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The Spurs only have one more regular season game, but as has become the norm in recent seasons, the Spurs will likely have a lot riding on this game. All eight Western Conference playoff teams played on Sunday, and below are the updated playoff scenarios for how things currently stand.
Results from Sunday’s games
- San Antonio Spurs 112 - Cleveland Cavaliers 90
- Oklahoma City Thunder 132 - Minnesota Timberwolves 126
- Phoenix Suns 113 - Houston Rockets 149
- Los Angeles Clippers 104 - Golden State Warriors 131
- Denver Nuggets 108 - Portland Trail Blazers 115
- Utah Jazz 109 - Los Angeles Lakers 113
Playoff standings
| Rank | Previous Rank | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | Previous Rank | Team | W | L | GB |
| 1 | 1 | Golden State Warriors | 56 | 24 | 0 |
| 2 | 2 | Denver Nuggets | 53 | 27 | 3 |
| 3 | 3 | Houston Rockets | 53 | 28 | 3.5 |
| 4 | 4 | Portland Trail Blazers | 51 | 29 | 5 |
| 5 | 5 | Utah Jazz | 49 | 31 | 7 |
| 6 | 7 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 47 | 33 | 9 |
| 7 | 8 | San Antonio Spurs | 47 | 34 | 9.5 |
| 8 | 6 | Los Angeles Clippers | 47 | 34 | 9.5 |
Remaining schedule
| Team | Tue., April 9 | Wed., April 10 |
|---|---|---|
| Team | Tue., April 9 | Wed., April 10 |
| Warriors | at Pelicans | at Grizzlies |
| Nuggets | at Jazz | vs Wolves |
| Rockets | at Thunder | |
| Blazers | at Lakers | vs Kings |
| Jazz | vs Nuggets | at Clippers |
| Clippers | vs Jazz | |
| Thunder | vs Rockets | at Bucks |
| Spurs | vs Mavericks |
Spurs’ seeding scenarios
With the Spurs winning and the Clippers losing, the Spurs now control their destiny in terms of avoiding the 8th seed. Avoiding the 8th seed would be ideal as the Warriors clinched the 1st seed in the West on Sunday. The Thunder were down in the third quarter of their game against the Timberwolves, but a strong fourth quarter helped them avoid the season sweep against the Timberwolves and kept them 1⁄2 game ahead of both the Spurs and Clippers for 6th in the West.
Spurs tiebreaker scenarios
- The Spurs have clinched the tiebreaker against the Oklahoma City Thunder by way of head-to-head record.
- The Spurs have clinched the tiebreaker against the Los Angeles Clippers by way of conference record.
- The Spurs have clinched the three-way tiebreaker with the Thunder and Clippers by way of head-to-head record.
Below is a list of the potential seeding scenarios for the Spurs.
Sixth place in the West
- Spurs win their final game and the Thunder lose at least one of their two remaining games
- Spurs lose their final game, the Clippers lose their final game, and the Thunder lose both of their remaining games
Seventh place in the West
- Spurs win their final game and the Thunder win both of their remaining games
- Spurs lose their final game, the Clippers lose their final game, and the Thunder win at least one of their two remaining games
- Spurs lose their final game, the Clippers win their final game, and the Thunder lose both of their remaining games
Eight place in the West
- Spurs lose their final game, the Clippers win their final game, and the Thunder win at least one of their two remaining games
Spurs’ potential opponent scenarios
First place in the West
The Warriors clinched 1st place in the West on Sunday by defeating the Clippers.
Second place in the West
Nuggets can clinch if:
- Nuggets win both of their remaining games
- Nuggets win one of their two remaining games and the Rockets lose their final game
Rockets can clinch if:
- Rockets win their final game and the Nuggets lose at least one of their two remaining games
- Rockets lose their final game and the Nuggets lose both of their remaining games
Note: If the Blazers win both of their remaining games, the Rockets lose their final game, and the Nuggets lose both of their remaining games, the three teams will end in a three-way tie. The tiebreaker will result in the Rockets finishing second (via division winner and head-to-head over Nuggets), the Nuggets finishing third (via division winner), and the Blazers finishing fourth.
Third place in the West
Nuggets can clinch if:
- Nuggets lose at least one of their two remaining games and the Rockets win their final game
- Nuggets lose both of their remaining games
Rockets can clinch if:
- Rockets win their final game and the Nuggets win both of their remaining games
- Rockets lose their final game, the Nuggets win at least one of their two remaining games, and the Blazers lose one of their two remaining games
Blazers can clinch if:
- Blazers win both of their remaining games, the Rockets lose their final game, and the Nuggets win at least one of their two remaining games
Final thoughts
There are no games scheduled for Monday but there are plenty of noteworthy games on Tuesday. The Spurs get to sit back and watch Tuesday’s carnage before suiting up for their season finale against the Dallas Mavericks.
The Tuesday game between the Rockets and Thunder is going to be the one to mark on your calendar. If the Rockets win, that’ll force the Nuggets to defeat both the Jazz and Timberwolves to retain the 2nd seed. It’ll simultaneously push the Thunder behind the Spurs in the standings, allowing the Spurs to control their destiny for 6th in the West.
If the Thunder win, it’ll give the Nuggets a good shot at holding onto the 2nd seed. It’ll also keep the Thunder in the 6th seed and the Spurs in 7th. The Blazers will have a shot at overtaking the Rockets for 3rd in the West by winning their two remaining games against the suddenly hot Lakers and the Kings.
Just food for thought. Enjoy the rest of the regular season!