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1. Denver (50-24)
2. Memphis (47-27)
3. Sacramento (45-29)
4. Phoenix (39-35)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (39-36)
6. Golden State (39-37)
Play-In Race
7.Minnesota (38-37)
8. New Orleans (37-37)
9.Los Angeles Lakers (37-38)
10. Oklahoma City (37-38)
11 Dallas (36-39)
12. Utah (35-39)
13.Portland (32-42)
Good luck figuring out the Western Conference playoff order.
The only thing certain right now is Dallas’ struggles. The Mavs are 7-13 since the Irving trade happened. They slipped from fourth to 11th place.
There are real concerns that Dallas will even make the play-in round. Despite the best efforts of Doncic and Irving, the Mavs lost back-to-back games to the Hornets to fall behind other up-and-coming teams in the west.
The only good news for the Mavs right now is that a night of results could completely flip the seven places in front of them.
Dallas needs a track record from its road trip against Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta not to be in full-blown panic when Sacramento arrives in the city on April 5.
The Mavs need some help from Sacramento on Monday to gain some ground as long as they win in Indiana, but they’ll have to do so without Doncic, who will serve a one-game suspension due to a technical foul streak.
The Kings host Minnesota in one of three games crucial to the play-in race. New Orleans visits Portland in the other.
New Orleans should win in the Rose City as the Trailblazers seem more content to shut down their top players rather than make one last shot at No. 10.
Portland’s 1-8 record in the last nine narrowed the play-in race down four spots to six teams. Utah, which receives Phoenix on Monday, is also on the outside to look inside with Dallas.
Unlike Dallas, Utah can make a massive impact in the play-in race with head-to-head wins. The Jazz have home games with the Lakers and Thunder on April 4th and 6th.
The Lakers begin a five-game road run in Chicago Wednesday that includes games against Minnesota, Utah and Houston. They also play as a road team against the Clippers on April 5th in Los Angeles.
Minnesota and New Orleans are also in the midst of road trips. The real winner next week could be Oklahoma City, which hosts Charlotte and Detroit on Tuesday and Wednesday.
A two-game win streak is tremendous at this point in the season and could give OKC some reassurance while the other teams battle or play each other around them.
There’s a real chance the play-in spots will be decided on the last day of the regular season when Minnesota hosts New Orleans and the Jazz visit the Lakers.
Dallas needs to hope they can win a few games next week and that teams lose several games to get back into the playoffs, but given the way it’s been playing lately, it’s tough conceivable that this will happen.
seed predictions
1. Denver
2.Memphis
3. Sacramento
4. Phoenix
5. Golden State
6. Los Angeles Clipper
7. Oklahoma City
8.Los Angeles Lakers
9.Minnesota
10. New Orleans
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