{"id":18501,"date":"2023-03-15T17:04:20","date_gmt":"2023-03-15T17:04:20","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.nbanewsinsider.com\/?p=18501"},"modified":"2023-03-15T17:04:20","modified_gmt":"2023-03-15T17:04:20","slug":"nba-standings-western-conference-playoff-picture-suns-losing-grip-lakers-in-three-way-play-in-tie","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.nbanewsinsider.com\/nba-standings-western-conference-playoff-picture-suns-losing-grip-lakers-in-three-way-play-in-tie\/","title":{"rendered":"NBA standings, Western Conference playoff picture: Suns losing grip; Lakers in three-way play-in tie"},"content":{"rendered":"
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The Western Conference playoff race is a beautiful mess right now. Every night seeds change all over the place. The Lakers won on Tuesday and dropped in the standings. All you can do is stay updated with current seeds, matchups, tiebreaker scenarios, and projections each morning. We’ve got you covered.\u00a0<\/p>\n
Below is a comprehensive snapshot of where things stand in the Western Conference playoff and play-in races entering play on Wednesday. This post will update daily throughout the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are clinched.\u00a0 <\/p>\n
Reminder on how the play-in tournament works:<\/strong> No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the \u00a0No. 8 seed.\u00a0 <\/p>\n READ: Eastern Conference playoff picture<\/span> <\/p>\n NOTE:\u00a0<\/strong>Our SportsLine model, developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and precise projections imaginable.<\/em> <\/p>\n The Nuggets have lost four straight and their once-firm grip on the top seed is starting to loosen. With 13 games to play, the Nuggets lead the No. 2 Grizzlies by an effective four games with the tiebreaker secured, and they lead the No. 3 Kings by four in the loss column with one matchup remaining. So it’s not doom and gloom. But it’s going in the wrong direction.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Memphis leads the No. 3 Kings by one in the loss column.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Sacramento has an outside shot at catching Denver for the top seed. They trail the Nuggets by four in the loss column with 15 games to play. One of those is head-to-head with the Nuggets, which will also decide the season tiebreaker.\u00a0 <\/p>\n The Suns lost to Milwaukee on Tuesday and are now just one game up in the loss column on the No. 5 Warriors and No. 6 Clippers.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Warriors trail the No. 4 Suns by an affective two games as Phoenix has clinched the tiebreaker. Golden State is tied with the No. 6 Clippers with one head-to-head matchup remaining.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Clippers are tied in the loss column with the No. 5 Warriors with one matchup remaining. They trail the No. 4 Suns by just one, with one head-to-head matchup remaining.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Minnesota defeated Atlanta on Monday and is one game up in the loss column on the 8-10 seeds.\u00a0 <\/p>\n The Thunder sit in a three-way tie with the No. 9 Mavericks and No. 10 Lakers. In tiebreaker scenarios that include more than two teams, the nod, in order, goes to the team with the best win percentage in all head-to-head matchups among the teams involved.\u00a0 <\/p>\n See No. 8 Thunder section for a three-way tie breakdown.\u00a0 <\/p>\n See No. 8 Thunder section for a three-way tie breakdown.\u00a0 <\/p>\n Utah lost a tight one in Miami on Monday and sits one loss out of a play-in spot.\u00a0<\/p>\n SportsLine projections still have the Pelicans slipping into the play-in.\u00a0<\/p>\n The Blazers are fading, having lost seven of their last 10.\u00a0 <\/p>\n WESTERN CONFERENCE<\/strong> <\/h2>\n
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3. Sacramento Kings (40-27) <\/h2>\n
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4. Phoenix Suns (37-32) <\/h2>\n
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5. Golden State Warriors (36-33) <\/h2>\n
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6. Los Angeles Clippers (36-33) <\/h2>\n
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\tPlay-In Tournament<\/strong> <\/h2>\n
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (35-34)
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8. Oklahoma City Thunder (34-35)
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9. Dallas Mavericks (34-35) <\/h2>\n
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10. Los Angeles Lakers (34-35) <\/h2>\n
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Outside Looking In<\/strong><\/h2>\n
11. Utah Jazz (33-36)<\/h2>\n
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12. New Orleans Pelicans (33-36)
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