NBA Playoff Picture 2019: Standings, Bracket and Key Storylines Down the Stretch

The Golden State Warriors took a huge step toward securing the top seed in the Western Conference after taking down the second-place Denver Nuggets 116-102 Tuesday night.

The Warriors have a two-game edge over their nearest pursuer, and both the Warriors and Nuggets have five games remaining on their schedule. While the Warriors could still be overtaken in the standings, a two-game cushion at this point in the season is significant.

While all eight playoff spots are sewn up in the West, the San Antonio Spurs and Oklahoma City Thunder are both tied for seventh. Either team could face the Warriors or the second seed, most likely the Nuggets.

The Spurs and Thunder were both victorious Wednesday, and the Thunder's Russell Westbrook had a remarkable performance in the 119-103 win over the Los Angeles Lakers.

He recorded the second 20-20-20 triple double in NBA history, joining the legendary Wilt Chamberlain in achieving that. Westbrook came down with a rebound in the game's final minute, giving him 20 points, 20 rebounds and 21 assists. 

It was his 31st triple-double of the season, and he is on track to average a triple-double for the third straight season.

Chamberlain had his triple-20-double February 2, 1968, as a member of the Philadelphia 76ers against the Detroit Pistons. He had 22 points, 25 rebounds and 21 assists in a 131-121 victory.

NBA Standings as of April 3

Eastern Conference Standings, Current First-Round Opponent

1. y-Milwaukee Bucks (58-20), vs. Miami 

2. y-Toronto Raptors (55-23), vs. Brooklyn

3. x-Philadelphia 76ers (49-28), vs. Detroit

4. x-Boston Celtics (46-32), vs. Indiana

5. x-Indiana Pacers (46-32), vs. Boston

6. Detroit Pistons (39-38), vs. Philadelphia

7. Brooklyn Nets (39-39), vs. Toronto

8. Miami Heat (38-39), vs. Milwaukee

9. Orlando Magic (38-40)

10. Charlotte Hornets (35-42)

11. e-Washington Wizards (32-46)

12. e-Atlanta Hawks (28-50)

13. e-Chicago Bulls (21-57)

14. e-Cleveland Cavaliers (19-59)

15. e-New York Knicks (15-62)

Western Conference Standings

1. y-Golden State Warriors (53-24), vs. Oklahoma City

2. x-Denver Nuggets (51-26), vs. San Antonio

3.  y-Houston Rockets (50-28), vs. Clippers

4. x-Portland Trail Blazers (49-28), vs. Utah 

5. x-Utah Jazz (47-30), vs. Portland

6. x-Los Angeles Clippers (47-31), vs. Houston

7. x-San Antonio Spurs (45-33), vs. Denver

8. x-Oklahoma City Thunder (45-33), vs. Golden State

9. e-Sacramento Kings (38-40)

10. e-Los Angeles Lakers (35-43)

11. e-Minnesota Timberwolves (34-43)

12. e-New Orleans Pelicans (32-46)

13. e-Memphis Grizzlies (31-46)

14. e-Dallas Mavericks (31-46)

15. e-Phoenix Suns (18-60)

Note: x = clinched a playoff spot, y = clinched division, e = eliminated from playoff contention. Current first-round opponent is based on April 3 standings

The Milwaukee Bucks have a three-game lead over the Toronto Raptors in the Eastern Conference with four games remaining in the regular season.

Those teams are close to being locked into their current positions, with the Raptors being assured of finishing no worse than second.

Neither team knows its opponent for the first round of the playoffs. The sixth, seventh and eighth seeds are still to be decided in the Eastern Conference.

The Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Miami Heat are in those final three playoff spots, but the Orlando Magic is in ninth place, one game behind the Heat. Miami has five games to go prior to the end of the season, while Orlando has four. Charlotte, in 10th place, has not been eliminated from playoff contention but is barely hanging on to its chances.

The Heat's schedule includes home games with the Celtics and Sixers and road games at Minnesota, Toronto and Brooklyn.

The Magic's schedule includes home games with the Knicks and Hawks and road games at Boston and Charlotte.

Orlando's schedule is clearly easier than Miami's with one game against a team currently in the playoff structure, while the Heat have four.

The Celtics and Indiana Pacers are destined to meet in the first round of the playoffs, as the third-place 76ers have a 3.5-game bulge over both teams and the sixth-place Pistons can't catch them.

Home-court advantage could be decisive in this series, and that that has not been decided since both teams have 46-32 records.

The Celtics and Pacers meet in Indianapolis on Friday, and in addition to that key game, the Celtics play at Miami, at home against the Magic and close the regular season April 9 at the Washington Wizards.

The Pacers play at Detroit, at home against Brooklyn and close the season at Atlanta.

The Houston Rockets rolled to a 130-105 victory over the Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, and that allowed them to increase their lead over the fourth-place Portland Trail Blazers to one game and brought them within 1.5 games of the Nuggets.

Denver's closing stretch includes home games against the Spurs, Trail Blazers and Timberwolves and road games at Portland and Utah.

Houston has road games with the Clippers and the Thunder and home games against the New York Knicks and Phoenix Suns. The Rockets would appear to have two certain victories since the Knicks and Suns have the two worst records in the league.

If they can beat either the Clippers or the Thunder, they may have a chance to move past the Nuggets, since four of Denver's five opponents are in a playoff position.

All the questions will be answered by April 10, the last day of the regular season.