On March 30, Beijing time, today's NBA games have ended, the regular season has 11 game days to end, and from now on, the chaotic western pattern is almost set. The Clippers beat the Grizzlies 141-132 to secure fifth place in the West, while the defending champion Warriors have found their best form and finishing in the top six in the West is not a problem, and now the round six has been born. After the Lakers defeated the Bulls 121-110, they could almost get a play-off spot, because the Lone Ranger lost 108-116 to the 76ers, completely fell behind, and the 4 places in the playoffs were almost finalized, but the ranking may change. For the Los Angeles Lakers, it's just sitting on eight and seven, and if they can get seventh, it's naturally better.
First, the top 6 in the west surfaced and were basically born
At present, the top three teams in the West are the Nuggets, Grizzlies and Kings, and there is no suspense in entering the playoffs, and even the ranking will not change. Then there are the Suns, fourth in the West, the Clippers in fifth and the Warriors in sixth, and with the Warriors one win ahead of the Timberwolves, it is not a big problem for the Warriors to make the playoffs with fewer and fewer regular season games. And these 6 teams are also the best teams in the West, and they deserve a spot in the playoffs.
It is worth mentioning that the ranking between the Suns and the Clippers and Warriors will definitely float, because the fourth in the West will play fifth in the West in the first round, but these three teams are precisely the favorites for the Western Conference championship, and if two of them meet, it will be a Finals-level confrontation, no matter who is eliminated will be a pity. Interestingly, the Clippers originally rotated Leonard to release water, but Wilson single-core led the team to defeat the Grizzlies, and Tyronn Lue is estimated to be helpless. George will return in the second round of the playoffs, and if the Clippers play the Suns or Warriors in the first round, there is no chance of winning, so the Clippers will definitely play the game next and let the Suns and Warriors fight.
Second, the 4 play-off places are almost confirmed
The three teams of the Rockets, the Spurs and the Blazers are definitely out of the playoffs, while the Jazz and Lone Rangers have hope, but they have not performed well in the most critical moments and have completely fallen behind. After losing to the 76ers, the Lone Ranger is in eleventh place in the West, already one win behind the Thunder in tenth place in the West, and unless they can win most of the next games, the Lone Ranger basically misses the playoffs. At present, the Timberwolves and the Lakers, Pelicans, and Thunder have a high probability of joining hands to lock in 4 play-off places, and the specific play-off matchup is not yet determined.
The Timberwolves are 1 win behind the sixth-place Warriors, 0.5 wins ahead of the eighth-placed Lakers, and 1 win ahead of the tenth-place Thunder, which is a very good result for the Timberwolves if they can finish seventh. But the competition is definitely fierce, because the other three teams also want to finish seventh, so they can play one more game in the play-offs and naturally have a much better chance of making the playoffs. The Timberwolves caught up after the All-Star break, and the combination of Towns and Gobert is already beginning to show its strength.
Three, the Lakers sit eight and seven
The Lakers played perfectly in today's game against the Bulls, Davis cut 38 points and 10 rebounds, completely burst Vucevic, James also had 25 points, 7 rebounds and 4 assists, Russell cut 17 points, 4 rebounds and 4 assists on 7-of-12 shooting, and the Lakers also have the Big Three. After beating the Bulls, the Lakers have a 38-38 record, and although they are the same as the Pelicans, the Lakers surpass the Pelicans in the ranking due to their dominant head-to-head record. For the Lakers, the goal is to replace the Timberwolves as seventh in the West, but also to prevent being overtaken by the Pelicans.
The Lakers sit on eight to seven, at least eighth, so that they can play 2 play-off games, if they can finish seventh, this is the most ideal situation. If the Lakers can win the playoffs, the playoff opponents are either the Nuggets or the Grizzlies, in fact, there is still a chance to reach the second round, especially after the trade deadline, the Lakers have shown the temperament of a strong team, just need to play more consistently. Moreover, the thick-eyed brother needs to play healthy this season, and he determines the ceiling of the Lakers.