Warriors Not Out of the Woods Yet; Lakers Still Fighting for Play In Spot
By Teodoro Medina Reynoso
PhilBoxing.com
Fri, 07 Apr 2023
With just two games left in their respective assignments ending the NBA regular season, at least five teams from the Western Conference are still fighting for the remaining two automatic slots in the playoffs and the four slots in the play-in.
Only the leading Denver Nuggets, the Memphis Grizzlies, the Sacramento Kings and the Phoenix Suns are assured of the first four places in the West.
The Los Angeles Clippers and the Golden State Warriors are currently tied with 42 wins and 38 losses at 5th and 6th but only the Clippers are assured of a higher finish in the event of a tie with the Warriors. But even then they have to win at least one of their two remaining games to be assured of that. Ditto with the Warriors who have to win one to nail the 6th slot and not fall to any complications with the four other teams trailing them.
The Los Angeles Lakers come next at 41-39 followed by the New Orleans Pelicans at 41-39, the Minnesota Timberwolves at 40-40 and the Oklahoma Thunder at 40-42. But would you believe that the Dallas Mavericks still has a shot also at 40-42?
Mathematically, those four later teams can still vie for the 6th spot vis a vis the Warriors if any of them could sweep their last two games and the Warriors drop theirs.
This is a distinct possibility as the Warriors wind up the season on the road, first against the Kings and then versus the also run Portland Trailblazers the coming days. The Warriors are not particularly at their best playing on the road where they are 9-33 this season.
The Warriors are likewise inferior to some of these teams talking of head to head series and in conference winning percentage.
At this late stage, there is also no prejudging the motivations of the Kings who though already assured of the 3rd place may want to prove who is really the better tram ahead of their playoff clash with the Warriors should Golden State eventually really grab 6th place. Likewise the Blazers who although already out of the running may want to go out in a blaze of glory with a win over the supposed defending champions.
The Warriors can still fall in the race for the final four slots (7th to 10th) who will figure in the sudden death for the 7th and 8th position in the playoffs. Under the new rule, the 7th and 8th position will play to determine the 7th placer with the loser playing the winner of the 9th and 10th position to determine the 8th placer who will meet the top finisher in the first round of the playoffs.
There is no relaxing for the Clippers too as they need to win one over either the Blazers at home or the Suns on the road to assure 5th place over the Warriors if they also win one of their two remaining games.
Meanwhile, the Lakers would also be in a stiff competition against the Pelicans, the Timberwolves, the Thunder, the Mavericks and possibly the Warriors for the higher finish for the play in posts.
The Lakers last two games would be against the Suns and the Jazz both at home. The Pelicans and the Timberwolves meeting in one of their last two would assure that one will drop down. The Thunder are slightly ahead of the Mavs who are in a must win situation against the Chicago Bulls (tall order as the Bulls are also out to improve further their ranking in the East) and the San Antonio Spurs both at home just for the possibility of a tie for the 10th and last slot in the West.
The author Teodoro Medina Reynoso is a veteran boxing radio talk show host living in the Philippines. He can be reached at teddyreynoso@yahoo.com and by phone 09215309477.
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