Lakers: Vanderbilt’s Swift Playoff Return a Boon, But Playoff Chemistry Looms
As the curtains draw on today’s games, there’s just one game left in the 2023-2024 NBA regular season, happening the day after tomorrow, with all 30 teams playing their final matches of the season.
So far, the confirmed playoff-bound teams are:
Eastern Conference: Celtics at 1st, Bulls at 9th, Hawks at 10th.
Western Conference: Clippers at 4th, Mavericks at 5th.
The rankings for the remaining 15 teams in both the Eastern and Western Conferences are yet to be determined.
Let’s focus on the Western Conference today.
Key matches for the final day in the West include:
Nuggets vs. Grizzlies, Thunder vs. Mavericks, Timberwolves vs. Suns, Pelicans vs. Lakers, Kings vs. Trail Blazers, Warriors vs. Jazz.
It’s evident that Grizzlies, Trail Blazers, and Jazz have seemingly given up on this season, while the Mavericks have started resting players. The other four matches hold little suspense, with the spotlight shining on two crucial games:
Timberwolves vs. Suns, Pelicans vs. Lakers.
These two matches not only have unpredictable outcomes but also impact the fate of the eight Western Conference teams. Except for the Clippers and Mavericks, who are mere spectators, the other eight teams are affected.
The results of the Timberwolves’ match affect the rankings from 1st to 3rd in the West.
The outcomes of the Suns and Pelicans matches influence the rankings from 6th to 7th in the West.
The Lakers’ result impacts the rankings from 8th to 10th in the West.
In the other four matches, the Nuggets, Thunder, Warriors, and Kings are likely to defeat their respective opponents. But what influence will the outcomes of these two crucial matches have?
If the Timberwolves beat the Suns and the Pelicans defeat the Lakers, the standings would be: Thunder 1st, Timberwolves 2nd, Nuggets 3rd, Pelicans 6th, Suns 7th, Kings 8th, Warriors 9th, Lakers 10th. The play-in games would be Warriors vs. Lakers, Kings vs. Suns, and the first-round matchups would be Nuggets vs. Pelicans, Clippers vs. Mavericks.
If the Timberwolves beat the Suns but the Pelicans lose to the Lakers, the standings would be the same at the top, but the bottom three spots would change to: Kings 9th, Lakers 8th, Warriors 10th. The play-in games would be Kings vs. Warriors, Suns vs. Lakers, and the first-round matchups would remain the same.
If the Timberwolves lose to the Suns but the Pelicans defeat the Lakers, the standings would be: Thunder 1st, Nuggets 2nd, Timberwolves 3rd, Pelicans 6th, Suns 7th, Kings 8th, Warriors 9th, Lakers 10th. The play-in games would be Warriors vs. Lakers, Kings vs. Suns, and the first-round matchups would be Timberwolves vs. Suns, Clippers vs. Mavericks.
It’s evident that there’s a high possibility the Timberwolves will face the Suns in the first round, while if the Pelicans lose to the Lakers, they might encounter the Lakers in the play-in games.
Therefore, these two matches not only sway the fortunes of eight teams but could also determine play-in and playoff matchups.
