NBA latest Playoff Picture (21st March): Eastern & Western Conference fixtures and play-in details
The NBA playoff picture is still very unclear, despite the regular season ending in less than three weeks. The play-in tournament has made the basketball league much more competitive, which is why many teams are fighting for a playoff spot.
The regular season will end on April 9 and teams have from nine to 11 games left to play in it. Here is the playoff picture as of March 21 and potential first-round matchups.
NBA Playoff picture - Eastern Conference
The Milwaukee Bucks (51-20) hold a 2.5-game lead over the Boston Celtics (49-23) in the East, with the Philadelphia 76ers (48-23) being just half a game behind the second spot.
Only the Charlotte Hornets (23-50) and the Detroit Pistons (16-56) have been eliminated from playoff contention, although it's very unlikely that the Orlando Magic (29-43) will qualify for the NBA playoffs as they are 5.5 games behind the final play-in spot.
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The Eastern Conference play-in tournament will be very competitive. The Miami Heat (39-34) are by far the best play-in team, but they are trying to catch up with the Brooklyn Nets (39-32) for the sixth spot in the conference.
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It appears that the Atlanta Hawks (35-36), Toronto Raptors (35-37) and Chicago Bulls (34-37) will also be in the play-in tournament, although the Washington Wizards (32-39) are only two games behind the Bulls.
Here are the projections for the first-round matchups in the East:
While there is a possibility of another Bucks-Heat matchup, the Heat will likely catch up with the Nets. The play-in tournament will be very competitive, but the Nets and the Bulls could come out of it.
NBA Playoff picture - Western Conference
The West is even more complicated than the East. The Denver Nuggets (48-24) hold a 3.5-game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies (44-27), while the Sacramento Kings (43-28) will likely finish third.
Almost every other spot in the conference is up for grabs. The Phoenix Suns (38-33), who are currently fourth, have only three more wins than the LA Lakers (35-37), who are out of the playoff picture at the moment.
Predicting first-round matchups in the West is nearly impossible as there are numerous different combinations of them. However, if the Lakers get LeBron James back for the play-in tournament, they could advance to the playoffs.
Here are the projected first-round matchups:
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These matchups look amazing and many basketball fans would love to see another series between the Grizzlies and the Warriors. However, many things could change in the next three weeks.