NBA Standings 2018: Analyzing Late-Season Playoff Races from Each Conference
The 2018 NBA playoff picture looks lopsided at the moment.
All eight seats at the Eastern Conference postseason table have now been claimed, as the Milwaukee Bucks clinched the final spot with the Detroit Pistons' loss Wednesday. But only three spots are taken in the Western Conference bracket, where seven teams remain in the hunt for the final five.
With less than a week remaining in the regular season, the Association is heading toward a furious finish. After a review of the current standings, we'll analyze a few of the top undecided races.
Updated NBA Standings
Eastern Conference
1. x-Toronto Raptors: 56-22
2. x-Boston Celtics: 53-25
3. x-Cleveland Cavaliers: 48-30
4. x-Philadelphia 76ers: 48-30
5. x-Indiana Pacers: 46-32
6. x-Miami Heat: 43-36
7. x-Washington Wizards: 42-36
8. x-Milwaukee Bucks: 42-36
9. e-Detroit Pistons: 37-41
10. e-Charlotte Hornets: 34-45
11. e-Chicago Bulls: 27-51
12. e-New York Knicks: 27-51
13. e-Brooklyn Nets: 25-53
14. e-Orlando Magic: 24-54
15. e-Atlanta Hawks: 22-57
Western Conference
1. y-Houston Rockets: 63-15
2. y-Golden State Warriors: 57-21
3. x-Portland Trail Blazers: 48-30
4. Utah Jazz: 45-33
5. San Antonio Spurs: 45-34
6. Oklahoma City Thunder: 45-34
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 44-34
8. New Orleans Pelicans: 44-34
9. Denver Nuggets: 43-35
10. Los Angeles Clippers: 42-36
11. e-Los Angeles Lakers: 34-44
12. e-Sacramento Kings: 25-54
13. e-Dallas Mavericks: 24-55
14. e-Memphis Grizzlies: 21-57
15. e-Phoenix Suns: 20-59
*y-clinched a division title; x-clinched a playoff berth; e-eliminated from playoff contention
Playoff Races
Fight for the East's No. 3 Seed
Don't look now, but the Philadelphia 76ers have processed their way into a mathematical tie with the Cleveland Cavaliers for the third seed. Cleveland holds the head-to-head tiebreaker with a 2-1 season series advantage, but these teams will meet for a final time Friday night in Philly.
The No. 3 seed is more than just a number. It not only means drawing a lower seed in the opening round, it also puts that club on the opposite side of the bracket from the Toronto Raptors—the East's best team by record and net efficiency rating (plus-7.7, third overall).
Each club has two playoff participants and two lottery-bound teams left on the schedule. Both are also too hot to touch at the moment. The Cavs have won nine of their last 10 contests, twice toppling Toronto in that stretch. The Sixers own the league's longest active winning streak at 12 games, so far surviving the loss of All-Star center Joel Embiid to an orbital bone fracture.
Philly has the better metrics, sitting nine spots ahead in net efficiency (fourth to 13th) and displaying better balance with top-half rankings on offense (13th) and defense (tied for second). But Cleveland has LeBron James, who's been absurdly productive in the second half (29.6 points, 10.2 rebounds and 9.5 assists per game since the All-Star break).
This looks like a coin flip. But if you had to deem a favorite here, it always feels safe to wager on LeBron.
West's Traffic Jam
The West's top-two seeds are set in stone, with the Houston Rockets and Golden State Warriors locked in at Nos. 1 and 2, respectively. It would take a pretty brutal collapse for the Portland Trail Blazers to lose their grip on the third spot.
But after that, just about anything is possible.
The gap between the fourth-seeded Utah Jazz and 10th-seeded Los Angeles Clippers is only three games. Recent performances paint a similarly gridlocked picture. No team in this seven-squad race has won more than seven games or lost more than five outings over their last 10.
Extending that examination back to the All-Star break, though, puts the Jazz in the most favorable light.
They lead the league by a mile in defensive efficiency over that stretch—their 96.6 defensive rating matches the lowest mark seen in the past five seasons—and hold top-five rankings in net efficiency (third) and winning percentage (fourth) since intermission.
Of course, that hardly allows Utah to breathe easy. There's too much congestion for that.
"It's been amazing," Jazz coach Quin Snyder said of the tight race, per Tony Jones of the Salt Lake Tribune. "You can move up four spots in one game, or you can move down four spots. There's so much pressure on you every time you play."
What's perhaps most compelling about this battle is the different compositions of the teams involved.
The San Antonio Spurs are looking to secure their 21st consecutive playoff berth. The Minnesota Timberwolves, meanwhile, are vying for their first postseason appearance of the post-Kevin Garnett era—their last playoff team was the 2004 Western Conference finalists led by Kevin Garnett, Latrell Sprewell and Sam Cassell.
There are clubs who were left for dead after losing key players to free agency (Utah), trades (Los Angeles Clippers) and injuries (New Orleans Pelicans). There are others many expected to be here due to their on-paper talent (Oklahoma City Thunder, Timberwolves).
Some have multiple All-Stars. Others have none. Some have explosive offenses. Others rely on their defense to grind out games.
They're all unique, but their season-long performances are similar enough to result in a photo finish you'll definitely want to witness.
Statistics used courtesy of NBA.com and Basketball-Reference.
