NBA Playoff Picture 2015: Latest Bracket Scenarios for Final Day of Season
There is a lot on the line on the final day of action in the 2014-15 NBA season, and the results can make a huge impact on the postseason.
Not only are teams fighting just to get a spot in the playoffs, but various seeds are up for grabs. Considering how much of an impact there is from home-field advantage and the opponent you face, this final day bears watching.
Here is a look at the latest standings heading into Wednesday's games with a breakdown of each key situation.
| Pos. | Team | Record |
| 1 | Atlanta Hawks | 60-21 |
| 2 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 52-29 |
| 3 | Chicago Bulls | 49-32 |
| 4 | Toronto Raptors | 48-33 |
| 5 | Washington Wizards | 46-35 |
| 6 | Milwaukee Bucks | 41-40 |
| 7 | Boston Celtics | 39-42 |
| 8 | Indiana Pacers | 38-43 |
| 9 | Brooklyn Nets | 37-44 |
| Pos. | Team | Record |
| 1 | Golden State Warriors | 66-15 |
| 2 | Los Angeles Clippers | 56-26 |
| 3 | San Antonio Spurs | 55-26 |
| 4 | Portland Trail Blazers | 51-30 |
| 5 | Houston Rockets | 55-26 |
| 6 | Memphis Grizzlies | 54-27 |
| 7 | Dallas Mavericks | 49-32 |
| 8 | New Orleans Pelicans | 44-37 |
| 9 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 44-37 |
Playoff Picture
Bulls and Raptors Duel For No. 3
Considering the relative drop-off between the No. 5 and No. 6 spots in the Eastern Conference, there is a pretty big reward for finishing in third place compared to fourth. Unfortunately for the Toronto Raptors, they took a big hit with their loss to the Boston Celtics on Tuesday.
Toronto still controls the tiebreaker, but at a full game back, it will have to win its final game, with the Chicago Bulls losing, to move into the No. 3 slot. Meanwhile, Bleacher Report's Ethan J. Skolnick noted a benefit of the loss:
No matter what the team is trying to do, it seems likely to end up as the No. 4 seed in the playoffs.
Last Spot in the East
Boston was already in the playoffs before its win over the Raptors, but the squad is now locked into the No. 7 seed and will face the Cleveland Cavaliers. These leaves the No. 8 seed as the only question mark remaining.
After the Indiana Pacers topped the Washington Wizards in double overtime, they now are just one win away from the postseason. ESPN's Mike Golic believes the team can do damage if it gets there:
If the Pacers can beat the Memphis Grizzlies, they are in. While this seems like a tough task, it's good to know they could also get in with a Brooklyn Nets loss to the Orlando Magic.
The only thing that will change the current standings is a Nets win and Indiana loss, while the Miami Heat have been officially eliminated.
Fight for Position in West
The only thing we know about the top six seeds in the Western Conference is that the Golden State Warriors will be No. 1 and the Portland Trail Blazers will be No. 4. Other than that, we just have to wait and see what happens.
San Antonio Spurs veteran Manu Ginobili broke down the wide range of possibilities:
In reality, it's even more complicated than that. A Spurs win would clinch the No. 2 seed, but a loss could see them end up anywhere between third and sixth.
The Grizzlies will end up as the No. 6 seed unless they win and either the Spurs or the Houston Rockets lose. In either case, Memphis will move up to No. 5, which is still disappointing after a great year.
With the Los Angeles Clippers winning their final game Tuesday, they have clinched at least third place. They can move into second if both the Spurs and Rockets lose their next game.
Meanwhile, the Rockets could end up in a few places, as seen by this chart created by CBS Sports' Matt Moore:
It will be a confusing final day of action, although the good news for all of these teams is they will all be involved in the postseason in some way.
Who Plays the Warriors?
The good news for the New Orleans Pelicans is that they control their own destiny. If they win or the Oklahoma City Thunder lose, they will get the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference. Unfortunately, they will have to get through the Spurs on Wednesday.
Considering San Antonio has won 11 games in a row and has a lot to play for, winning the next game will not be easy for New Orleans.
This leaves the door open for the Thunder to take the spot if they can beat the Minnesota Timberwolves. As Royce Young of ESPN.com noted, the team has improved its biggest weakness recently:
If Russell Westbrook can lead his team to one more victory and the Pelicans lose, Oklahoma City will sneak into the playoffs after a rough season.
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