Final Playoff Teams and Gameplay Crossovers
How things have changed in the Western Conference lately! As we have long predicted, the last day of the regular season brought us not only emotions, but also a turnaround in some key positions in the standings; so much so that a new first classification was created and another team moved from the playoffs to the play-in. We explain this.
One of the biggest beneficiaries of this final day’s results is the Oklahoma City Thunder. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander’s team destroyed the Dallas Mavericks, who showed up resting all their important players and suggested their battle was just another battle; so much so that the final score was a devastating 135–86.
With minimal effort – because it was – OKC is in first place in the West thanks to the Phoenix Suns playing one of their best games of the 2023-24 season against the Minnesota Timberwolves on the final day. The Arizonans dominated the Wolves from start to finish, snatching the sixth seed from the New Orleans Pelicans and sending them into the game. And that’s not all, as in the process they forced the Minneapolis team, who would have been in first if they won, to drop to third to face the Suns in the first round.
If Kevin Durant and Devin Booker did much to turn the West standings around on the final day, the Lakers did just as much in that direction. As happened in the NBA Cup semifinals, the Angelenos swept the Louisiana players, leading them to seventh place and helping the Suns in the process. By the way, they will see each other again in the play-in.
As for the rest of this final day, the Sacramento Kings had little to gain from a win against the Portland Trail Blazers as the rest of their results kept them out of ninth place. The Golden State Warriors found themselves in the same situation, whose match with the Utah Jazz turned out to be completely insignificant.
First final pairs
While we already knew before this final day that the Los Angeles Clippers would face the Dallas Mavericks in the first round, it has now also been confirmed that the Minnesota Timberwolves will face the Phoenix Suns. As for Oklahoma, which entered the Western Conference for the first time, it will have to wait for an opponent from the four participating in the play-in. Finally, Denver will face the winner of the Pelicans-Lakers matchup. As for the play-in matchups, the loser of the Lakers-Pelicans matchup will face the winner of the Kings-Warriors to determine who takes the final ticket in the West. This is what it will look like:
– Oklahoma (1) vs. Pelicans, Lakers, Kings or Warriors (8)
– Nuggets (2) vs. Pelicans or Lakers (7)
– Timberwolves (3) vs. Suns (6)
– Clippers (4) vs. Mavericks (5)
(Photo by David Berding/Getty Images)