Nightly Playoffs Preview: Nets move back into 8th, Spurs making their move
Brad Penner / USA TODAY Sports
Every night from now through April 15, the end of the NBA regular season, theScore will bring you potential playoff matchups - and teams still in the mix to qualify - based on the final nightly standings.
Here's where things stand after March 31:
Eastern Conference
Matchup | Home | Visitor |
---|---|---|
1 vs. 8 | Z - Hawks | Nets |
2 vs. 7 | X - Cavaliers | Heat |
3 vs. 6 | X - Bulls | Bucks |
4 vs. 5 | Y - Raptors | X- Wizards |
- In the ever-changing East playoff race, the Nets leapfrogged the Celtics for the eighth and final spot with a 111-106 win over the Pacers.
- The Hawks lost in Detroit while playing their starters only 24 minutes each, but given their lock on the East's No. 1 seed, it's irrelevant.
- The Heat's loss to the San Antonio Spurs was expected, but it also dropped Miami to 40 losses, which matches the eighth-place Nets. The Heat are only one game clear of ninth-place Boston.
In the Mix
Team | Games Behind |
---|---|
Celtics | 0.5 |
Pacers | 1.5 |
Hornets | 2 |
Pistons | 4.5 |
- As noted, the idle Celtics fell out of a playoff spot thanks to Brooklyn's win. Boston will host Indiana on Wednesday, while the Nets will take on the Knicks on the second night of a back-to-back.
- The Pacers' loss in Brooklyn only has them 1.5 games back of eighth, but they're two games back in the loss column and saw the Nets claim the all-important season-series tiebreaker Tuesday.
- The Pistons will likely have to win-out to keep their postseason hopes alive, but beating the resting Hawks was better than the alternative.
Western Conference
Matchup | Home | Visitor |
---|---|---|
1 vs. 8 | Z - Warriors | Thunder |
2 vs. 7 | X - Grizzlies | Mavericks |
3 vs. 6 | X- Rockets | Spurs |
4 vs. 5 | X - Trail Blazers | X- Clippers |
- The biggest move in the West playoff picture on Tuesday night was barely noticeable. With the Clippers' loss to the cruising Warriors, L.A. fell a loss behind the Trail Blazers, which means Portland would now have home-court advantage in a potential first-round series.
- The Spurs continued their spring ritual of charging up the West standings, routing the Heat to move within a half-game of Portland and Los Angeles in the aforementioned quest for home-court advantage in the conference quarterfinals. San Antonio has won 14 of 17, seven of eight, and four straight.
In the Mix
Team | Games Behind |
---|---|
Pelicans | 2.5 |
Suns | 4.5 |