Updated 2014-15 NBA Playoff Scenarios Heading into Season's Final Two Days
Eighty games is hardly enough to determine the 2015 NBA playoff picture.
But once the season draws to a close on Wednesday, the league will finally have its definitive postseason bracket.
For now, chaos is still everywhere with each team having just one or two games left to play, as CBS Sports' Matt Moore points out:
Here's a look at how the playoff bracket would shake out if the season ended right now:
| (1) Atlanta Hawks vs. (8) Indiana Pacers | (1) Golden State Warriors vs. (8) New Orleans Pelicans |
| (2) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. (7) Boston Celtics | (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Dallas Mavericks |
| (3) Chicago Bulls vs. (6) Milwaukee Bucks | (3) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (6) Memphis Grizzlies |
| (4) Toronto Raptors vs. (5) Washington Wizards | (4) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (5) Houston Rockets |
Those matchups could be etched in stone. Or sand. We don't really know. And you're about to see why.
Eastern Conference Locks
No. 1 Seed: Atlanta Hawks
Fortunately for the Hawks, Monday's loss to the New York Knicks 112-108, while embarrassing, is not punishable by the revocation of first-place rights. They have an eight-game chokehold on the top spot and 60 victories worth of "In your face, doubters, skeptics, non-believers and meanie-pants."
No. 2 Seed: Cleveland Cavaliers
It seems like forever ago that the Cavaliers were under .500 and tracking toward disaster. That's because it was forever ago.
LeBron James and Friends have the NBA's best record since beginning the season 19-20 and are now firmly fastened to second place. Unofficially, the Cavaliers—regardless of first- and second-round foes—have already punched their Eastern Conference Finals ticket, but that's a story for mid-May.
No. 5 Seed: Washington Wizards
Well, the Wizards won't be securing home-court advantage.
On the bright side, though, they made the playoffs, avoided both Atlanta and Cleveland in the first round and still employ some guy named John Wall.
No. 6 Seed: Milwaukee Bucks
From worst to sixth: The Milwaukee Bucks story.
After recording a league-worst 15 victories last season, the Bucks are heading to The Show. Not even a post-trade-deadline free fall displaced them from the playoff picture, which really says more about the East's infectious futility than anything else.
Western Conference Locks
No. 1 Seed: Golden State Warriors
Sources confirm that the Warriors are still spectacular.
Following their 111-107 victory over the Memphis Grizzlies Monday night, the Warriors are now tied for the seventh-best total home point differential in league history. And they still have one game left to play at Oracle Arena against the Denver Nuggets on Wednesday.
Oh, and they also have an irreversible hold on the West's top spot as well as the Association's best record. Stephen Curry is so excited he just might Vine:
No. 4 Seed: Portland Trail Blazers
Winning the Northwest is proving almost worthless for the Blazers.
Locking themselves into fourth is a godsend, matchup-wise. If the NBA didn't reward division winners, they would be in seventh, potentially preparing for a first-round date with the reigning champion San Antonio Spurs.
But because of their record, the Blazers will not have home-court advantage, which comes as a huge blow. They own the West's third-best home record and, with injuries starting to pile up, could use the upper hand.
No. 7 Seed: Dallas Mavericks
The Mavericks are merely bystanders to the West's middle-of-the-field bloodbath. They're locked into seventh place, well ahead of eighth, miles behind sixth, waiting to play the to-be-determined No. 2 seed.
Finishing in seventh will set up a first-round bout with one of the Los Angeles Clippers, Houston Rockets, Spurs and Grizzlies, against whom they're a combined 5-10.
So much for the Mavericks having a rooting interest in who survives the battle for second.
Eastern Conference Seeding Skirmishes
No. 3 and No. 4 Seeds: Toronto Raptors and Chicago Bulls
Although the Bulls made things interesting by pummeling the Brooklyn Nets, 113-86, Monday night, the Raptors still control things heading into their final two tilts.
CBS Sports' NBA department breaks it down nicely:
Basically, the Raptors earn the No. 3 spot as long as they finish with the same record or better. It doesn't matter that Chicago won the season series 4-0; the tiebreaker in this case is Toronto's Atlantic Division crown.
Securing third place is the difference between facing Milwaukee and Washington in the first round, so yes, it's important.
Not that Derrick Rose particularly cares. Fresh off his latest stint on the sidelines, he's just soaking in the idea of playoff basketball, according to The Washington Post's Michael Lee:
Still, it would be nice if the Bulls could avoid a Wizards squad that eliminated them last season. And to do that, they'll need to beat Atlanta on Wednesday and hope Toronto loses to either the Boston Celtics (Tuesday) or the Charlotte Hornets (Wednesday).
That, or the Bulls can just bank on the Raptors losing out.
No. 7 and No. 8 Seeds: Boston Celtics, Indiana Pacers, Brooklyn Nets, Miami Heat
With the Nets' loss to the Bulls on Monday night, the Celtics clinched an unexpected playoff berth. Their fate is now pretty straightforward, as Sean Grande, voice of the Celtics, points out:
Of the three remaining teams scrapping for a postseason appearance, it's the Pacers who control their own fate. If they win their final two tilts, they're in. It's that simple.
The problem is, their last two contests come against the Wizards (Tuesday) and Grizzlies (Wednesday). Not only are they a combined 1-3 when facing both, but the Grizzlies are still clawing for postseason seeding themselves. They're not going to lay down.
If the Pacers don't win out, they're going to need more help. Winning only one of their two remaining games means they'll need Brooklyn to fall versus Orlando on Wednesday. If the Pacers lose to both Memphis and Washington, they're out.
This sort of puts the Nets in a comfortable position. They're 2-0 against the Magic this season, and it's almost safe to assume the Pacers will lose at least once. Ergo, if the Nets beat Orlando, there's a good chance they're in—unless, of course, Lady Luck is vibing Miami.
Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick dissects the Heat's lone playoff scenario:
Head coach Erik Spoelstra sums up said scenario quite nicely, per the Miami Herald's Joseph Goodman:
Yup, Spo. There's definitely a chance. Just not a good one.
It would take an epic collapse by both the Nets and Pacers for the Heat to earn a playoff bid. It's more likely that Brooklyn beats Orlando while Indiana drops at least one of its final two games, setting up a first-round clash between the Nets and Hawks.
Western Conference Seeding Skirmishes
Nos. 2, 3, 5 and 6 Seeds: San Antonio Spurs, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Houston Rockets
Well, this is a mess.
Let's start with the Spurs. They're currently in second place and control their own destiny. If they snag a victory over the New Orleans Pelicans on Wednesday, they'll win the Southwest Division and retain second place no matter what.
But the Rockets, who are presently in fifth, are right behind them. If the Spurs lose to New Orleans and the Rockets win against the Utah Jazz on Wednesday, they win the division and, by extension, the No. 2 seed.
The same holds true for the Clippers. Kind of. Since tiebreakers go to division winners, they need to take down the Phoenix Suns on Tuesday and hope both the Spurs and Rockets lose.
Worry not, though, Steve Ballmer groupies. Even if the Clippers miss out on second place, there is some good news, per ESPN Los Angeles' Arash Markazi:
As for the Grizzlies, Monday night's 111-107 loss to the Warriors means they cannot win the Southwest Division or grab the No. 2 seed. They're in sixth place right now, and if they wish to move up, they'll need to beat Indiana (Wednesday) and see the Rockets lose to Utah.
Got all that? Didn't think so.
Moore provides us with a chart to help explain the madness still unfolding:
Manu Ginobili will now take this chart for a test spin:
Well, not exactly. But good job, Manu!
No. 8 Seed: Oklahoma City Thunder and New Orleans Pelicans
Hooray for straightforwardness.
Both the Thunder and Pelicans won on Monday night, so this skirmish is going until the bitter end on Wednesday. It's the Pelicans who are driving this car, though.
If they beat the Spurs or the Thunder lose to the Minnesota Timberwolves, they're in. Conversely, for the Thunder to sneak in, they need a win and a Pelicans loss, otherwise their summer vacation will begin much earlier than usual.
To be honest, this race is fast becoming comedic tragedy. The Pelicans and Thunder are breaking their backs for a first-round date with the Warriors (re: a surefire first-round exit).
Talk about your bittersweet postseason appearances.
*Unless otherwise cited, all stats are courtesy of Basketball-Reference.com and NBA.com and accurate heading into games on April 14.
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