2023 NBA playoffs – Everything at stake on the last day of the regular season

Because the common season involves an in depth, every workforce has one thing to play for: seeding or draft picks. With the addition of play-in video games to the 2023 NBA playoffs, the scramble for seeding is wilder — and extra necessary — than ever, with nearly each sport down the stretch having vital postseason implications.

Play-in matchups after Saturday’s video games:

EAST

• Sport 1: No. 8 Charlotte Hornets at No. 7 Boston Celtics — winner is No. 7 seed in playoffs; loser strikes on in play-in

• Sport 2: No. 10 Indiana Pacers at No. 9 Washington Wizards — winner strikes on in play-in; loser is eradicated

• Sport 3: Wizards/Pacers winner at Celtics/Hornets loser — winner is No. 8 seed in playoffs

WEST

Play-in video games to be held Tuesday by way of Friday.

Right here’s a breakdown of Sunday’s matchups and what the outcomes will imply:

Who will make the highest six within the West?

Lakers at Pelicans, 9 p.m. ET

The Lakers can play their method out of the play-in event with a bit assist from the Denver Nuggets on Sunday. If L.A. beats the New Orleans Pelicans and the Nuggets prime the Portland Path Blazers, L.A. will find yourself because the No. 6 seed within the Western Convention playoffs. If the Lakers lose, they’ll host a play-in sport on Wednesday towards both Golden State or Memphis.

New Orleans will likely be with out its younger celebrity Zion Williamson, who has missed the previous 5 video games with a fractured left index finger. The Pelicans have already been eradicated from postseason rivalry. — Dave McMenamin

Clippers at Thunder, 9 p.m. ET

After the LA Clippers sat just about each member of their rotation and misplaced on the Houston Rockets on Friday night time, the Clippers can keep within the fourth seed within the West with a loss at Oklahoma Metropolis on Sunday. The fourth seed would all however assure the Clippers and Lakers wouldn’t meet till the convention finals — if each groups advance that far.

However, the Thunder are going to be determined to lose as soon as extra to make sure they end no worse than tied for third with the Magic within the lottery standings. Oklahoma Metropolis has gotten fairly good at dropping over the previous a number of weeks, going 1-23 since April 1. — Tim Bontemps

Nuggets at Blazers, 9 p.m. ET

For the Portland Path Blazers, it’s not difficult: Beat the Denver Nuggets, get a top-six seed. The Blazers may even transfer as much as fifth if the Dallas Mavericks lose at Minnesota by advantage of a tiebreaker in hand. Whom Portland would play within the first spherical is complicated, and it includes Denver.

If the Blazers win on Sunday, the Nuggets would fall to fourth, however provided that the Thunder additionally beat the Clippers. If the Clippers win, the Clips are the 3-seed and the Nuggets are fourth, it doesn’t matter what. And with the Lakers doubtlessly looming because the 6-seed, shifting to the 3-seed may not appear that interesting. — Royce Younger

The combat for the 8-seed within the West

Grizzlies at Warriors, 3:30 p.m. ET

The winner turns into the eighth seed within the Western Convention — a significant distinction as a result of the Golden State Warriors or Memphis Grizzlies would find yourself with two probabilities at a playoff berth.

Sunday’s winner can attempt to declare the seventh seed within the play-in event. The loser of Sunday’s sport should win two straight video games to qualify for the postseason. — Nick Friedell

Settling the play-in seeds within the East

Pacers at Raptors, 1 p.m. ET

Whereas the Indiana Pacers can not end in eighth place within the Japanese Convention after dropping to the Los Angeles Lakers on Saturday afternoon, a win towards the tanking Toronto Raptors on Sunday will be certain that Indiana hosts the 9-10 sport within the NBA’s inaugural play-in event on Tuesday night time. Nevertheless, a loss will imply that Indiana will both be touring to Charlotte or Washington because the tenth seed within the East. — Bontemps

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Miles Bridges picks off a Knicks cross and takes it to the opposite finish, then throws down a highlight-reel dunk.

Hornets at Wizards, 1 p.m. ET

After Washington beat Cleveland on Friday night time and the Charlotte Hornets misplaced in time beyond regulation to the New York Knicks on Saturday, the sport between the Wizards and Hornets on Sunday afternoon has change into the unofficial begin of the Japanese Convention play-in event. The winner will change into the eighth seed, and the loser will probably change into locked into the tenth seed, assuming a Pacers victory over the Raptors. — Bontemps

Who will make the highest six within the East?

Celtics at Knicks, 1 p.m. ET

The Knicks solely need to win at Madison Sq. Backyard on Sunday to clinch the fourth seed within the East. With a tiebreaker over Atlanta, a Knicks victory means they’ll be ensured of ending in no worse than a tie with the Hawks, so the primary spherical of the playoffs will start for them subsequent weekend. Boston is locked into the seventh seed and is ready to see who its play-in opponent will likely be at TD Backyard on Tuesday night time. — Bontemps

Rockets at Hawks, 7 p.m. ET

A victory for the Hawks might imply home-court benefit within the first spherical — however provided that they get a bit assist. If Atlanta finishes in a tie with New York, the Knicks would personal the tiebreaker and ship the Hawks to the fifth spot. With New York enjoying earlier on Sunday, Atlanta could have a good suggestion of whether or not the 4-seed is attainable. The Rockets don’t have something to play for apart from pleasure, as they have already got the worst document within the league secured. — Andrew Lopez

Warmth at Pistons, 8 p.m. ET

Miami’s loss to the Bucks on Saturday night time means the Warmth at the moment are are on monitor for the sixth seed and a rematch with the identical Milwaukee workforce they beat in final season’s Japanese Convention semifinals. The Warmth sit one sport behind the Knicks and Hawks, who’re in a tie for fourth place. The Warmth personal the tiebreaker over the Knicks however not over the Hawks. If the Knicks beat the Celtics and the Hawks handle enterprise towards the Rockets on Sunday, the results of the Warmth’s finale towards the Pistons gained’t matter so far as seedings are involved. — Friedell

Who will win the No. 1 seed within the West?

Suns at Spurs, 2 p.m. ET

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Devin Booker sinks a step-back 3-pointer, and on the subsequent possession, Chris Paul drains a 3-pointer of his personal.

In a rematch of Saturday’s contest, the Suns will as soon as once more look to topple San Antonio as they proceed their quest for the No. 1 seed. The Suns additionally should hope Utah slips up towards the Sacramento Kings in a later sport with the intention to overtake the Jazz for the highest spot. Phoenix can not fall any decrease than second.

In the meantime, the Spurs are set within the tenth spot, so they might as soon as once more choose to relaxation gamers, as they did with DeMar DeRozan, Rudy Homosexual, Dejounte Murray and Jakob Poeltl on Saturday. — Lopez

Jazz at Kings, 9 p.m. ET

It’s easy for the Utah Jazz: A win over the Sacramento Kings claims the West’s prime seed, whatever the Suns’ end result towards the Spurs. It additionally would give the Jazz the outright finest document within the league for the primary time in franchise historical past. (Utah tied for the NBA’s finest document in 1997-98 and 1998-99.) The Jazz will end at the least tied for the NBA’s finest document it doesn’t matter what, however the Suns personal the tiebreaker over them, so a loss to the Kings might trigger Utah to slide to the second seed.

The Kings, tied with the Pelicans for the ninth-worst document, will fall from eighth to tenth within the lottery odds. — Tim MacMahon

Different intriguing matchups to observe

Cavaliers at Nets, 7 p.m. ET

The simplest path to the No. 2 seed within the Japanese Convention is for Brooklyn to win each of its video games this weekend. Brooklyn took care of the primary half of that equation with its win over the Bulls on Saturday afternoon.

Now, the Nets will watch and see what occurs between the Miami Warmth and Milwaukee Bucks on Saturday night time. The end result of that sport not solely impacts the Nets’ playoff seeding — if the Bucks lose on Saturday, it secures the No. 2 seed for Brooklyn — nevertheless it has an impact on whom Steve Nash would possibly elect to carry out of Sunday’s contest with the Cavaliers. Nash stated he prefers to not play James Harden, Blake Griffin and Kevin Durant — all whom have a historical past of harm — on Sunday. If the Nets’ can lock up their seeding on Sunday night time, the choice to relaxation these gamers turns into simpler. — Malika Andrews

Mavericks at Timberwolves, 9 p.m. ET

The Dallas Mavericks know they’ll face both the Denver Nuggets or LA Clippers within the first spherical, however the Mavs gained’t have any readability earlier than tipoff on how the results of their regular-season finale will decide their playoff matchup. A win over the Timberwolves will clinch the fifth seed for the Mavs, however the Clippers would be the fourth seed in the event that they handle to lose to the Thunder or if the Nuggets beat the Path Blazers. Dallas additionally might lose on Sunday and see the Clippers within the 3-6 matchup. A Mavs victory mixed with a Clippers win and a Nuggets loss would lead to a Denver vs. Dallas 4-5 matchup.

The Minnesota Timberwolves, whose decide goes to the Golden State Warriors if it doesn’t land within the prime three, are tied with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the fifth-worst document, one loss fewer than the Orlando Magic and Oklahoma Metropolis Thunder. — MacMahon

Bucks at Bulls, 9 p.m. ET

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Giannis Antetokounmpo places on a imply face and flexes after he will get the within cross and rises up by way of contact to pressure down a dunk for the Bucks.

Milwaukee ought to have a good suggestion of whether or not it may well nonetheless declare the second seed by sport time. Brooklyn’s matchup towards Cleveland ideas off two hours earlier, and if the Nets lose, a win over the Bulls will give the Bucks the 2-spot within the East. In the meantime, the Bulls maintain the eighth spot within the lottery by themselves. Beating Milwaukee would doubtlessly push Chicago right into a three-way tie with New Orleans and Sacramento. — Bontemps

Sixers at Magic, 7 p.m. ET

After Philadelphia beat Orlando on Friday night time, the Sixers enter Sunday’s sport with nothing to play for, having already secured the highest seed within the Japanese Convention playoffs.

The Magic, alternatively, have every part to lose for. Dropping Sunday’s contest will guarantee Orlando finishes no worse than a tie for third with Oklahoma Metropolis in subsequent month’s NBA draft lottery. The Magic are one in all a number of groups on the backside of the standings that could be attempting their finest to lose one closing time earlier than heading residence for the summer time. — Bontemps