As the regular season draws to a close, the west continues to be in maximum chaos as the race for playoff spots continues. We look at the remaining programs of the teams involved.
Rarely has the race for the postseason been as close as this season. Nine teams are still fighting for direct qualification, which requires sixth place. But the race for tenth place is still completely open.
Here is the current view of the table, which is updated after each match day.
This is how it currently looks in the Western Conference
It feels like there is a key game for the placements every day, and it will be no different next night:
Western Conference: key game of the coming night
- Sunday, 2:30 a.m.: Golden State Warriors vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
And now we come to the remaining games of all playoff candidates. Explanation: Bold games mean back-to-backs, games in italics mean the opponent played the day before.
In addition, the appointments for the last matchday have not yet been determined. Here, the NBA always decides at short notice which games start when in order to avoid possible distortion of competition as much as possible.
Phoenix Suns (39-35)
The Suns have recently lost feathers without the injured Kevin Durant and have to worry about the top 6. After all, Kevin Durant is expected back next week. Another advantage: Phoenix almost exclusively plays against opponents from the west and stays almost exclusively in its own time zone.
L.A. Clippers (39-36)
The Clippers were in fine form before Paul George was injured. The forward will be absent for the remainder of the regular season. That could be costly as the Clippers still have some head-to-head clashes with playoff contenders. For them, too, their place in the postseason is anything but certain.
Golden State Warriors (39-36)
By beating the Sixers in Dallas and at home, the Dubs have given themselves some breathing room. The chronically weak Warriors only have to play three times away from home. If the current “home stand” is survived unscathed, that should at least be enough for sixth place. Gary Payton II could return to this in the coming games.
Minnesota Timberwolves (37-37)
The Wolves get their stars back at the right time. Karl-Anthony Towns made his celebrated comeback against Atlanta and Anthony Edwards, who recently injured his ankle, should be back in action in the near future. However, the rest of the program is tough for the Wolves.
Los Angeles Lakers (37-37)
It’s still not clear when LeBron James will return, but the Lakers will need him. On paper, the program is not the hardest, but there is still a stretch with five away games in a row. They recently won against OKC, the game against Minnesota could still be the key.
New Orleans Pelicans (37-37)
Zion Williamson will not be returning for the regular season, the team recently announced. This is a major setback for the Pels, who still have a difficult trip to the west coast ahead of them. New Orleans will have to improve if the play-in is to at least work.
Oklahoma City Thunder (36-38)
Nobody can play more freely than OKC. Before the season 23 victories were predicted, they have long since cleared this hurdle. The Thunder have tasted blood and so coach Mark Daigneault recently did not rule out that superstar Shai Gigeous-Alexander will also appear in back-to-backs. Two of this variety are still waiting for the Thunder.
Utah Jazz (35-39)
Utah is likely to be considered the big outsider, as some rotation players were given up by the deadline. Nevertheless, the Jazz can still do it on their own, especially if they make the two duels with the Lakers successful. Otherwise, the program is crisp, even if a few top teams are still waiting, which could already save some energy at the time of the event due to the certain playoff participation.