The NBA regular season is just about over. But there are still plenty of questions to be answered about the playoff picture. The top is set in stone. Toronto and Boston will be the 1 and 2 seeds in the East, and Houston and Golden State will finish 1,2 in the West. After that, a lot can still change. I’ll get you set with all the games over the next two nights that will still have a big impact on the season.
There are only five games on the schedule tonight to prepare for a full slate tomorrow night. Philly will have a chance to put some space between them and Cleveland as they take on the Hawks. If you’re Philly, you can’t afford to lose this game. You have to take advantage of playing one of the worst teams in the league, especially since they’ll finish the season against the Bucks tomorrow. Cleveland will play the Knicks tomorrow, and with only 1.5 games between them, Philly needs to win just one to finish with the three seed. The Wizards have a chance to move up from 8 to 7, but they’ll have to go through the Celtics tonight and the Magic tomorrow, while Miami (the current 7 seed) will finish against Toronto tomorrow night. The Bucks can’t get any higher than 6, but they could fall a spot or two if they aren’t careful. And that’s just the East.
In the West, the 3 seed is only 2 games up on the 9 seed! And with a lot of head-to-head matchups of those teams, almost anything can still happen. Utah will be the only team of the 7 in action tonight and will play Golden State. A win tonight will pull them even with Portland for the 3 seed going into the final day. But if they lose, they’ll still have a chance to pass Portland. The two play tomorrow night, and Utah would win if the two teams finish tied. The Nuggets and Timberwolves are currently tied for 8th and will go head to head tomorrow night for the last spot. The Spurs and Pelicans are currently tied for the 5/6 spot and they will also go head to head tomorrow night. OKC can still move around as well, and they’ll play Memphis in their final game tomorrow.
Moral of the story, these next two days will be filled with drama. There is still a lot up for grabs in both conferences and a lot of matchups between playoff hopefuls. So clear your schedule and break out your extra screens because there will be plenty of exciting basketball to be watched.