NBA Playoff Teams with the Most Brutal Final Schedules

The NBA season just started about three months ago, but it's already starting to wind down. I have to say that for how sloppy some of the basketball was, there has been plenty of excitement throughout this season.

We're now looking toward the last third of the season, coming at us over the course of about a month, with a ton of excitement still to come.

The Eastern Conference has a bit of a playoff race for the eighth spot with the Milwaukee Bucks coming on strong, chasing the streaking Knicks (I'm going to go ahead and count my Cavs out at this point).

Meanwhile, the West has about four teams that still have a shot at the eighth seed.

The tops of both conferences are having their own races as well, as Oklahoma City and San Antonio are battling in the West, while Chicago and Miami are passing around first place in the East like a bag of Oreos.

For many of the teams at the top of each conference, there is a tough road ahead with big matchups between league leaders looming.

To figure out exactly who has the toughest road leading into the playoffs, we'll take a look at who has the worst combination of away games, games against potential playoff teams and games against the teams in the top four in each conference.

12. Los Angeles Clippers

Away Games Remaining: 11

Games Against Playoff Teams: 14

Games Against the Top Half: 4

After a strong, surging January and a solid February, the Los Angeles Clippers have had a rough March, going 6-7 in the month.

The worst part is that with 21 games left, they've got a pretty rough final third of the season coming up.

Two-thirds of those 21 games are against teams that are in the playoff hunt, while 11 of them are on the road. 

Their schedule is toughest through the final handful of games, as they play eight teams in the playoff hunt over their final 10 games, with just three in the friendly confines of the Staples Center.

11. San Antonio Spurs

Away Games Remaining: 11

Games Against Playoff Teams: 14

Games Against the Top Half: 4

The San Antonio Spurs better get used to seeing the Los Angeles Lakers over their last 23 games, as they'll end up matching up against Kobe and the Kobettes three times.

Aside from that, the Spurs only have to play one team in the top half of either conference, and that's the 76ers, a team that has had trouble beating winning teams all year long.

10. Los Angeles Lakers

Away Games Remaining: 9

Games Against Playoff Teams: 12

Games Against the Top Half: 6

The Lakers are going to have a tough April, and that might be an understatement.

Los Angeles will play the Spurs three times, the Thunder once and the Clippers once in a stretch of games in which the Lakers face off against 10 teams in the playoff hunt in 12 games.

Ramon Sessions couldn't have come to them at a better time.

9. Miami Heat

Away Games Remaining: 10

Games Against Playoff Teams: 13

Games Against the Top Half: 5

With 21 games left this year, the Miami Heat shouldn't be too worried about the rest of the regular season, but rather have their minds focused on the playoffs.

However, if they start to look too far ahead, they could end up taking a bit of a hit in the standings.

With two games left against both Oklahoma City and Chicago, Miami is looking at playing the current best team in each conference twice. It could be a moment to prove themselves, but it could also help Orlando close in on the Heat. 

8. Indiana Pacers

Away Games Remaining: 9

Games Against Playoff Teams: 13

Games Against the Top Half: 6

The Indiana Pacers are currently sitting just outside the top four teams in the Eastern Conference, and it seems like they're going to have a tough time breaking through with the rest of their schedule.

With six games against the top four teams in each conference left, Philly is going to have to gear up over its final 22 games.

The final six games of the season will be a true test for Indy, when the Pacers will match up with Philadelphia twice and finish their season off with a home game against the Bulls.

7. Denver Nuggets

Away Games Remaining: 13

Games Against Playoff Teams: 14

Games Against the Top Half: 6

As if things couldn't get any worse for the Denver Nuggets, with injuries to half of their team either keeping players out or slowing them down, the fast-paced cagers have a tough final third to go through.

With 20 games left, Denver has a mere seven home games and just six games left against teams who are outside of the playoff hunt.

6. New York Knicks

Away Games Remaining: 11

Games Against Playoff Teams: 13

Games Against the Top Half: 7

While Linsanity has dimmed, the Knicks have gone on a bit of a tear since Mike D'Antoni said enough was enough, winning four straight.

However, the Knicks are going to have to endure two games against the Magic, two against the Bulls, one against the Heat and another against the Clippers before their season is up.

If their playoff hopes come down to the final day, however, the Knicks have to count themselves lucky with a final-day matchup with the Bobcats looming.

5. Dallas Mavericks

Away Games Remaining: 11

Games Against Playoff Teams: 14

Games Against the Top Half: 7

Dallas is hanging around near the bottom half of the playoff bracket in the Western Conference, and with a tough final third coming up, it could be hanging there for the rest of the season.

However, with the Knicks making it to the Finals during the last lockout, that might not be a bad thing.

The Mavs are facing 11 away games in their final 19 contests, something they and their 9-13 road record can't be looking forward to.

Dallas will kick off its tough schedule early with its next eight games coming against playoff-worthy teams, including four with the Lakers, Spurs, Magic and Heat.

4. Memphis Grizzlies

Away Games Remaining: 12

Games Against Playoff Teams: 15

Games Against the Top Half: 7

Much like the Mavericks, Memphis is going to be spending a lot of time on the road as the season comes to a close, playing 12 of 22 games on the road.

Memphis is looking at back-to-back nights in Los Angeles this weekend and will end up facing the Orlando Magic in the final game of the season, which poises to be an interesting matchup of teams that could play spoiler in the playoffs.

3. Oklahoma City Thunder

Away Games Remaining:  10

Games Against Playoff Teams:  15

Games Against the Top Half: 8

The Oklahoma City Thunder have a tough 22 games to go, but at least they'll be getting the worst part of their final third out of the way early.

The Thunder play the Clippers, Heat, Lakers, Bulls and Heat again before the first week of April ends, plus two more against the Clippers by the time taxes are due.

Oklahoma City does have one good part to its schedule, however, as it'll get three games against the Kings over its final eight games.

2. Boston Celtics

Away Games Remaining: 12

Games Against Playoff Teams: 16

Games Against the Top Half: 8

For all of the troubles the Celtics have gone through so far this season, things are about to get just a bit worse.

Boston has 21 games left, 12 of which will see it playing outside of The Garden and a whopping 16 of which will have it face off against playoff hopefuls.

The worst part of Boston's schedule comes in the first week of April, with games against Miami, San Antonio, Chicago, Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami and Atlanta right in a row between the first and 11th.

Yikes.

1. Phoenix Suns

Away Games Remaining: 12

Games Against Playoff Teams: 16

Games Against the Top Half: 8

For about six seconds today, I thought that the Phoenix Suns would make a nice little run and threaten to make the playoffs near the end of the season. But the more I looked at it, the more it seemed like it just wouldn't be in the cards.

The Suns are at .500 with 20 games left to play, only eight of which will come in the dry heat of Phoenix and just four will be against teams that are already down and out.

A rough final five games includes the Thunder, Clippers, Nuggets and Spurs coming to town and one quick trip to Utah sandwiched in between.

If you are one of those Twitterers, you can follow me @JDorsey33.