The NBA regular season comes to a conclusion on Wednesday with a full 15-game slate. A lot won’t be decided until that final day of the season. Some things were decided Friday night, as the San Antonio Spurs clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference and the Golden State Warriors responded from a pitiful performance against the Denver Nuggets to clinch a playoffs spot in L.A. versus the Lakers.
Here is the NBA playoff picture entering the final weekend.
Note: (X) denotes clinched No. 1 seed, (Y) playoff berth
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Remaining Schedule |
| 1 | San Antonio Spurs (Z) | 62-18 | @Houston, Los Angeles (L) |
| 2 | Oklahoma City Thunder (Y) | 58-21 | @Indiana, @New Orleans, Detroit |
| 3 | Los Angeles Clippers (Y) | 55-24 | Sacramento, Denver, @Portland |
| 4 | Houston Rockets (Y) | 52-27 | New Orleans, San Antonio, @New Orleans |
| 5 | Portland Blazers (Y) | 52-28 | Golden State, Los Angeles (C) |
| 6 | Golden State Warriors (Y) | 49-30 | @Portland, Minnesota, @Denver |
| 7 | Dallas Mavericks | 48-32 | Phoenix, @Memphis |
| 8 | Memphis Grizzlies | 47-32 | @Los Angeles (L), @Phoenix, Dallas |
| 8 | Phoenix Suns | 47-32 | @Dallas, Memphis, @Sacramento |
Key Games
Phoenix Suns at Dallas Mavericks (4/12/14)
Dallas boasts a one-game lead against Phoenix with two games remaining on its schedule. Its also tied with the Suns in the season series, which dictates the tie-breaker for the playoffs. A win here by the Mavericks at home pretty much locks up a playoff spot. A win would also help the Mavericks avoid having to play the No. 1 seeded San Antonio Spurs in the first round.
For the Suns, it gets a bit more convoluted. They are currently tied with Memphis for the final playoff spot, but have lost all three meetings with the Grizzlies this season. If Phoenix does fall on the road to Dallas tonight, it will have lost the tie-breaker to the other two teams fighting for the final playoff spot, no matter the outcome of the Grizzlies-Suns game next week.
Dallas defeated Phoenix the last time these two teams met by the score of 110-107. Monta Ellis put in 24 points, six rebounds and seven assists in the win. That game was played in Phoenix. This is the first and only game in the season series being played in Dallas.
Golden State Warriors at Portland Blazers (4/13/14)
Golden State is pretty much locked in to the No. 6 seed after clinching a playoff spot against the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday night. Its 1.5 games ahead of the Mavericks for that spot and possesses the tie-breaker.
Unfortunately for the Warriors, they sit 2.5 behind Portland for the No. 5 seed. In order for Golden State to grab the fifth seed, Mark Jackson’s club would need to win out and the Blazers would have to lose this game as well as their finale against the Los Angeles Clippers. Stranger things have happened there.
Memphis Grizzlies at Phoenix Suns (4/14/14)
The season finale for both teams could actually decide who earns one of the final two playoff spots in the Western Conference. These two teams are tied for the eighth and final spot and both have two games between now and the finale in Phoenix. If the Grizzlies and Suns are tied when Wednesday rolls around, this could very well be a do-or-die game, depending on what Dallas does.
If Dallas is one game behind both of these teams when the finale rolls around, this game will be for nothing more than deciding who plays San Antonio and Oklahoma City in the first round. If Memphis is one game ahead of Phoenix and Dallas wins out, the Suns will already be eliminated before this finale. Get it? Good.
Likely First-Round Playoff Matchups
1) San Antonio vs 8) Memphis
4) Houston vs 5) Portland
3) Los Angeles vs 6) Golden State
2) Oklahoma City vs 7) Dallas
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Remaining Schedule |
| 1 | Miami Heat (Y) | 54-25 | @Atlanta, @Washington, Philadelphia |
| 2 | Indiana Pacers (Y) | 54-26 | Oklahoma City, @Orlando |
| 3 | Chicago Bulls (Y) | 47-32 | @New York, Orlando, @Charlotte |
| 4 | Toronto Raptors (Y) | 46-33 | @Detroit, Milwaukee @New York |
| 5 | Brooklyn Nets (Y) | 43-36 | Orlando, New York, @Cleveland |
| 6 | Washington Wizards (Y) | 41-38 | Milwaukee, Miami, @Boston |
| 7 | Charlotte Bobcats (Y) | 40-39 | Philadelphia, @Atlanta, Chicago |
| 8 | Atlanta Hawks | 36-43 | Miami, Charlotte, @Milwaukee |
| 9 | New York Knicks | 34-45 | Chicago, @Brooklyn, Toronto |
Key Games
None really to speak of here. Atlanta boasts a two-game lead over New York for the eighth and final playoff spot, but they won’t match up with one another. In addition to that, New York who has to face three playoff teams in its final three games, has win out against them and hope that Atlanta loses out as well. That’s not a likely scenario here.
By virtue of Miami’s 98-86 win over Indiana on Friday night, LeBron James and Co. control their own destiny for the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and home-court advantage throughout. With road playoff games against two likely playoff teams, nothing is set in stone there. However, Indiana, who has lost 8 of 11, must defeat the Oklahoma City Thunder in order to even have a real chance for the top seed.
The divisions are already set here as well. Toronto boasts a three-game lead over Brooklyn in the Atlantic Division, but has already won the tie-breaker with a better record within the division. Unlike the Western Conference, everything is pretty much etched in stone outside of the top seed and a couple teams jockeying for positioning towards the bottom of the playoff standings.
Likely First-Round Matchups
1) Miami Heat vs 8) Atlanta Hawks
4) Toronto Raptors vs 5) Brooklyn Nets
3) Chicago Bulls vs 6) Washington Wizards
2) Indiana Pacers vs 7) Charlotte Bobcats
Photo: Jennifer Stewart, USA Today