NBA Playoff Standings 2023: Latest Records, Postseason Scenarios and Predictions

There are just two days left in the 2022-23 NBA season, and teams are still playing for their playoff positions.

Things are pretty much set in stone in the Eastern Conference, while there is still some potential movement to be seen over in the West.

Here's a look at where things stand on the penultimate day of the regular season, followed by a dive into the remaining playoff scenarios and some predictions.

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Eastern Conference Standings

1. Milwaukee Bucks (58-23)

2. Boston Celtics (56-25)

3. Philadelphia 76ers (53-28)

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)

5. New York Knicks (47-34)

6. Brooklyn Nets (45-36)

Play-In Tournament (matchups are set)

7. Miami Heat (43-38)

8. Atlanta Hawks (41-40)

9. Toronto Raptors (40-41)

10. Chicago Bulls (39-42)

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Western Conference Standings

1. Denver Nuggets (52-28)

2. Memphis Grizzlies (51-30)

3. Sacramento Kings (48-33)

4. Phoenix Suns (45-36)

5. Golden State Warriors (43-38)

6. Los Angeles Clippers (42-38)

Play-In Race

7. Los Angeles Lakers (42-39)

8. New Orleans Pelicans (42-39)

9. Minnesota Timberwolves (40-40)

10. Oklahoma City Thunder (39-42)

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There isn't much to watch for in the Eastern Conference over the final two days of the season, as teams are locked in to their seeds and the play-in tournament matchups have all been set:

Instead, the Western Conference holds all the intrigue, as there are five teams that have the chance to move up or down in the standings. The squads seeded fifth through ninth don't have the luxury of resting key players down the stretch because they are all still playing for their playoff position, as illustrated by NBA on TNT's Jared Greenberg:

The defending-champion Golden State Warriors are a veteran-laden group that could likely benefit from taking it easy in Sunday's regular-season finale against the Portland Trail Blazers. However, the Los Angeles Clippers are right on their heels and can jump them for the fifth seed with wins on Saturday against the Blazers and on Sunday against the Phoenix Suns.

Golden State needs to be victorious on Sunday if it hopes to avoid the play-in tournament. A loss creates a potential nightmare scenario in which the Warriors could fall all the way to eighth, which would send them on the road for their play-in game. The team has an abysmal 10-30 record in away games this season, so facing a win-or-go-home situation on the road doesn't present an ideal outlook.

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently slated to host a play-in game, but any slip-ups by the Warriors or Clippers would be beneficial to the Purple & Gold. The Lakers will likely be satisfied with any scenario, as the team battled back from a 2-10 start to the regular season to become one of the most dangerous squads in the postseason.

The Minnesota Timberwolves have to get past the lowly San Antonio Spurs on Saturday before a crucial showdown against the New Orleans Pelicans on Sunday. The T'wolves already own the regular-season tiebreaker over the Pelicans, so if they finish with the same record, Minnesota will have the advantage.

We'll predict that the Clippers overtake the Warriors for the No. 5 spot, while Golden State takes care of business in Portland to secure the No. 6 seed. The play-in seedings will remain as-is, as the Pelicans will look to end their season on a high note by defeating the Timberwolves.