Oklahoma City top seed in West
NEW YORK: The last day of the regular season finalised seeding for the NBA playoffs and playin tournament, the Oklahoma City Thunder earning the top seeding in the West and the playin set to begin tomorrow.
The eighthseeded Lakers will face the No 7 Pelicans in New Orleans, a familiar matchup after Los Angeles initiated that game by winning 124108 in New Orleans yesterday.
That win prevented the Pelicans from avoiding the playin tournament altogether.
The No 9 Sacramento Kings will host the 10thseeded Golden State Warriors later tomorrow.
On Thursday, attention turns to the Eastern Conference, as the No 7 Philadelphia 76ers host the eighthseeded Miami Heat.
The Sixers’ chances of grabbing a topsix seeding evaporated yesterday despite their 10786 win over the Brooklyn Nets, as the Indiana Pacers also won. The Heat have lost their past two games against Philadelphia.
The nightcap tomorrow will feature the No 10 seed Atlanta Hawks travelling to Chicago to take on the ninthseeded Bulls.
The Bulls won the season series 21, but the Hawks took the most recent contest, 113101, on April 1.
The winners of both 78 games will advance to the playoffs as No 7 seeds to face the Denver Nuggets in the West and the New York Knicks in the East.
On Saturday, the loser of MiamiPhiladelphia take on the winner of AtlantaChicago.
In the West, it will be the winner of Golden StateSacramento facing the loser of Los AngelesNew Orleans.
The NBA playoffs will begin on Sunday, the secondseeded Nuggets and Knicks hosting their respective series.
The Orlando Magic (No. 5 seed) and Cavaliers (4) will also begin their series in Cleveland, while the Minnesota Timberwolves (3) will host the Phoenix Suns (6) in game 1 of their series.
On Monday, playoffs continue when the Thunder play host to the West's final playin winner.
Oklahoma City earned the top seed in the West yesterday with its win over the Dallas Mavericks.
Those Mavericks, the fifth seed out West, travel to take on the fourthseeded Los Angeles Clippers.
The No 1 seed Boston Celtics will be hosting Saturday’s playin winner in the East, while No 6 Indiana play the No 3 Bucks in Milwaukee. — Field Level Media