NBA Playoff Race: Key Western Conference Matchups on Friday’s Slate

The playoff picture is still being sorted out, especially in a tightly-contested Western Conference. The Thunder — No. 1 seed — and Rockets — No. 2 seed — have already clinched their positioning, but No. 3 through No. 10 is still up in the air.

Let’s take a look at Friday’s jam-packed slate of games, and highlight the most important matchups for playoff seeding purposes.

Rockets at Lakers (10:30 PM ET/7:30 PT)

The Lakers (49-31) have a chance to secure the No. 3 seed with a win in either of their last two games. With No. 2 already clinched, the Rockets are choosing to sit most of their rotation. Houston (52-28) will be without Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, Fred VanVleet, Dillon Brooks, Jabari Smith Jr., and Tari Eason in this one. That leaves top scorer Jalen Green with a few reserves. As LA will likely be at full strength, the Lakers should be able to take care of business at home — which will allow them to sit their regulars for the season finale in Portland on Sunday.

Grizzlies at Nuggets (9 PM ET/6 PT)

The Nuggets (48-32) host the Grizzlies (47-33) in arguably the most important game on the slate. Denver ended a four-game skid with a win in Sacramento last time out. Memphis is looking to quickly rebound after suffering a loss to Minnesota on Thursday. The Grizzlies allowed 52 points in a disastrous third quarter to the Timberwolves. Another loss would all but guarantee a spot in the play-in. Barring a major collapse from the Lakers (Denver technically can still earn the No. 3 seed), both the Grizzlies and Nuggets can fall anywhere between No. 4 and No. 8. Jamal Murray was upgraded to questionable for Friday’s matchup. He’s been out since Mar. 26 nursing a hamstring injury.

Clippers at Kings (10 PM ET/7 PT)

Two teams in California will battle for crucial positioning. For the Clippers (48-32), they have a chance to secure a top-4 seed and home court advantage. They’ll be keeping a close eye on the Grizzlies/Nuggets matchup. A loss for Denver in that game will allow the Clippers to control their own destiny. One of the hottest teams in the league recently, the Clippers will be looking for their 17th win in 20 games. On the Kings side, they’re playing for home court in the 9/10 matchup. Having already won the tiebreaker, they need just one win in their last two games to ensure the play-in game will be played in Sacramento.

Warriors at Trail Blazers (10 PM ET/7 PT)

Memphis’ loss last night was crucial for Golden State. The Warriors (47-33) regained control of their own destiny for a top-6 seed. It was a fortunate outcome for a Warriors team that suffered a devastating defeat to a short-handed Spurs team in their last game. Wins in their last two games will clinch a guaranteed playoff spot. They also still have a slim chance a top-4 seed, but would need both the Nuggets and Clippers to lose out.

Nets at Timberwolves (9 PM ET/6 PT)

The Timberwolves (47-33) are a team that none of the top seeds want to face. Minnesota is 15-4 over their last 19 games, and shellacked the Grizzlies in Memphis in their last outing. T’Wolves star Anthony Edwards poured in 44 points while Julius Randle added 31/10/5 in the victory. They’ll benefit from one of the softer schedules to close — vs. BRK (26-54), vs. UTH (17-63). Minnesota has the tiebreaker over the two teams currently 48-32 — Nuggets (4-0) and Clippers (3-1) — but not over the two 47-33 teams — Warriors (1-3) and Grizzlies (1-2).

Raptors at Mavericks (8:30 PM ET/5:30 PT)

Unless the Kings lose both of their final two games, the Mavericks (38-42) are likely stuck at the No. 10 seed. A loss in either of Dallas’ final two games will guaranteed their standing. They’ve lost three in a row and are 7-16 over their last 23. Hosting the Raptors on Friday, the Mavericks will try to shake off the emotions of Luka Doncic’s return to Dallas earlier in the week.