The Thunder - like the Jazz - were thought to be a leader in the Wembanyama sweepstakes after 2022 No. 8 seed, then put a scare into the top-seeded Suns in the first round. Last season, they defeated the San Antonio Spurs and Clippers to secure the No. The Pelicans, meanwhile, have taken advantage of a favorable late-season schedule and could find themselves hosting the 9-10 game for the second consecutive year. Los Angeles has won 10 of its past 14 games and is 3-1 since James returned from a foot injury. The Lakers have become a new team since the trade deadline acquisitions of D'Angelo Russell, Jarred Vanderbilt and Malik Beasley. 7 seed at stake.ĭue to Paul George's latest knee injury, this matchup might lose some star power, but a showdown between James, Davis and Kawhi Leonard is a worthy consolation prize. ![]() ET, ESPN) this scenario pits the two rivals against each other - this time with the No. How about a play-in showdown? Less than a week after Wednesday's Lakers-Clippers tilt (10 p.m. The Lakers and Clippers have never faced off in the playoffs. LeBron in a playoff appetizer? The loser would still have another chance to get in, but if that chance came against Doncic and Irving in a must-win game? Sign us up. LeBron matchup is must-see TV, how about the Warriors vs. Since then, Dallas has gone 6-16 and are on the verge of missing the play-in tournament altogether.ĭallas has gone 4-11 in games in which Doncic and Irving play, and since the trade, the Mavericks have allowed 118.3 points per 100 possessions, which would rank 28th in the NBA over a full season.Īlso, if a Zion vs. Dallas won Irving's first two games as a Maverick despite Doncic missing both due to injury, and their win against the Sacramento Kings on Feb. That partnership has fallen flat after a promising start. When the Mavericks traded Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith, a first-round pick and a pair of second-round picks to the Brooklyn Nets for Kyrie Irving before the deadline, it was supposed to lift the Mavericks to new heights alongside superstar Luka Doncic. Scenario 2: A Finals-worthy play-in, and the Mavs sneak in ![]() (Minnesota hasn't won a playoff series since reaching the conference finals in 2004.) The Timberwolves could put themselves in position to make back-to-back trips to the playoffs for the first time since the franchise made eight consecutive trips between 19. Oklahoma City would have the chance to get back to the postseason just two years after hitting the rebuild button. The Timberwolves facing the Thunder is the most likely 9-10 scenario as well. It's currently a toss-up between the Pelicans and Lakers to see who would end up hosting the 7-8 game, although New Orleans would prefer to have the Lakers pick swap option mean something, so even swapping one pick in the draft could have an impact. New Orleans, and two teams looking to take the next stepĪccording to our BPI projections, this is the most likely play-in scenario heading into Tuesday's games. With the help of ESPN's Basketball Power Index (BPI), let's examine five - of several hundred possible combinations - of the most impactful play-in scenarios in the West. The flailing Dallas Mavericks are one game back of the Thunder, and the Utah Jazz are a half-game back of Dallas.īut there is so much still undecided with seven days remaining in the regular season. The Minnesota Timberwolves (39-40), who lost to the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday in a game they were favored in by nearly 20 points, and Oklahoma City Thunder (38-41) are not far behind at Nos. 5 with 41-38 records, while the Los Angeles Lakers and New Orleans Pelicans are tied at No. The LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors are tied at No. 5- and 8-seeds are separated by a half-game. The remaining teams battling for the playoffs are also battling for seeding - and the right to avoid the play-in altogether.Īfter Sunday's games, the Nos. There are still eight teams that could end up in the West play-in tournament. The NBA's Western Conference playoff and play-in tournament races are more than what commissioner Adam Silver could have ever hoped. NBA, Utah Jazz, Dallas Mavericks, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers, Minnesota Timberwolves, New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers NBA Western Conference play-in race: Making sense of the final-week seeding push You have reached a degraded version of because you're using an unsupported version of Internet Explorer.įor a complete experience, please upgrade or use a supported browser
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