On April 13, Beijing time, the Timberwolves played a playoff with the Clippers, which was the 7th in the West and the 8th in the West. In the end, the Timberwolves beat the Clippers to lock in the 7th place in the West and advance to the playoffs first. Although the Clippers lost, the Clippers still have a glimmer of life, and then they will have to play playoffs against the Pelicans/Spurs winners for the last playoff spot in the West.
When the Clippers lost to the Timberwolves, the significance of the playoffs was once again controversial. First, let's take a look at the 7th-10th place record in the West. This season's regular season, the 7th-place Timberwolves in the West, have a record of 46 wins and 36 losses. The 8th-place Clippers in the West have a record of 42 wins and 20 losses. The Pelicans, no. 9 in the West, have a record of 36 wins and 46 losses. The 10th-place Spurs in the West have a record of 34 wins and 48 losses. The record of these four teams spans a very large range, with the Clippers leading the Pelicans by 6 wins and the Spurs by up to 8 wins.
The Clippers lead the Spurs by eight wins, but both sides need to play play-offs. The only thing that makes the Clippers happy is that the 7th and 8th places in the division have a chance to "come back" and play another playoff after losing. However, the Clippers were originally the dominant side. Now, the Clippers need to compete with the 9/10 winner of the West for the final playoff spot in the West. If the Clippers lose again, then the Clippers' advantage this season will be lost, directly missing the playoffs this season.
One thing to say, the playoffs are really too unfair to the Clippers. The Clippers led the 10th-place Spurs in the West by eight wins, but they failed to lock in a playoff spot in advance and still couldn't control their own destiny. Previously, the NBA shrank due to the regular season, and specially set up the playoff link. Today, the NBA's regular season schedule is not affected by the outside world. It's incredible that 30 NBA teams have played 82 games this season, but the playoffs have survived.
Now, the Timberwolves have beaten the Clippers, which has given the Timberwolves the lead in qualifying for the playoffs. The Pelicans and Spurs' playoffs have yet to begin, and the winner will play the Clippers in another playoff. If the Clippers still don't win the game, then a strange phenomenon will arise. Whether the Pelicans advance or spurs qualify, these two teams are at least six wins behind the Clippers and counterattack into the playoffs. The Clippers worked hard for a season and instantly became a laughingstock, which is certainly not the NBA's original intention to set up a playoff.
Now, the Clippers are still struggling to fight for a playoff spot. If the Clippers are eventually eliminated, should the NBA playoffs be canceled? This will become a problem for the NBA league, and if the playoffs are canceled, the Clippers will be the equivalent of a victim of the reform of the game format. If the playoffs are not canceled, there will be a situation like the Clippers in the future, with teams leading at least 6 wins and then eventually being eliminated in the playoffs, what should the NBA do? This is a tricky question!