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The No. 8 Dallas Mavericks, No. 9 Los Angeles Lakers, No. 10 New Orleans Pelicans and No. 11 Oklahoma City Thunder hold identical 36-37 records after OKC’s loss to the Clippers on Thursday.
In tiebreaker scenarios that involve more than two teams, the nods, in order, go to the teams with the best aggregate head-to-head winning percentages against all teams involved.
Below is a comprehensive snapshot of where things stand in the Western Conference playoff and play-in races entering play on Friday. This post will update daily throughout the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are clinched.
Reminder on how the play-in tournament works: No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed.
READ: Eastern Conference playoff picture
NOTE: Our SportsLine model, developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and precise projections imaginable.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Projected seed: 1Current first-round matchup: TBDTiebreaker vs. Memphis: Nuggets have clinchedTiebreaker vs. Sacramento: Season series tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Nuggets lead season series 2-0 with two to playProjected seed: 2Current first-round matchup: vs. Timberwolves-Mavericks play-in winnerTiebreaker vs. Denver: Nuggets have clinchedTiebreaker vs. Sacramento: Kings currently own via conference recordTiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Grizzlies own via division leaderProjected seed: 3Current first-round matchup: vs. WarriorsTiebreaker vs. Denver: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Memphis: Kings currently own via conference win percentage Tiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Golden State: Warriors lead 2-1 with one to play
4. Phoenix Suns (38-34)
Projected seed: 4Current first-round matchup: vs. ClippersTiebreaker vs. Memphis: Grizzlies own via division leaderTiebreaker vs. Sacramento: Phoenix leads 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Golden State: Suns have clinched Tiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Suns lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Dallas: Suns currently own via conference win percentageTiebreaker vs. Clippers: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
5. Los Angeles Clippers (39-35)
Projected seed: 5Current first-round matchup: at SunsTiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Golden State: Clippers lead via division win percentageTiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clinched Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Mavericks currently own via conference recordTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans lead 1-0 with two to play
Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Jazz clinchedTiebreaker vs. Lakers: Clippers clinched
6. Golden State Warriors (38-36)
Projected seed: 6Current first-round matchup: at KingsTiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns have clinched Tiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Warriors lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Dallas: Warriors clinchedTiebreaker vs. Clippers: Clippers lead via division win percentageTiebreaker vs. Thunder: Warriors lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Lakers: Lakers clinchedTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Warriors clinched
Play-In Tournament
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (36-37)
Projected seed: 9Current first-round matchup: vs. Mavericks (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Golden State: Warriors lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Dallas: Wolves clinched Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: Wolves clinchedTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Wolves currently own via division recordTiebreaker vs. Lakers: Wolves clinched
8. Dallas Mavericks (36-37)
Projected seed: 7Current first-round matchup: at Timberwolves (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Oklahoma City: OKC clinchedTiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns owns via conference win percentageTiebreaker vs. Golden State: Warriors clinchedTiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clinched Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: Dallas currently owns via conference recordTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Dallas leads 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Dallas leads 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Lakers: Mavericks clinched
9. Los Angeles Lakers (36-37)
Projected seed: 8Current first-round matchup: vs. Pelicans (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: Clippers clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Lakers clinchedTiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clinchedTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Lakers clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Jazz lead 2-0 with two to playTiebreaker vs. OKC: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Portland: Blazers currently own via conference win percentage
10. New Orleans Pelicans (36-37)
Projected seed: LotteryCurrent first-round matchup: at Lakers (play-in)Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Pelicans lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Dallas: Mavericks lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Utah: Jazz clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Lakers clinchedTiebreaker vs. OKC: Pelicans clinchedTiebreaker vs. Portland: Pelicans clinched
Outside Looking In
Projected seed: 10Current first-round matchup: none, lotteryTiebreaker vs. Warriors: Golden State leads 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Dallas: OKC clinchedTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Utah: OKC leads 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Lakers: Tied 1-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Portland: OKC clinched
12. Utah Jazz (35-37)
Projected seed: LotteryTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Jazz clinchedTiebreaker vs. Lakers: Jazz lead 2-0 with two to playTiebreaker vs. OKC: Thunder lead 2-1 with one to playTiebreaker vs. Portland: Blazers lead 2-1 with one to playProjected seed: LotteryTiebreaker vs. Utah: Blazers lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Blazers currently own via conference win percentageTiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans clinchedTiebreaker vs. OKC: Thunder clinched
