Table of Contents
The Memphis Grizzlies are comfortably in the No. 2 spot, and only a poor finish to the season will keep them from grabbing the second seed in the Western Conference.
That means home-court advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs. It also means the Grizzlies will not know their first round opponent until the first play-in games are completed. As of Monday, Minnesota would host the Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 7 seed.
But the Timberwolves are making a push into the top six seeds, with Denver and Utah within 2.5 games of dropping into the play-in tournament.
NO JA, NO PROBLEM? Memphis Grizzlies are 16-2 without Ja Morant this season. Um, here’s why
MARK GIANNOTTO:The 50th Memphis Grizzlies win, without Ja Morant, was the most reassuring of all
Here’s the full NBA playoff picture as of Saturday afternoon:
Western Conference
(Top four get home court advantage in first round)
1. Phoenix Suns (clinched No. 1 seed) — 62-15
2. Memphis Grizzlies (clinched No. 2 seed) — 55-23; 7.5 GB from 1st
3. Golden State Warriors — 48-29; 14 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Utah, at Sacramento, LA Lakers, at San Antonio, at New Orleans
4. Dallas Mavericks (clinched top-6 playoff spot) — 48-30; 14.5 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: at Milwaukee, at Detroit, Portland, San Antonio
5. Utah Jazz — 46-31; 16 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: at Golden State, Memphis, Oklahoma City, Phoenix, at Portland
6. Denver Nuggets — 46-32; 16.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: at LA Lakers, San Antonio, Memphis, LA Lakers
——
Race for play-in games
(7th place/8th place game winner gets No. 7 seed in playoffs; loser of game faces 9th place/10th place game winner for No. 8 seed in playoffs)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (clinched at least play-in game berth) — 44-34; 18.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: at Houston, Washington, San Antonio, Chicago
8. Los Angeles Clippers (clinched play-in game berth) — 38-40; 24.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: New Orleans, Phoenix, Sacramento, Oklahoma City
9. New Orleans Pelicans — 34-43; 28 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: at LA Clippers, at Sacramento, Portland, at Memphis, Golden State
10. San Antonio Spurs — 32-45, 30 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Portland, at Denver, at Minnesota, Golden State, at Dallas
——
11. Los Angeles Lakers —31-46; 1 GB behind 10th
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Denver, at Phoenix, at Golden State, Oklahoma City, at Denver
12. Sacramento Kings — 29-49, 3.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: at Houston, Golden State, New Orleans, at LA Clippers, at Phoenix
13. Portland Trail Blazers (eliminated from playoff contention) — 27-50
14. Oklahoma City Thunder (eliminated from playoff contention) — 22-55
15. Houston Rockets (eliminated from playoff contention) — 20-58
——————
Eastern Conference
(Top four get home court advantage in first round)
1. Miami Heat (clinched top-6 playoff spot) — 49-28
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: at Chicago, at Toronto, Charlotte, Atlanta, at Orlando
2. Milwaukee Bucks (clinched top-6 playoff spot) — 48-29; 1 GB from first place
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Dallas, at Chicago, Boston, at Detroit, at Cleveland
3. Boston Celtics (clinched top-6 playoff spot) — 48-30, 1.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: Washington, at Chicago, at Milwaukee, at Memphis
4. Philadelphia 76ers — 47-30; 2 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: at Cleveland, at Indiana, at Toronto, Indiana, Detroit
5. Chicago Bulls — 45-32; 4 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Miami, Milwaukee, Boston, Charlotte, at Minnesota
6. Toronto Raptors — 45-32; 4 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Miami, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Houston, at NY Knicks
——
Race for play-in games
(7th place/8th place game winner gets No. 7 seed in playoffs; loser of game faces 9th place/10th place game winner for No. 8 seed in playoffs)
7. Cleveland Cavaliers (clinched at least play-in game berth) — 43-35; 6.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: Philadelphia, at Orlando, at Brooklyn, Milwaukee
8. Brooklyn Nets (clinched at least play-in game berth) — 40-37; 9 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: at Atlanta, Houston, at NY Knicks, Cleveland, Indiana
9. Atlanta Hawks (clinched at least play-in game berth) — 40-37; 9 GB
Games left: 5 | Remaining schedule: Brooklyn, at Toronto, Washington, at Miami, at Houston
10. Charlotte Hornets (clinched at least play-in game berth) — 40-38; 9.5 GB
Games left: 4 | Remaining schedule: at Miami, Orlando, at Chicago, Washington
——
More Stories
Mitchell Robinson of NY Knicks seeks help in finding missing father
What’s Happening in Sports: April 14, 2022
AL West Primer: Houston Astros