Take a bow, NBA schedule-makers.
The last day of the 2014/15 regular season has arrived. And it’s loaded with intrigue, with more than half of the games on the closing docket having some effect on the play-off picture.
Here’s just some of what will be decided Wednesday night:
– The fates of the New Orleans Pelicans, Oklahoma City Thunder, Brooklyn Nets and Indiana Pacers. Either New Orleans or Oklahoma City will be in as the West’s final play-off team, while Brooklyn or Indiana will be the final representative in the East.
– Seven of the eight first-round play-off matchups, with the lone one decided so far pitting Cleveland against Boston in a rematch of LeBron James’s last series with the Cavaliers before he left for Miami in 2010.
– Seeds for eight of the 16 post-season bound teams.
– The scoring title, though Russell Westbrook seems far enough ahead of James Harden to keep that in Oklahoma City and succeeding teammate Kevin Durant as the league’s points king. Assuming both play, Harden would have to outscore Westbrook by about 35 points to pass him in the race. If Westbrook wins, it’ll be the first time since 1952 and 1953 that one team had two different players win the scoring title in consecutive years.
Of course, that will be no more than an ancillary thought for the Thunder. Like plenty of other teams, they might find themselves doing some serious scoreboard-watching on Wednesday.
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Some storylines for closing night:
Seeds still not set: In the East, Atlanta (1), Cleveland (2), Washington (5), Milwaukee (6) and Boston (7) have their play-off seeds locked up. In the West, Golden State (1), Portland (4, but without home-court in the first round) and Dallas (7) know their bracket spots.
Everything else, still up for grabs.
West clutter: The defending champion San Antonio Spurs start the night No 3 in the West, and could rise to No 2.
They could also fall all the way to No 6.
It’s a mess in the West.
There’s obvious incentive for San Antonio to win at New Orleans. A Spurs win, they’re the No 2 seed. And they’ll be rooting for the Spurs in Oklahoma City, too.
The only way the Thunder – a team with so much talent and so much bad luck on injury fronts this season – will reach the play-offs is if San Antonio beat New Orleans and Oklahoma City win at Minnesota.
But don’t expect Westbrook to wear silver and black.
“I ain’t got to root for nobody,” Westbrook said. “Ain’t no Spurs fan.”
Houston could get the No 2 seed if they beat Utah and the Spurs lose. The Rockets could also finish fifth or sixth.
The Los Angeles Clippers – whose season is over at 56-26, and who start the night in the No 2 spot – will have no worse than the No 3 seed. If the Spurs and Rockets both lose, the Clippers stay at No 2.
Memphis will be No 5 or No 6, and either New Orleans or Oklahoma City will be No 8. If the Pelicans win or the Thunder lose, New Orleans are in, Oklahoma City out.
East picture: It's a little clearer in the East.
The top-seeded Atlanta Hawks will play either the Pacers or Nets. If Indiana beat Memphis, they’re the No 8 seed. If the Pacers lose and the Nets win, then Brooklyn get the last spot.
Cleveland get Boston. That’s done.
The Chicago Bulls would be the No 3 seed if they beat the Hawks, or No 4 if they lose and the Raptors top the Hornets.
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