The situation in the NBA's Western Conference is getting weirder by the day.
The scenarios are endless for the Warriors and Kings, as well as the New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers, all of whom could compete for the final playoff seed, the No. 6 seed, or qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament (No. 2 seed). It's either a matter of competing for position. 7-10 seeds).
The Pelicans (47-32) currently hold the No. 6 seed, followed by the Suns (47-33), Kings (45-34), Lakers (45-35), and Warriors (44-35). (defeat) continues. Behind the play-in photo. But that could all change over the next four days.
All other seeding scenarios are possible for all five teams, with the exception of the Lakers and Warriors earning the No. 6 seed and the Suns falling to the No. 10 seed.
This means the No. 6 seed is still fair game for the Kings, but so is the No. 10 seed.
The Warriors have secured a play-in spot, but the path from the No. 10 seed to the No. 7 seed is not within reach.
Let's start with the Kings. The path to a guaranteed first-round berth in the playoff series will not be easy.If we win the last three games of the season and If the Pelicans lose their remaining three games, Sacramento will move into the No. 6 seed.
The Kings' first task will be Thursday night when they host the Pelicans at Golden 1 Center against a team they haven't won yet this season. This matchup hasn't been in the Kings' favor this season, but that's not to say it won't.
They will face Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the second half of the back-to-back on Friday. Sacramento won its first two games against Phoenix, but then dropped its most recent pair.
The final game of the regular season will be against the lowly Portland Trail Blazers (21 wins, 58 losses), who are ranked 14th in the West, just above the last place San Antonio Spurs.
New Orleans plays Sacramento, then plays Golden State and Los Angeles to close out the season. So the Kings' hopes of sneaking into that No. 6 spot aren't impossible, but things need to go exactly right for them to form.
However, if the Kings lose to the Pelicans and the Warriors beat the Blazers on Thursday night, the Kings, Warriors and Lakers would be tied at 45-35. Sacramento won both games in a tiebreaker. Both the Lakers and Warriors will need the Kings to lose two of their last three games and not lose their final contest to get past the Kings.
And of course, there's also the scenario where the Warriors and Lakers both win, the Kings beat the Pelicans and Trail Blazers but lose to the Suns, and the Suns lose to the Minnesota Timberwolves on Sunday.
If that happens, it would be a five-way tie between New Orleans, Sacramento, the Golden State Phoenix, and Los Angeles, 47-35.
Based on the first tiebreaker, the Suns would finish in 6th place, the Warriors in 7th, the Kings in 8th, the Pelicans in 9th, and the Lakers in 10th.
Phew. Did you understand everything?
And if, like many of us, you're more of a visual learner, here's a glimpse of the season's potential final outcome.
Brace yourselves, basketball fans. There's still a week until the playoffs, but his final three games of the regular season are must-see TV.
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