2025 NBA Playoff Picture, Bracket-Clinching Scenarios for Lakers, More on April 9

With just four days remaining in the NBA regular season, the playoff picture is starting to come into focus.

The NBA unveiled the clinching scenarios for Wednesday's schedule, including the Los Angeles Lakers being able to secure a playoff berth with a victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

The Lakers could also clinch the Pacific Division title with a win and losses by the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors.

Wednesday's marquee matchup between the Lakers and Mavericks, beyond just being Luka Dončić's return to American Airlines Center for the first time since he was traded, has huge implications for Dallas.

The Mavs can secure a spot in the play-in tournament with a victory or loss by the Phoenix Suns, who will be eliminated from contention if this scenario plays out Wednesday.

Dallas is also one game behind the Sacramento Kings for the ninth seed to determine home-court advantage in the 9-10 game on April 16.

Dallas has been better at home (21-17) than on the road (17-24) this season. The Kings, by comparison, have been roughly as good at home (19-19) as they have on the road (20-21).

Speaking of the Suns, they have to keep their season alive on Wednesday against an Oklahoma City Thunder team that can clinch home-court advantage throughout the postseason with a victory.

A Lakers loss to the Mavs opens the door for even more chaos in what's already an extremely chaotic situation in the West. They are currently one game ahead of four teams that all have identical 47-32 records (Warriors, Clippers, Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies).

If those four teams finish the season with the same record, the Clippers would earn the No. 4 seed.

Oh, by the way, the Minnesota Timberwolves are only a game behind that quartet. So the possibility of a five-way or six-way tiebreaker is still very much in play. If a five-way tiebreaker were to happen, the Timberwolves would be the biggest beneficiary because they would move from their current spot in the play-in all the way up having home-court advantage in the first round as the No. 4 seed.

The Orlando Magic, who are already locked into the play-in tournament, are the only other team with a clinching scenario on Wednesday. They could win the Southeast Division title for the second consecutive season.

Orlando hasn't won consecutive division titles since the peak of the Dwight Howard era from 2007-08 to 2009-10. The Magic have to beat the Boston Celtics, who have secured the No. 2 seed in the East, to win the Southeast Division.