NBA Playoffs 2019: Latest Standings and Postseason Matchups
The Milwaukee Bucks have served notice that they are going into the playoffs firing on all cylinders. The Bucks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers 128-122 on Thursday night, clinching the top spot in the Eastern Conference in the process.
Milwaukee improved its record to 59-20 and will have the home-court edge throughout the playoffs. The Golden State Warriors (54-24) have the best record in the Western Conference, but they have four more losses and can't catch the Bucks even if Milwaukee loses its last three games.
Five of the eight playoff spots in the East have been determined The Detroit Pistons, Brooklyn Nets and Orlando Magic hold the sixth through eighth seeds, respectively, but the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets still have a chance to make the postseason.
The eight teams in the Western Conference have clinched their playoff spots, but the final seeds still have to be determined.
Here's a link to the standings and a projection on the playoff matchups based on those standings follows, including teams that have not yet been eliminated from playoff contention.
NBA Standings as of April 5
Eastern Conference Standings
1. z-Milwaukee Bucks (59-20), vs. Orlando
2. y-Toronto Raptors (56-23), vs. Brooklyn
3. x-Philadelphia 76ers (49-30), vs. Detroit
4. x-Boston Celtics (47-32), vs. Indiana
5. x-Indiana Pacers (47-32), vs. Boston
6. Detroit Pistons (39-39), vs. Philadelphia
7. Brooklyn Nets (39-40), vs. Toronto
8. Orlando Heat (39-40), vs. Milwaukee
9. Miami Heat (38-40)
10. Charlotte Hornets (36-42)
Western Conference Standings
1. y-Golden State Warriors (54-24), vs. San Antonio
2. x-Denver Nuggets (52-26), vs. Oklahoma City
3. y-Houston Rockets (51-28), vs. Clippers
4. x-Portland Trail Blazers (50-28), vs. Utah
5. x-Utah Jazz (48-30), vs. Portland
6. x-Los Angeles Clippers (47-32), vs. Houston
7. x-Oklahoma City Thunder (45-33), vs. Denver
8. x-San Antonio Spurs (45-34), vs. Golden State
X = clinched a playoff spot, y = clinched division, z = clinched conference title. Current first-round opponents listed after commas and based on April 3 standings.
The Bucks and Toronto Raptors are locked into the top two places in the Eastern Conference, and the 76ers should be able to hang on to the No. 3 spot as they have a two-game lead over the Boston Celtics and Indiana Pacers.
Those teams will meet Friday in Indianapolis, and the winner will have the inside track on home-court advantage when they meet in the first round. There's a slight chance that the winner of that game could catch Philadelphia, but that seems unlikely.
Philadelphia has two games remaining with the Chicago Bulls and one with the Heat, while the Celtics face the Orlando Magic and Washington Wizards following their confrontation with Indiana. The Pacers face the Nets and the Atlanta Hawks to close the season.
The Pistons, Nets and Magic are all fighting to hold their playoff position. Detroit has road games with the Oklahoma City Thunder and New York Knicks and home games with the Hornets and Memphis Grizzlies.
The Nets have challenging road games with the Bucks and Pacers, along with a home game against the Heat. Orlando has a home game remaining with the Hawks and road games with the Celtics and Hornets.
Miami has three road games with the Minnesota Timberwolves, Raptors and the Nets, along with a home game against the 76ers.
The Heat clearly face a tough schedule, and it may be difficult for them to get back into the playoff structure.
There is at least 1.5 games of separation between the top six teams in the Western Conference, and it's likely that they will hold on to those positions since those outfits have either three or four games remaining prior to the season's conclusion on Wednesday.
However, the Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are separated by just one-half game, and the final positioning will be vital. The seventh-placed finisher will almost certainly play the Denever Nuggets, while the eighth-placed finisher will face the two-time defending champion Warriors.
Golden State has won seven of its past 10 and three games in a row, and that's clearly a matchup that would best be avoided.
Oklahoma City has home games against the Pistons and Houston Rockets, along with road games against the Timberwolves and Bucks.
San Antonio has a much easier closing route, with road games against the Wizards and Cleveland Cavaliers and a home game with the Dallas Mavericks.
The Spurs may be in eighth place, but they have an excellent chance of moving up to seventh and avoiding a first-round matchup with the Warriors.
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