The 2015 NBA Playoffs are so close, we can already taste the two-day old pizza and tepid drinks as we close in on a marathon of opening-round games. Even with the top seeds in each Conference locked up, there are some insane battles going on in both conferences, with the middle tiers battling for home court and the fringe teams trying to squeak into the playoffs in the final two weeks.
Here are the top remaining games starting tonight and concluding at the end of the regular season on April 15. There are other games that are just as important, but these feature one or two teams battling it out for a higher seed, or simply a berth.
Now on to the nitty-gritty details about what the hell is happening and what’s at stake.
EASTERN CONFERENCE
(Games Back)
1. Atlanta
2. Cleveland (7.5)
3. Toronto (11.0)
4. Chicago (11.0)
5. Washington (14.0)
6. Milwaukee (19.0)
7. Brooklyn (21.5)
8. Miami (22.0)
9. Boston (22.0)
10. Charlotte (23.5)
11. Indiana (24.0)
As it stands today:
1. Hawks – 8. Heat
2. Cavs – 7. Nets
3. Raptors – 6. Bucks
4. Bulls – 5. Wizards
CLINCHED: Hawks have the top seed in the East; Raptors have won the Atlantic Division, meaning they’ll finish with no worse than a top-4 seed in the East (the three division winners and the next-best record clinch the top four seeds, but they are put in order of their record, so Toronto has won their division, but they could still be a 4-seed). The top five seeds, Atlanta, Cleveland, Toronto, Chicago and Washington have all clinched playoff berths.
UP FOR GRABS: Every seed from 2-11. The Pistons — at the 12-spot — aren’t mathematically eliminated, but they’re 5 games back of the Heat at No. 8, and they only have seven games left. Plus, Stan Van Gundy’s plan to get some ping-pong balls by trading for Reggie Jackson has largely worked.
There are various tiers to these battles with five teams looking to nestle in the 6-8 spots and four teams still figuring out where they’ll fall in the 2-5 spots.
FIRST TIEBREAKER: DIVISION WINNERS (* denotes division clinched)
Atlantic: Toronto*
Central: Cleveland
Southeast: Atlanta*
SECOND TIEBREAKER: HEAD TO HEAD RECORD
Cleveland over Toronto
Chicago over Toronto
Washington over Milwaukee
Toronto over Washington
Charlotte over Milwaukee
Milwaukee over Miami
Miami over Brooklyn
Boston over Brooklyn
Brooklyn over Charlotte
Miami over Boston
Brooklyn over Indiana
Boston over Indiana
THIRD TIEBREAKER: IN-DIVISION RECORD, ALREADY TIED HEAD TO HEAD (division record):
Milwaukee (7-8) and Indiana (7-8)
Washington (9-6) and Chicago (7-7)
Boston (10-4) and Charlotte (8-6)
FOURTH TIEBREAKER: IN-CONFERENCE RECORD (conference record)
Milwaukee (25-18) and Indiana (23-22)
Washington (26-19) and Chicago (28-16)
Boston (22-23) and Charlotte (24-21)
WHAT HAPPENS IF THEY’RE STILL TIED?
FIFTH TIEBREAKER – Better record against playoff teams in the East
SIXTH TIEBREAKER – Better record against playoff teams in the West
SEVENTH TIEBREAKER – Net total points (total points scored minus total points allowed)
BATTLE FOR THE 2-SEED (* denotes important games against other teams competing for the 2-seed)
The Cavs have a 3.5 game lead over the Raptors and Bulls and they’ve only got six games left. Toronto and Chicago each have seven left, and Sunday afternoon’s Bulls-Cavs game looms large. The Raptors don’t have any games left among the 2-5 spot, so as long as they keep winning, they’ll have a chance — so long as Cleveland stumbles. Toronto’s game tonight against the Nets has playoff implications for both teams.
(2) Cavs 49-27
Remaining schedule: Chicago*, at Milwaukee, Boston, at Boston, Detroit, Washington*
(3) Raptors 45-30
Remaining schedule: at Brooklyn, Boston, at Charlotte, at Orlando, at Miami, at Boston, Charlotte
(4) Bulls 45-30
Remaining schedule: Pistons, at Cleveland*, at Orlando, at Miami, Philadelphia, at Brooklyn, Atlanta
(5) Wizards 42-33
Remaining schedule: New York, at Memphis, at Philadelphia, at Brooklyn, Atlanta, at Indiana, at Cleveland*
BATTLE FOR THE FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT (* denotes important games against other teams competing for the final playoff spot):
Only five games separate the 6-seed (Milwaukee) and the 11-seed (Indiana). This is gonna be insane, as all five teams are alive and will be playing each in multiple affairs (see the bottom graph for the games with the most playoff implications in the season’s final two weeks)
(6) Bucks (37-38)
Remaining schedule: at Boston*, Orlando, Cleveland, at New York, Brooklyn*, at Philadelphia, Boston*
(7) Nets (34-40)
Remaining schedule: Toronto, Atlanta, Washington, at Milwaukee*, Chicago, Orlando
(8) Heat (34-41)
Remaining schedule: at Detroit, at Indiana*, Charlotte*, Chicago*, Toronto, Orlando, at Philadelphia
(9) Celtics (34-41)
Remaining schedule: Milwaukee*, at Toronto, at Detroit, at Cleveland, Cleveland, Toronto, at Milwaukee*
(10) Hornets (32-42)
Remaining schedule: at Indiana*, Philadelphia, at Miami*, Toronto, at Atlanta, at Detroit, Houston, at Toronto
(11) Pacers (32-43)
Remaining schedule: Charlotte*, Miami*, at New York, at Detroit, Oklahoma City, Washington*, at Memphis
WESTERN CONFERENCE
(Games Back)
1. Golden State
2. Houston (10.5)
3. Memphis (11.0)
4. Portland (13.5)
5. Los Angeles (Clippers) (12.5)
6. San Antonio (13.0)
7. Dallas (16.5)
8. Oklahoma City (20.5)
9. New Orleans (21.5)
10. Phoenix (24.5)
As it stands today:
1. Warriors – 8. Thunder
2. Rockets – 7. Mavericks
3. Grizzlies – 6. Spurs
4. Blazers – 5. Clippers (Clippers have the home court advantage)
CLINCHED: Warriors have the top seed in the West; The Rockets, Grizzlies, Blazers, Clippers and Spurs are all in the playoffs, but no division (except the Warriors in Pacific) has been clinched yet.
UP FOR GRABS: Every seed from 2-9. The Suns aren’t mathematically eliminated, but they’re 4.5 games back of OKC with eight games left to play after losing at the buzzer yet again last night.
FIRST TIEBREAKER: DIVISION WINNERS (* denotes division clinched)
Pacific: Golden State*
Northwest: Portland
Southwest: Houston
SECOND TIEBREAKER: HEAD TO HEAD RECORD (already decided)
Memphis over Dallas
Memphis over Portland
Portland over San Antonio
Portland over Houston
Dallas over New Orleans
Dallas over Oklahoma City
Los Angeles over Dallas
Los Angeles over Portland
New Orleans over Oklahoma City
Phoenix over Dallas
Oklahoma City over Phoenix
THIRD TIEBREAKER: IN-DIVISION RECORD, ALREADY TIED HEAD TO HEAD (division record)
Houston (7-6) and Memphis (8-7)
Houston (7-6) and Los Angeles (9-4)
San Antonio (6-7) and Memphis (8-7)
San Antonio (6-7) and Los Angeles (9-4)
San Antonio (6-7) and Dallas (7-9)
FOURTH TIEBREAKER: IN-CONFERENCE RECORD (conference record)
Houston (30-17) and Memphis (32-15)
Houston (30-17) and Los Angeles (31-15)
San Antonio (26-19) and Memphis (32-15)
San Antonio (26-19) and Los Angeles (31-15)
San Antonio (26-19) and Dallas (25-21)
BATTLE FOR THE 2-SEED: (* denotes important games against other teams competing for the 2-seed)
The 2-seed Rockets and the 6-seed Spurs are only separated by 2.5 games, which is just insane, and a testament to how brutal the Western Conference is going to be for the next month and a half. After Houston plays in Oklahoma City, they’ve got a home and home with San Antonio you gotta watch. Also, after hosting Denver, the Warriors visit San Antonio in what might be a meeting of the two finest teams in the conference — at least right now. There’s absolutely no predicting what the hell is gonna happen here, so anyone who sounds sure of themselves is too egomaniacal to waste your time listening to.
2. Rockets (52-24)
Remaining schedule: at Oklahoma City, at San Antonio*, San Antonio*, New Orleans, Charlotte, Utah
3. Grizzlies (51-24)
Remaining schedule: Oklahoma City, Washington, New Orleans, at Utah, at Los Angeles*, at Golden State, Indiana
4. Trail Blazers (48-26)
Remaining schedule: Los Angeles (Lakers), New Orleans, at Brooklyn, Minnesota, at Golden State, Utah, at Oklahoma City, at Dallas*
5. Clippers (50-26)
Remaining schedule: at Denver, at Los Angeles (Lakers), Los Angeles (Lakers), Memphis*, Denver, Phoenix
6. Spurs (49-26)
Remaining schedule: Denver, Golden State, at Oklahoma City, Houston*, at Houston*, Phoenix, at New Orleans
BATTLE FOR THE FINAL PLAYOFF SPOT:
The Suns are all but out after suffering losses to the Blazers and Warriors. They’ve lost five straight and it’ll take a miracle to get them in now. New Orleans and Oklahoma City are only separated by a game with seven games left for the Thunder and eight left for the Pellies. They both have brutal schedules as you can see, so — again — who the hell knows (certainly not the experts).
7. Dallas (46-30)
Remaining schedule: Golden State, Phoenix*, at Denver, at Los Angeles (Lakers), at Utah, Portland
8. Oklahoma City (42-33)
Remaining schedule: at Memphis, Houston, San Antonio, Sacramento, at Indiana, Portland, at Minnesota
9. New Orleans (40-34)
Remaining schedule: at Sacramento, at Portland, Golden State, at Memphis, Phoenix*, at Houston, at Minnesota, San Antonio
10. Phoenix (38-38)
Remaining schedule: Utah, at Atlanta, at Dallas*, at New Orleans*, at San Antonio, Los Angeles (Clippers)
***
This is gonna be insane, like the playoffs have come two weeks early. Buckle up and enjoy people, we know we will.
(video via Clutch Time)