NBA playoff picture: Spurs clinch West, Warriors lock up playoff berth
In a Friday filled with playoff position-shuffling, the top teams in each conference stole the spotlight.
The San Antonio Spurs defeated the Phoenix Suns 112-104 despite missing Tim Duncan, clinching home court advantage throughout the Western Conference playoffs for the third time in four seasons.
San Antonio's victory also knocked the Suns down into a tie with the Memphis Grizzlies for the final playoff spot in the West. The Grizzlies defeated the Philadelphia 76ers on Friday.
Stephen Curry's fourth triple-double of the season helped the Golden State Warriors lock up a playoff berth as they took care of the Los Angeles Lakers.
Also, the Houston Rockets stumbled and the Portland Trail Blazers won their third straight to pull within a ½ game of fourth place.
| Seed | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | z - San Antonio Spurs | 62 | 18 | -- |
| 2 | y - Oklahoma City Thunder | 58 | 21 | 3 ½ |
| 3 | y - Los Angeles Clippers | 55 | 24 | 6 ½ |
| 4 | x - Houston Rockets | 52 | 27 | 9 ½ |
| 5 | x - Portland Trail Blazers | 52 | 28 | 10 |
| 6 | x - Golden State Warriors | 49 | 30 | 12½ |
| 7 | Dallas Mavericks | 48 | 32 | 14 |
| 8 | Memphis Grizzlies | 47 | 32 | 14 ½ |
| 9 | Phoenix Suns | 47 | 32 | 14 ½ |
In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat passed the Indiana Pacers for the top spot by beating the Pacers 98-86 as they prepare to chase a third consecutive NBA championship.
The Atlanta Hawks maintained their two-game lead over the New York Knicks for the final spot in the East with a victory over the Brooklyn Nets, while the Knicks kept pace by defeating the Toronto Raptors, who clinched the Atlantic Division despite the loss but fell to fourth place.
The Chicago Bulls defeated the Detroit Pistons to leapfrog Toronto. The Washington Wizards topped the Orlando Magic to create a game's worth of separation with the Charlotte Bobcats, who lost to the Boston Celtics.
| Seed | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | y - Miami Heat | 54 | 25 | -- |
| 2 | y - Indiana Pacers | 54 | 26 | ½ |
| 3 | x - Chicago Bulls | 47 | 32 | 7 |
| 4 | y - Toronto Raptors | 46 | 33 | 8 |
| 5 | x - Brooklyn Nets | 43 | 36 | 11 |
| 6 | x - Washington Wizards | 41 | 38 | 13 |
| 7 | x - Charlotte Bobcats | 40 | 39 | 14 |
| 8 | Atlanta Hawks | 36 | 43 | 18 |
| 9 | New York Knicks | 34 | 45 | 20 |