NBA Western Conference Playoffs Viewer Guide: May 13

SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – There are four days left in the NBA regular season, and with the postseason fast approaching, every game has the potential to change the final seeding for the playoffs in the Western Conference.

With just a handful of games left for each roster, the top-10 teams in the West are almost set, even if their seeding is not.

With that in mind, and the understanding that each game will impact among these teams will affect the final standings, let’s look at the most important games left on the NBA’s regular-season schedule each of the four remaining nights.

(This list will be updated as games gain and lose importance to close the season)

Current Standings:

1. x – Utah Jazz: 50-20
2. x – Phoenix Suns: 48-21 – 1.5 games back
3. x – Los Angeles Clippers: 46-23 – 3.5 games back
4. x – Denver Nuggets: 45-24 – 4.5 games back
5. y – Portland Trail Blazers: 41-29 – 9 games back
6. y – Dallas Mavericks: 41-29 – 9 games back
7. y – Los Angeles Lakers: 40-30 – 10 games back
8. y – Golden State Warriors: 37-33 – 13 games back
9. y – Memphis Grizzlies: 36-33 – 13.5 game back
10. San Antonio Spurs: 33-36 – 16.5 games back
11. Sacramento Kings: 31-38 – 18.5 games back

x – Team has clinched an automatic playoff birth.

y – Team has clinched a spot in the West’s top ten.

Yesterday’s Games

Portland Trail Blazers: 105 @ Utah Jazz: 98

With the loss, the Jazz lead over the Suns for the number one seed in the Western Conference would drop to 1.5 games, the team’s magic number (any combination of Jazz wins and Phoenix Suns losses) to clinch the top seed in the West remains at two.

This was the Jazz final home game of the season and their final matchup against a team that will be playing in the playoffs or play-in tournament.

With the win, the Portland Trail Blazers hold onto the fifth seed in the West over the Dallas Mavericks by way of the tiebreaker and lead the Los Angels Lakers by one game with two games left to play.

This game is also a potential first-round NBA Playoffs preview.

San Antonio Spurs: 116 @ Brooklyn Nets: 128

With the loss, the San Antonio Spurs sit two games ahead of the Sacramento Kings with three games left to play.

New Orleans Pelicans: 107 @ Dallas Mavericks: 125

With the win, teamed with a Trail Blazers win, the Mavericks remain tied with the Trail Blazers in the standings but sit in the sixth seed behind Portland by way of the season tiebreaker.

With the New Orleans Pelicans’ loss, they are eliminated from postseason play.

Houston Rockets: 124 @ Los Angeles Lakers: 122

With the win, the Lakers stayed within one game of the Trail Blazers and Mavericks for the fifth and sixth seeds in the West.

The Lakers guaranteed they can fall no further than seventh in the final standings.

Tonight’s Games: May 13

Portland Trail Blazers: @ Phoenix Suns:

With a win, the Suns can trim the Jazz lead for the top spot in the West to just one game, with two games left to play.

With a win, teamed with a Los Angeles Clippers loss to the Charlotte Hornets, the Suns would clinch no worse than the second seed in the West.

With a Portland win, the Trail Blazers would eliminate the Lakers from being able to overtake them in the final standings and would take a half-game lead on the Mavericks for the fifth seed with one game left to play.

With a Portland loss, they would fall one half-game behind the Mavericks for the fifth seed and would own a half-game lead over the Lakers for the sixth seed.

This is the Suns’ final home game of the regular season.

This is the Trail Blazers’ final road game of the season.

This game is a potential first-round NBA Playoffs preview.

Los Angeles Clippers: @ Charlotte Hornets: 

With a win, the Clippers can maintain a one-game lead over the Nuggets regardless of the outcome between Denver and the Minnesota Timberwolves.

With a win, teamed with a Suns loss, the Clippers can move within one game of Phoenix with two games left to play.

With a loss, teamed with a Nuggets win, the Clippers could fall to the fourth seed with two games left to play. A loss, teamed with a Suns win would eliminate the Clippers from being able to climb higher than the third seed in the standings.

Denver Nuggets: @ Minnesota Timberwolves:

With a win, teamed with a Clippers loss to the Hornets, the Nuggets can overtake Los Angeles for the third seed.

With a loss, the Nuggets can climb no higher than the third seed in the West.

San Antonio Spurs: @ New Y0rk Knicks:

With a Spurs win, they would clinch the 10th and final seed in the play-in tournament, eliminating the Kings from contention.

With a loss, teamed with a Kings win over the Grizzlies, Sacramento would pull within one game of the Spurs for the 10th seed in the West with two games left to play.

Sacramento Kings @ Memphis Grizzlies: 

With a win, the Grizzlies would pull even with the Warriors in the standings.

With a loss, the Sacramento Kings would be eliminated from play-in tournament contention.

With a win, teamed with a Spurs loss, Sacramento would pull within one game of the Spurs for the final spot in the play-in tournament.

May 14

Utah Jazz: @ Oklahoma City Thunder:

The Jazz would need a win to maintain control of their own destiny should the Suns beat Portland on Thursday night.

Sacramento Kings @ Memphis Grizzlies: 

This is the Grizzlies’ final home game of the regular season.

With a Kings win, teamed with a win over Memphis on Thursday and a Spurs loss, Sacramento could still qualify for the play-in tournament.

This is the Kings’ final road game of the season.

Toronto Raptors @ Dallas Mavericks:

This is the Mavericks final home game of the regular season.

May 15

Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs:

This is the first game of a two-game series between the Suns and Spurs to close the season and a potential first-round NBA Playoffs preview.

May 16: Final Day Of The Regular Season

Utah Jazz: @ Sacramento Kings:

A potential seed clinching game for the Jazz.

Memphis Grizzlies @ Golden State Warriors:

A potential matchup of two play-in tournament teams.

Denver Nuggets @ Portland Trail Blazers:

A potential first-round NBA Playoffs preview.

Phoenix Suns @ San Antonio Spurs:

The second game of a two-game series between the Suns and Spurs and a potential first-round NBA Playoffs preview.