Sean Barnard dives into the NBA playoff picture and takes a look at the various playoff scenarios as the regular season concludes on Sunday.

The long grind of the NBA season is nearly complete with 81 of the 82 regular season games in the books for each team. There is still plenty at stake as all 30 teams take the court tomorrow to solidify the postseason picture. One conference’s playoff matchups are largely set in stone, but the other contains a down-to-the-wire race for all but the top three spots.

Eastern Conference

In the Eastern Conference, postseason seeds have already been decided.

The Cleveland Cavaliers ran away with the best record to claim the top spot, with the defending champion Boston Celtics right behind them in second. The New York Knicks will be the third seed and face the sixth-seeded Detroit Pistons in the opening round of the playoffs. New York holds -425 of winning the series on DraftKings Sportsbook while Detroit holds +330 odds of pulling off the series upset.

The Indiana Pacers are the fourth seed and face the Milwaukee Bucks in the opening round of the playoffs. Indiana holds -175 odds of winning that series on DraftKings Sportsbook while the Bucks hold +145 odds of moving on. Finally, the Magic, Hawks, Bulls, and Heat battle in the Play-In Tournament for the right to face the top two seeds.

Western Conference

Things are much more wide open in the Western Conference.

Oklahoma City ran away with the top seed and holds a massive 15.0-game lead over the Rockets, who enter the playoffs as the second seed. In addition, the Los Angeles Lakers managed to clinch the third seed by winning the Pacific Division with their 50-31 record.

At the bottom of the conference, the Memphis Grizzlies, Sacramento Kings, and Dallas Mavericks will each qualify for the play-in tournament with the other four seeds still up for grabs.

The top and bottom of the West are set, but the middle seeds each remain up for grabs. With all 30 teams playing on Sunday, the results of these matchups will decide the seeding and opponents for the Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves — each has plenty at stake.

Next up, we examine the stakes for the NBA’s final regular season games and the seeding outlook for each team in the mix for seeds No. 4-7.

Denver Nuggets Playoff Outlook:

The Denver Nuggets hold a 49-32 record and are currently the fourth seed in the Western Conference. They hold the same record as the Clippers and also are 2-2 in matchups against them. Denver holds the better conference record, which gives them the advantage in the standings.

While there is still plenty to figure out internally following the shocking late-season coaching change, the Nuggets’ outlook for Sunday is simple. They face the Houston Rockets, who already clinched and rested several starters on Friday night, which is an indication of what is expected for Sunday’s game. If Denver wins this matchup, they will clinch the fourth seed and host a playoff series for the sixth time in the past seven seasons.

Denver could technically fall to the Play-In Tournament in the worst-case scenario. If they lose to the Rockets, the Warriors beat the Clippers, and the Timberwolves beat the Jazz, then the Warriors, Clippers, Timberwolves, and Nuggets would each finish the season with a 49-33 record. The Nuggets have the worst head-to-head record with each of these teams and would fall to the seventh seed if this is how things play out. However, they control their own destiny and would be guaranteed a top-six seed with a loss by either Golden State or Minnesota and will remain the fourth seed with a victory.

Los Angeles Clippers Playoff Outlook:

With a record of 49-32 on the season, the Los Angeles Clippers have largely exceeded expectations. James Harden has been effective in keeping the team afloat and the organization has embraced a more defensive-minded approach. Kawhi Leonard has teased flashes of his old self and they must be taken seriously as a contender if he is physically right. They currently hold the fifth seed and close their season by facing the Golden State Warriors, who are in the same mix.

With a victory, the Clippers clinch the fifth seed and can move to the fourth seed if the Denver Nuggets lose. A loss by the Clippers would likely drop them into the seventh seed and force them to fight through the Play-In Tournament. The exception to this is if the Timberwolves lose to the Jazz or the Nuggets lose to Houston, but both enter as significant favorites. It also should be noted that due to the tiebreakers, the Clippers can’t fall to the sixth seed, so there will be no cross-town battle of Los Angeles against the Lakers in the opening round.

To put a positive spin on the worst-case outlook of falling to seventh, the Clippers’ playoff path may be to beat the struggling Memphis Grizzlies in the Play-In Tournament and then play the youthful Houston Rockets in the opening round. Their focus is surely on beating the Warriors and clinching a home playoff series, but the worst-case scenario for the Clippers would still have its perks.

Golden State Warriors Playoff Outlook:

The Golden State Warriors could have made their outlook much easier (and this whole situation simpler to understand) if they had taken care of business and defeated the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week. But, the Spurs pulled off the upset as 17-point underdogs, dropping the Warriors to 48-33 and increasing the stakes of their final matchup against the Clippers.

A victory over Los Angeles would ensure Golden State maintains a top-six seed while a loss likely drops them to the Play-In Tournament. The exception to this would be if the Warriors lose and the Timberwolves lose, which would keep them at the sixth seed. If Golden State loses and the Timberwolves win, the Warriors fall and will be hosting a Play-In Tournament matchup. It should be noted the Clippers are 3-0 against the Warriors on the season.

Minnesota Timberwolves Playoff Outlook:

Currently slated as the seventh seed, the Minnesota Timberwolves have shown signs of life in the final weeks of the season. Their playoff outlook has certainly improved with their increased level of play, but their matchup and path could change this. Minnesota faces the Utah Jazz on Sunday and controls their own playoff destiny with the matchup.

If the Timberwolves beat the Jazz, they would move into a top-six seed with the matchup between the Warriors and Clippers guaranteeing a loss by one of the teams ahead of them. They can move up to the fifth seed if the Warriors and Nuggets win, as well as if the Clippers win and Nuggets lose. In addition, Minnesota can move up to the fourth seed with a win over the Jazz, a Warriors victory, and a Nuggets loss.

If Minnesota loses to the Jazz, it will be locked into the Play-In Tournament. It could also drop to the No. 8 seed with a loss and a victory by the Memphis Grizzlies, who face the Dallas Mavericks. It should be noted the NBA has rescinded Anthony Edwards’ 18th technical foul that he picked up on Friday, meaning he will no longer be suspended for this matchup and the Timberwolves will have their full team available.

What the DraftKings Odds Say

It is not often that we have this type of tight playoff race to close out the season. With all games set to tip-off between 1:00 and 3:30 p.m. ET, it will be a mad dash to the finish line for the entire NBA.

Looking at the DraftKings odds, the Los Angeles Clippers hold -110 odds of falling to the Play-In Tournament. In addition, the Golden State Warriors hold +160 odds, the Denver Nuggets hold +700 odds, and the Minnesota Timberwolves hold +1300 odds.

The matchup between the Clippers and Warriors will be the most notable in this Western Conference race with the Warriors currently favored at -180 on the Moneyline. Los Angeles holds +150 odds on DraftKings Sportsbook with this matchup set to tip-off at 3:30 p.m. ET.