Thursday night has a chance to have a postseason feel in the NBA, as 11 of the 12 teams in action will be playing beyond the regular season.
Fresh off going 15-2 in March, the Los Angeles Lakers visit the Oklahoma City Thunder, who were 14-1 last month. The game will feature a showdown between MVP candidates Luka Doncic, who recently received a ringing endorsement from his coach, JJ Redick, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who has decided to let his play do the talking.
In the early game of the national TV doubleheader, the Detroit Pistons host the Minnesota Timberwolves, looking to move closer to locking up the top seed in the Eastern Conference. Even with star Cade Cunningham sidelined, the Pistons have won six of their past eight games.
The Cleveland Cavaliers, who will clinch a playoff spot with a win Thursday, visit the Golden State Warriors, who got some good news with the return of Stephen Curry likely set to happen this weekend.
Here’s a look at the current and projected NBA playoff picture, the most important games left in the regular season and how the race for the No. 1 pick in June’s draft is shaping up:
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Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule | Friday’s scores
Critical remaining games
Projected standings | Race for No. 1 pick
Current NBA playoff matchups
Eastern Conference playoffs
1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Philadelphia 76ers
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks
Eastern Conference play-in
7. Toronto Raptors vs. 8. Charlotte Hornets
9. Orlando Magic vs. 10. Miami Heat
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Conference playoffs
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Houston Rockets
Western Conference play-in
7. Phoenix Suns vs. 8. LA Clippers
9. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 10. Golden State Warriors
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Thursday’s games
Suns at Hornets, 7 p.m. ET
Timberwolves at Pistons, 7 p.m. ET (Prime)
Lakers at Thunder, 9:30 p.m. ET (Prime)
Cavaliers at Warriors, 10 p.m. ET
Pelicans at Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET
Spurs at Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
Wednesday’s scores
76ers 153, Wizards 131
Hawks 130, Magic 101
Celtics 147, Heat 129
Knicks 130, Grizzlies 119
Kings 123, Raptors 115
Pacers 145, Bulls 126
Rockets 119, Bucks 113
Nuggets 130, Jazz 117
Spurs 127, Warriors 113
Most important games left
Projected end-of-season standings
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first four picks. All 14 teams that fail to make the playoffs are eligible to move up to the top four. After the order of the top four picks is set via the draw, the remainder of the first round is set in inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records. The three teams with the worst records each have an equal 14% chance of winning the lottery, with the odds for the non-playoff teams decreasing from there.
Among the projected lottery teams, there are multiple trades that could impact picks. The Atlanta Hawks will get the better of the picks from the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with the lesser of the two picks going to Milwaukee. If the Indiana Pacers’ pick falls between five and nine, it will go to the LA Clippers. The Utah Jazz will send their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top eight.
The Portland Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the lottery (if they make the playoffs through the play-in tournament). The Washington Wizards’ pick is top-eight protected, and the probability of their selection ending up ninth or worse is extremely low.