NBA Playoff Picture 2018: Predicting Final Bracket Entering Season's Final Week
For several NBA teams, there's so much to play for in the remaining regular-season games. Playoff spots and seeding are fluid in the final week leading up to the postseason.
In the Eastern Conference, the top two seeds have locks. The Toronto Raptors clinched home-court advantage, and the Boston Celtics have a hold on the No. 2 seed. The intrigue brews between the Philadelphia 76ers and Cleveland Cavaliers for the third slot. Will trusting the process lead to an impressive finish near the top of the conference?
Unlike the East, which has all eight postseason teams locked in, only three squads have clinched playoff spots in the Western Conference. Furthermore, we could see a regular-season finale that keeps one club's season alive and sends the other home for an extended vacation.
How will the final postseason brackets pan out?
NBA Playoff Picture Predictions
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 8 Washington Wizards (season series tied 2-2)
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers (Pacers lead season series 3-1)
No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Milwaukee Bucks (season series tied 2-2)
No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 6 Miami Heat (season series tied 2-2)
Western Conference
No. 1 Houston Rockets vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans (Rockets lead season series 3-1)
No. 4 Portland Trail Blazers vs. No. 5 San Antonio Spurs (Blazers lead season series 2-1)
No. 2 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves (Warriors lead season series 2-1)
No. 3 Utah Jazz vs. No. 6 Oklahoma City Thunder (Thunder lead season series 3-1)
Philadelphia 76ers Finish as No. 3 Seed in the East
The Sixers have played well without center Joel Embiid, who's out with an orbital fracture. They hold the No. 3 seed with the Atlanta Hawks and Milwaukee Bucks left on the schedule.
Depending on the Bucks' situation, the matchup between the two teams could provide an intense atmosphere. Milwaukee holds the No. 7 seed, which pairs with the Celtics, who are without their top two players in Kyrie Irving and Gordon Hayward. Bucks interim head coach Joe Prunty may want to hold on to that spot.
Friday's 132-130 victory over Cleveland put Philadelphia in the driver's seat for the No. 3 seed:
They are riding a 13-game win streak and are looking toward a winnable matchup with the Miami Heat, Bucks or Washington Wizards in the first round and then one of those squads or the Celtics in the semifinals.
The Sixers should play to win out, lock up the No. 3 seed and a viable pathway to the conference finals.
Utah Jazz Move Ahead of Portland Trail Blazers for No. 3 Seed in the West
Quin Snyder's team will finish the regular season on a back-to-back sequence with the Golden State Warriors and Portland Trail Blazers.
The Warriors have a lock on the No. 2 seed, and head coach Steve Kerr says Stephen Curry won't play until after the first round of the postseason, per NBC Sports Bay Area reporter Monte Poole:
Golden State will play its last regular-season contest against the Jazz. Utah's following game against Portland could feel like a postseason matchup, with both squads in contention for the No. 3 spot:
Guard Damian Lillard returned to action against the San Antonio Spurs on Saturday, but the Blazers fell short in a 116-105 loss for their third consecutive defeat. As Portland crawls to the finish line, the Jazz have a legitimate opportunity to take the No. 3 slot if they win out.
Minnesota Timberwolves Beat Denver Nuggets for Playoff Spot
In a deadlock for the eighth spot, we are heading toward a proverbial postseason play-in game between the Minnesota Timberwolves and Denver Nuggets. Both teams boast identical 45-35 records.
The Nuggets beat the Timberwolves 100-96 without swingman Jimmy Butler in the lineup for Tom Thibodeau on Thursday at Pepsi Center. Nikola Jokic fell one assist short of a triple-double:
Butler worked his way back from a meniscal injury that required surgery. He returned to action for 23 minutes against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday at Staples Center. He will surely suit up for a high-stakes contest with Minnesota's playoff hopes on the line.
The Timberwolves topped the Nuggets in the December meetings with Butler. He will likely provide an edge in the final matchup for a playoff spot.
Both Minnesota and Denver hold tiebreakers over the New Orleans Pelicans.
Here's a wacky scenario that may play out. If the Pelicans lose to the Los Angeles Clippers or Spurs, the Jazz win one more game and the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio win out, the Timberwolves or Nuggets would claim the No. 7 seed by winning their last two contests.
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