The NBA playoff picture will come into clearer view each day between now and the end of the regular season on Sunday. In the meantime, we will provide detailed daily updates on the landscape, including magic numbers, remaining schedules, relevant tiebreakers and the stakes for every day’s slate of games.
Click here for the Eastern Conference.
Record: 64-14 | Net rating: 12.3 (1st)
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• Clinched No. 1 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. No. 8 seed (LAL, DEN, LAC, GSW, MIN, MEM, SAC, DAL or PHX)
Record: 52-27 | Net rating: 5.6 (4th)
• Clinched playoff berth
• Magic number for No. 2 seed: 1
• Remaining schedule: @LAC, @LAL, DEN
• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 3 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. No. 6 or 7 seed (LAL, DEN, LAC, GSW, MIN or MEM)
Record: 48-30 | Net rating: 1.3 (14th)
• Magic number for top-six seed: 1
• Remaining schedule: @OKC, @DAL, HOU, @POR
• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed
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What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in first round
Record: 47-32 | Net rating: 3.6 (9th)
• Magic number for top-six seed: 3
• Remaining schedule: @SAC, MEM, @HOU
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in first round
Record: 46-32 | Net rating: 4.8 (5th)
• Magic number for top-six seed: 4
• Remaining schedule: SAS, HOU, @SAC, @GSW
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in first round
Record: 46-32 | Net rating: 2.8 (10th)
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• Magic number for top-six seed: 4
• Remaining schedule: @PHX, SAS, @POR, LAC
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in first round
Record: 46-32 | Net rating: 4.6 (6th)
• Magic number for top-six seed: 4
• Remaining schedule: @MIL, @MEM, BKN, UTA
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in first round
Record: 46-32 | Net rating: 4.5 (7th)
• Magic number for top-six seed: 4
• Remaining schedule: @CHA, MIN, @DEN, DAL
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 8 seed
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What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in first round
Record: 39-40 | Net rating: 0.6 (15th)
• Magic number for No. 9 seed: 2
• Remaining schedule: DEN, LAC, PHX
• Highest possible finish: No. 9 seed
• Lowest possible finish: Out of play-in tournament
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in 9/10 play-in game vs. DAL or PHX
10. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 38-41 | Net rating: -1.0 (18th)
• Magic number for top-10 seed: 2
• Remaining schedule: LAL, TOR, @MEM
• Highest possible finish: No. 9 seed
• Lowest possible finish: Out of play-in tournament
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in 9/10 play-in game vs. SAC or PHX
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11. Phoenix Suns
Record: 35-43 | Net rating: -2.6 (21st)
• Magic number for top-10 seed: Do not control own destiny
• Remaining schedule: GSW, OKC, SAS, @SAC
• Highest possible finish: No. 9 seed
• Lowest possible finish: Out of play-in tournament
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in 9/10 play-in game vs. SAC or DAL
• Grizzlies at Hornets (7 p.m.)
• Lakers at Thunder (8 p.m.)LAL can clinch a guaranteed playoff berth with a win
HOU can clinch the No. 2 seed with a LAL loss
• Timberwolves at Bucks (8 p.m.)
• Warriors at Suns (10 p.m., TNT)
PHX will be eliminated from contention for the No. 9 seed with a loss
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• Spurs at Clippers (10:30 p.m.)
Record: 63-16 | Net rating: 9.4 (3rd)
• Clinched No. 1 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. No. 8 seed (ORL, ATL, CHI or MIA)
Record: 58-20 | Net rating: 9.5 (2nd)
• Clinched playoff berth
• Magic number for No. 1 seed: Do not control own destiny
• Remaining schedule: @ORL, CHA, CHA
• Highest possible finish: No. 2 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 2 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. No. 7 seed (ORL, ATL, CHI or MIA)
Record: 50-28 | Net rating: 4.3 (8th)
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• Clinched playoff berth
• Magic number for No. 3 seed: 1
• Remaining schedule: BOS, @DET, CLE, @BKN
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 4 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. IND, MIL or DET
Record: 47-31 | Net rating: 2.2 (12th)
• Clinched playoff berth
• Magic number for No. 4 seed: 2
• Remaining schedule: WAS, CLE, ORL, @CLE
• Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 5 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. NYK, MIL or DET
Record: 44-34 | Net rating: 1.9 (13th)
• Clinched playoff berth
• Magic number for No. 5 seed: 3
• Remaining schedule: MIN, NOP, @DET, DET
• Highest possible finish: No. 4 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 6 seed
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What’s at stake: First-round series vs. NYK, IND or DET
Record: 43-36 | Net rating: 2.2 (11th)
• Clinched playoff berth
• Magic number for No. 5 seed: 3
• Remaining schedule: NYK, MIL, @MIL
• Highest possible finish: No. 5 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 6 seed
What’s at stake: First-round series vs. NYK, IND or MIL
Record: 38-40 | Net rating: -0.5 (17th)
• Magic number for top-eight seed: 3
• Remaining schedule: ATL, BOS, @IND, @ATL
• Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in 7/8 play-in game
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Record: 37-41 | Net rating: -1.7 (19th)
• Magic number for top-eight seed: 3
• Remaining schedule: @ORL, @BKN, @PHI, ORL
• Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in 7/8 play-in game
Record: 36-42 | Net rating: -2.1 (20th)
• Magic number for No. 9 seed: 3
• Remaining schedule: @CLE, MIA, WAS, @PHI
• Highest possible finish: No. 7 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed
What’s at stake: Home-court advantage in 7/8 play-in game
10. Miami Heat
Record: 36-43 | Net rating: 0.0 (16th)
• Magic number for No. 9 seed: Do not control own destiny
• Remaining schedule: @CHI, @NOP, WAS
• Highest possible finish: No. 8 seed
• Lowest possible finish: No. 10 seed
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What’s at stake: Avoid 9/10 play-in elimination game
ORL can clinch no lower than the No. 9 seed with a win
IND can clinch home-court advantage in the first round with a win and a MIL loss
CLE can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win or a BOS loss
• Celtics at Knicks (7:30 p.m., TNT)NYK can clinch the No. 3 seed with a win or an IND loss
BOS will be locked into the No. 2 seed with a loss or a CLE win
• Timberwolves at Bucks (8 p.m.)
MIL will be eliminated from contention for home-court advantage with a loss and an IND win
