There is one week of NBA regular-season basketball left — next Wednesday, April 17 is the final day of games, then we get to focus on the playoffs. Right now teams are jockeying for playoff position — or in the case of the Lakers and Jazz a spot in the playoffs.
Which means a lot of games in the next week have implications. As a viewer’s guide, here are the potential impacts of Wednesday’s games.
Eastern Conference
Heat at Wizards: Miami’s magic number is one — one Heat win or one Spurs loss and they secure the best record overall in the NBA (they are currently 61-16). It might happen against the Wizards, although John Wall has Washington playing better of late. No Dwyane Wade or Chris Bosh for Miami.
Hawks at Sixers: Atlanta would much rather face Brooklyn in the first round than Indiana, but to do that they need to catch the Bulls for the five seed. The Hawks win this game and they move into a virtual tie with Chicago for that spot. Lose and they need to look over their shoulder at the seven seed Celtics — 1.5 games back of Atlanta. The seven seed gets the Knicks in the first round and that would be trouble.
Nets at Celtics: If Boston can get a win here and get some help from the Sixers, they could move within half a game of the six seed. The Nets are pretty locked into the four seed, three games up on the five-seed Bulls. Still, wins help them secure that spot.
Western Conference
Lakers at Trail Blazers: This is a virtual must-win for the Lakers — win and they have a one-game lead over Utah for the eighth and final playoff spot in the West; lose and they fall into a tie with the Jazz and Utah has the tiebreaker. The Lakers have nothing but games against playoff teams left, the Jazz have two against the Timberwolves. It’s a back-to-back and the Lakers still look shaky, but they need to find a way to win this.
Spurs at Nuggets: Denver is currently the three seed in the West, half a game up on Memphis. The Clippers look pretty locked into the four seed and can fall no lower as division champions. The team that is the three seed in the West gets Golden State in the first round (a young team that doesn’t play great defense), the five seed gets the Clippers (with Chris Paul and a deep roster). Win and they are a game up on Memphis, lose and they fall into a tie and make it possible even the Clippers could catch them.
Timberwolves at Clippers: The Clippers can be no lower than the four seed as division winners, but if the five seed (Memphis or Denver) has a better record the Clippers would still be the road team in the first round. Right now, the Clippers are 1.5 games back of the Grizzlies and two back of the Nuggets. Get a win and they are within a game of home court in the first round