they lose to the Blazers and the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies
- Will finish 5th if they lose to the Blazers and the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
4. Portland Trailblazers
- Will finish 3rd if they beat the Jazz.
- Will finish 4th if they lose to the Jazz.
5. New Orleans Pelicans
- Will finish 5th if they beat the Spurs.
- Will finish 6th if they beat the Spurs and BOTH the Blazers beat the Jazz and the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 7th if they lose to the Spurs and the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 8th if they lose to the Spurs and the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 4th if they beat the Pelicans, the Jazz beat the Blazers and the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 5th if they beat the Pelicans and EITHER the Jazz beat the Blazers or the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 6th if they lose to the Pelicans, the Jazz beat the Blazers and the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies, OR if they lose to the Pelicans, the Thunder beat the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves beat the Nuggets
- Will finish 7th if they lose to the Pelicans and the Nuggets beat the Timberwolves.
- Will finish 8th if they lose to the Pelicans, the Nuggets beat the Timberwolves AND the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
7. Oklahoma City Thunder
- Will finish 4th if they beat the Grizzlies and the Blazers beat the Jazz.
- Will finish 6th if they beat the Grizzlies and the Jazz beat the Blazers.
- Will finish 8th if they lose to the Grizzlies.
8. Minnesota Timberwolves
- Will finish 6th if they beat the Nuggets, the Spurs beat the Pelicans AND the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 7th if they beat the Nuggets and EITHER the Spurs beat the Pelicans or the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 8th if they beat the Nuggets, the Spurs beat the Pelicans AND the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 9th if they lose to the Nuggets.
- Will finish 6th if they beat the Timberwolves AND the Thunder lose to the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 7th if they beat the Timberwolves, the Spurs beat the Pelicans AND the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 8th if they beat the Timberwolves, the Pelicans beat the Spurs AND the Thunder beat the Grizzlies.
- Will finish 9th if they lose to the Timberwolves.
Summary
DOES anyone feel dizzy? Nothing is set in stone between the 3rd and 9th seeds making things chaotic entering the final day of the regular season. What makes things more exciting is that six of these teams in the mix all play each other! The winner of Portland/Utah will claim the 3rd seed, while the loser will have to wait on further tiebreakers to determine if they finish 4th or 5th.
THE Spurs and Pelicans game will determine how the majority of the seedings play out with a thousand possible outcomes depending on the result. OKC faces an uphill task if they lose to the Grizzlies, but with Westbrook needing 16 boards to average a triple-double for the second straight season, I predict he will single-handedly help the Thunder win that one. At the bottom of the standings both Minnesota and Denver face a win or go home scenario. The winner will probably finish 7th and set up a date with the Warriors, while the loser will have a long offseason to ponder where it all went wrong.
Most Likely Matchups
(1st) Houston Rockets vs. (8th) New Orleans Pelicans
(2nd) Golden State Warriors vs. (7th) Denver Nuggets
(3rd) Utah Jazz vs. (6th) Oklahoma City Thunder
(4th) Portland Trailblazers vs. (5th) San Antonio Spurs
Peace ✌
Banner from durangoherald.com
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