The NBA playoff picture is yet to be defined. This means some fans will have to wait until Thursday, the final day of the regular season, to find out if they will be celebrating after entry to the playoffs, sobbing because they didn't make it to the playoffs or upset because their team lost the higher seed and has to play a tougher team possibly impeding them from advancing further into the 2013 NBA Playoffs. Here are those teams that have to win in order for things to remain the way they are right now.
The Golden State Warriors won on Monday after defeating the San Antonio Spurs. After an Oklahoma City Thunder victory on Monday evening, the Spurs are now in second place, while the Warriors moved up to sixth place with their victory. Thanks to the Phoenix Suns defeating the Houston Rockets, the Warriors have a chance to clinch the sixth seed and face off against the Denver Nuggets (3).
The Los Angeles Lakers are still fighting for the final spot in the West as the Utah Jazz trail by just a game. The Lakers control their own destiny, win on Wednesday and they are in the playoffs. A Laker loss with a Jazz loss also gets them into the playoffs, but a Laker loss and a Jazz win will eliminate L.A. from contention. The odds are in favor of the Lakers, but they face the seventh seeded Rockets, whom they've only beat once this season and they'll be without Kobe Bryant. The good news is that the Lakers are playing with a sense of urgency winning four consecutive games.
The interesting thing to note is that if the Lakers beat the Rocket, they'd have the same record and their series would be tied 2-2. Meanwhile, the Lakers own the better conference record, meaning, the Lakers could get a hold of the seventh seed in the West.
Over in the East, the Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are battling for that fifth seed. The Hawks are up half a game in the standings, while the Bulls, who won their game against the Orlando Magic on Monday, await the Hawks will win their game on Tuesday when they play the Toronto Raptors. This race for the fifth spot in the East is vital because the Indiana Pacers (3) and the Brooklyn Nets are awaiting their playoff opponents and everything looks settled in the East.
Now here is what the playoff picture looks like as the postseason is now just four days away and begins Saturday, Apr. 20.
WEST
Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. Los Angeles Lakers (8)
San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. Houston Rockets (7)
Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Golden State Warriors (6)
Los Angeles Clippers (4) vs. Memphis Grizzlies (5)
EAST
Miami Heat vs. Milwaukee Bucks
New York Knicks vs. Boston Celtics
Indiana Pacers vs. Chicago Bulls
Brooklyn Nets vs. Atlanta Hawks
These aren't official playoff matchups, this is what the possible matchups would look like if the standings were to remain the same after Thursday's season finale.