NBA playoff picture: A lot to figure out with just 17 games to play
With just two days and 17 games left in the NBA's regular season, a great deal can still happen in the playoff picture in each conference. While the field of 16 teams is set, only two first-round match-ups are confirmed.
Needless to say, a great deal is up in the air - for fans, for teams, and especially for league schedule-makers.
What follows are the current seedings in each conference and where each team could finish, given a few different Tuesday-Wednesday scenarios.
Eastern Conference
The East remains a mess, as only three seeds have been nailed down. Indiana will host Atlanta, but everything else is up in the air, with Brooklyn's status as the only remaining two-game team potentially making the waters eve murkier.
If Brooklyn wins on Tuesday against the Knicks - that seems likely, but Brooklyn reportedly may rest several key players - things clear up a bit with the Nets locking down the fifth spot. If they lose? Seeds three through seven are all left to be determined on Wednesday.
| Range of Seeds | Team | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Indiana | LOCK |
| 2 | Miami | LOCK |
| 3-4 | Toronto | with W or Chi L |
| 3-4 | Chicago | with W and Tor L |
| 5-6 | Brooklyn | with 1W or Was : |
| 5-6-7 | Washington | 5 with W and 2 Brk L, 6 with W or Cha L |
| 6-7 | Charlotte | with W and Was L |
| 8 | Atlanta | LOCK |
Confirmed: ATL (8) @ IND (1)
Remaining Schedule
| Day | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|
| TUES | BRK | NYK |
| WED | CHA | CHI |
| WED | ORL | IND |
| WED | MIL | ATL |
| WED | BOS | WAS |
| WED | CLE | BRK |
| WED | MIA | PHI |
| WED | NYK | TOR |
Western Conference
Things are slightly more clear in the West than the East, as just two battles remain. However, those two battles will determine three different match-ups, so the West, too, has just Portland-at-Houston cemented for the first round.
The Clippers can clear things up by losing to Denver on Tuesday, leaving just the seven-eight battle to play out on the season's final night. Should the Clippers win, as expected, chaos could rule the day on Wednesday.
| Range of Seeds | Team | How |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | San Antonio | LOCK |
| 2-3 | Oklahoma City | with W or LA L |
| 2-3 | LA Clippers | with 2W and OKC L |
| 4 | Houston | LOCK |
| 5 | Portland | LOCK |
| 6 | Golden State | LOCK |
| 7-8 | Dallas | with W or Mem L |
| 7-8 | Memphis | with W and Dal L |
Confirmed: POR (5) @ HOU (4)
Remaining Schedule
| Day | Home | Road |
|---|---|---|
| TUES | LAC | DEN |
| WED | MEM | DAL |
| WED | NO | HOU |
| WED | OKC | DET |
| WED | SA | LAL |
| WED | POR | LAC |
| WED | DEN | GS |