Ranking the Biggest Games Remaining on the 2014-15 NBA Schedule
Clarity? What clarity? This is the 2014-15 NBA regular season, where uncertainty consistently trumps predictability.
As a result, it shouldn't come as a surprise that a majority of the league's playoff spots have the potential to change hands over the season's final week-and-a-half.
From the race for the eighth seed in the Eastern and Western Conferences to a fight for home-court advantage among teams that have already clinched, intrigue figures to engulf the season's final sprint in a number of ways.
With factors including a given contest's impact on playoff seeding, its collection of star power and the number of eyeballs it figures to command, there are more than 10 marquee matchups that deserve top billing as April 15 approaches.
Get those red pens and calendars out—it's time to clear your schedules.
10. Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets
1 of 10
Date: April 8
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Season Series: Atlanta leads 3-0
The Atlanta Hawks are safely nestled into the Eastern Conference's No. 1 seed, so this matchup can't feasibly top games with more significant playoff implications.
However, the Hawks won't be without something to fight for when they square off against the Brooklyn Nets Wednesday evening.
While the Nets seek to maintain a stranglehold on one of the East's final two playoff spots, Atlanta will be looking to kick Brooklyn back into the lottery.
Since the Hawks retain the right to swap 2015 first-round picks with the Nets by virtue of the Joe Johnson blockbuster three summers ago, Atlanta's taking a sledgehammer to Brooklyn's playoff hopes could push that pick toward the back end of the lottery.
Although Atlanta figures to swap picks with Brooklyn regardless of the Nets' finish, the Hawks are in a rare position to control their destiny—and Brooklyn's.
Before crushing the Nets 131-99 Saturday night, Hawks head coach Mike Budenholzer even admitted he was aware of the stakes.
"The higher the pick the better," Budenholzer said, according to NBA.com's KL Chouinard.
Brooklyn will get to play host this time around, but after getting blitzed 98-75 at Barclays Center back in December, there isn't much reason for the Nets to be optimistic.
9. Indiana Pacers at Memphis Grizzlies
2 of 10
Date: April 15
Time: 9:30 p.m. ET
Season Series: Memphis leads 1-0
The Eastern Conference seesaw will mercilessly shut down on April 15 when the Indiana Pacers try to salvage their season once and for all against the Memphis Grizzlies.
While the Pacers have trended in a positive direction since the All-Star break, Memphis has done just the opposite. Over their past 24 games, the Grizzlies are a slightly above-average 13-11, grading out as the league's third-worst scoring offense in that span. That's a stark contrast compared to their 39-14 start.
And now that the Grizzlies are facing the possibility of dropping as low as sixth out West, they figure to be fighting for optimal postseason position down to the regular season's final horn.
"The Grizzlies can't afford losses to West teams because they'll need them for tiebreaker vs. the Rockets, Spurs and Clippers," CBS Sports' Matt Moore wrote. "The loss to Washington hurts, but it doesn't cripple them. But realistically, if they want to win the Southwest Division and get the two-seed, they can only afford one more loss at most."
The Pacers haven't been world-beaters on offense by any means, but a foray into league-average territory on offense has helped them float above .500 over the past six weeks.
Just don't expect these two to put on an offensive showcase. With the Pacers and Grizzlies playing at the league's 12th- and fifth-slowest paces, respectively, points will be at a premium.
8. Oklahoma City Thunder at Indiana Pacers
3 of 10
Date: April 12
Time: 6 p.m. ET
Season Series: Oklahoma City leads 1-0
Call it the interconference battle for the No. 8 seed.
With the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder vying for the final playoff spot in their respective conferences, the April 12 matchup between these two may decide how the final postseason picture shapes up.
But for Indiana, attaining validation in the form of a playoff berth is only one piece of the puzzle.
As Bleacher Report's Ethan Skolnick explained, Paul George's return from a fractured leg is the biggest victory the Pacers will score this season, even if it doesn't push them into a first-round matchup with the Atlanta Hawks:
"Several NBA insiders—with secondhand knowledge of the Pacers' practice sessions—have told Bleacher Report that they believe the Pacers would have a better shot in this closing stretch if they didn't play George at all, simply because they're hearing he is much less dynamic than his former self.
In fact, one popular insider's perception is that this is as much a reward, for all of George's hard work, as anything else, the sort that is commonly given to rehabilitating players so long as it doesn't come at their physical detriment and even if it might temporarily set a team back some.
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Indiana will snag relief in the form of back-to-back contests against the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons on April 8 and April 10, but Oklahoma City will represent the start of a grueling conquest against esteemed postseason qualifiers.
7. New Orleans Pelicans at Houston Rockets
4 of 10
Date: April 12
Time: 7 p.m. ET
Season Series: New Orleans leads 2-1
The Southwest has been the crown jewel of NBA divisions all season long, so showdowns between any of its five teams will earn preferential treatment down the stretch.
Enter the New Orleans Pelicans and Houston Rockets, who are slated to square off Sunday, April 12.
Between Houston's quest to put a bow on the division, New Orleans' never-ending scrap to push past the Oklahoma City Thunder for the West's eighth and final playoff spot and star power in the form of James Harden, Anthony Davis and Dwight Howard, the Rockets and Pelicans should offer must-see TV on the final Sunday of the regular season.
The good news for New Orleans is that it already topped Houston at Toyota Center once this season back in December, as Davis exploded for 30 points, 14 rebounds and five blocks.
It'll need a similar effort during the teams' fourth and final meeting, particularly with a hostile Houston crowd awaiting.
''Every game we're in feels like a playoff game for us," Davis said, according to The Times-Picayune's John Reid. "Every time we play on the road the atmosphere is like the playoffs."
6. Boston's Home-and-Home with Cleveland
5 of 10
Dates: April 10 and April 12
Times: April 10: 7:30 p.m. ET, April 12: 3 p.m. ET
Season Series: Cleveland leads 2-0
For all intents and purposes, the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed belongs to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
But, oh, how the Boston Celtics long for that type of security atop the postseason picture.
After a forgetful 20-31 run before the All-Star break, the Celtics have gone 15-11 since the trade deadline, putting them in prime position to compete with the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers and Brooklyn Nets for one of the East's final two playoff spots.
And while Boston is in the thick of things, its road to the postseason is about to get turbulent.
Following three days off, Boston will play three games in the span of five days, including home-and-home battles with the Cavaliers.
Ultimately, Boston's hopes may be tied to Cleveland's standing. If the Cavaliers have officially wrapped up No. 2 honors, head coach David Blatt figures to eye rest for LeBron James, Kyrie Irving, Kevin Love and other rotational staples.
That would be a major boon for the Celtics, who control their own destiny with five games remaining.
5. San Antonio Spurs at Oklahoma City Thunder
6 of 10
Date: April 7
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Season Series: Tied 1-1
The San Antonio Spurs can deal a blow to the Oklahoma City Thunder's waning playoff hopes Tuesday, but a Thunder loss wouldn't represent a knockout by any means.
Since the New Orleans Pelicans are hosting the Golden State Warriors the same night (8 p.m. ET), concurrent losses from the playoff hopefuls would keep the postseason picture unchanged—which is why this game can't crack the top four.
After Russell Westbrook torched the Spurs for 34 points, 11 assists and five steals on Christmas Day, the Spurs got revenge with a 130-91 blowout victory on March 25.
But outside of asserting their dominance, what's at stake for the Spurs next time around?
"San Antonio has remaining games vs. the Thunder and two vs. the Rockets after Sunday's tilt vs. the Warriors," CBS Sports' Matt Moore wrote. "They can effectively control their own destiny for the three, four, or five seed."
When determined and high-powered opponents clash, chaos is bound to ensue.
Cue up the #LeaguePassAlerts.
4. San Antonio Spurs at New Orleans Pelicans
7 of 10
Date: April 15
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Season Series: New Orleans leads 2-1
By April 15, the New Orleans Pelicans' postseason fate may already be sealed, but we're going to operate under the assumption that this thing is going down to the wire.
Although the Pelicans figure to enter the final game of the regular season as underdogs, they will have a chance at capturing the season series against the San Antonio Spurs after nabbing wins on Nov. 8 and Dec. 26.
However, Tony Parker was absent for the latter contest, and he's recently taken an extended bath in the fountain of youth. Since the All-Star break, Parker's shooting close to 50 percent from the field while hitting shots between eight and 16 feet on a shade under 51 percent of his attempts.
With Parker's mid-range jumper working, Kawhi Leonard's all-around excellence providing a stable foundation and the Southwest Division still up for grabs, things could get crazy as the season's final seconds tick away.
3. Eastern Conference Playoff Ramifications Galore
8 of 10
Matchup: Toronto Raptors at Boston Celtics
Date: April 14
Time: 7:30 p.m. ET
Season Series: Toronto leads 2-1
This is about more than the Celtics and their quest for the No. 8 seed.
The Toronto Raptors, who fell to the Celtics 117-116 in overtime Saturday night, are still trying to secure home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. However, Saturday's loss helped out the fifth-seeded Washington Wizards, who now sit a game back of the Atlantic Division champs.
A soft remaining schedule that includes the Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets twice should provide Toronto with a bit of a buffer, but if it can't capitalize, the resurgent Wizards could pounce on the No. 4 seed.
Matchup: Washington Wizards at Indiana Pacers
Date: April 14
Time: 8 p.m. ET
Season Series: Washington leads 2-1
Washington has clinched a playoff spot, but it is slated to close things out with consecutive matchups against the Brooklyn Nets, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers and Cleveland Cavaliers after a clash with the Philadelphia 76ers April 8.
The Wizards won't catch a break against the hard-charging Nets and Pacers, but with the Hawks having wrapped up the East's top seed and Cleveland presumably sitting pretty in the No. 2 seed by the season's final day, surpassing the Raptors wouldn't be the improbable feat it appeared to be a week ago.
And with Boston and Indiana in a dead heat for the No. 8 seed, circle April 14 as the decisive day in the Eastern Conference playoff race.
2. Memphis Grizzlies at Los Angeles Clippers
9 of 10
Date: April 11
Time: 10 p.m. ET
Season Series: Memphis 2-1
Outside of the Golden State Warriors, uncertainty reigns supreme in the Western Conference.
Golden State owns home-court advantage throughout the postseason, but seed Nos. 2 through 6 remain in complete flux.
Here's what's been established: The Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Clippers are all assured top-six seeds, while the Portland Trail Blazers can't fall below fourth thanks to their Northwest Division title. But even if the Blazers nab the fourth seed, they can still cede home-court advantage to the No. 5 seed in the first round if they finish with a worse record.
So not only are the fifth-seeded Clippers looking to secure home-court in the West quarterfinals, but there's a chance they can flip places with the third-seeded Grizzlies over the next 10 days.
The remaining schedules for Memphis and L.A. are as follows:
- Los Angeles: vs. Los Angeles Lakers, vs. Memphis, vs. Denver Nuggets, at Phoenix Suns
- Memphis: vs. New Orleans Pelicans, at Utah Jazz, at Clippers, at Golden State, vs. Indiana Pacers
Those two slates are night and day. If the Clippers take care of Memphis, they could feasibly end the season on a seven-game winning streak.
Memphis, though, needs to deal with stout defenses in Golden State, Indiana and Utah while staving off Anthony Davis and the Pelicans.
The Grizzlies are firmly on regression alert.
1. San Antonio's Home-and-Home with Houston
10 of 10
Dates: April 8 and April 10
Time: April 8: 8:30 p.m. ET, April 10: 8 p.m. ET
Season Series: Tied 1-1
It all comes back to the Southwest Division.
The Houston Rockets are in the driver's seat for the division crown, but the San Antonio Spurs are starting to push the gas pedal to the floor following a 12-3 March and 3-0 start in April.
Following their 107-92 demolition of the Golden State Warriors, San Antonio remains two games back of the Rockets with a massive home-and-home looming.
Things will get started with a game at AT&T Center Wednesday before the scene shifts to Toyota Center Friday night. If one team can sweep that pair of games, it will also have captured the season series.
The killer for San Antonio is that it will play the front end of the home-and-home on the second night of a back-to-back after squaring off against the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night.
But unlike their meeting on Dec. 28, the Spurs should have both Tony Parker and Kawhi Leonard healthy for the prime-time tilts.
With the Rockets and Spurs riding winning streaks of three and seven games, respectively, entering the most crucial three-day stretch of the season, expect playoff-caliber ball a week early.
All statistics are current as of April 5 and courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com unless noted otherwise.
