The NBA‘s final day of regular season play provided more than its fair share of intrigue, with playoff positions on the line right to the very last moment.
The days games provided two duelling clashes between teams jockeying for the all-important eighth seed in both the Eastern and Western Conferences. In the east, the Brooklyn Nets had to overcome the Orlando Magic in order to overtake the Indiana Pacers and sneak into the post-season, with the Pacers falling short against the Memphis Grizzlies to send their season packing.
Whilst over in the west, it was the New Orleans Pelicans who managed to hold on against a rampant San Antonio Spurs outfit and punch their playoff ticket, pipping the Oklahoma City Thunder who trounced the Minnesota Timberwolves, and shutting them out of the playoffs, despite OKC point guard Russell Westbrook stitching up the season’s scoring title in the process.
Meanwhile, seeding position within teams who were already playoff bound continued, with the Houston Rockets sewing up the second seed in the west on the back of a James Harden triple-double in their win against the Utah Jazz. And in the east, the Chicago Bulls stamped their playoff intentions by locking down the third seed after upending the highly fancied Atlanta Hawks, who still finish the regular season on top in the east.
So with all games now completed, the first round playoff matchups are set.
In the Eastern Conference, it will be the first seed Atlanta Hawks taking on eighth seeded Brooklyn Nets, number two seeds Cleveland Cavaliers clashing with the seventh placed Boston Celtics, third seeded Chicago Bulls against the sixth seed Milwaukee Bucks, and fourth seeds the Toronto Raptors clashing with fifth seeds the Washington Wizards.
As for the Western Conference, the league leading Golden State Warriors come up against the eighth placed New Orleans Pelicans, number two Houston Rockets face the number seven Dallas Mavericks, the third placed Los Angeles Clippers take on the sixth placed San Antonio Spurs in what’s looming as something of a blood bath, and the fourth placed Portland Trail Blazers butting heads with the fifth placed Memphis Grizzlies.
The NBA playoffs will begin this coming weekend, with best-of-seven game series kicking off on Sunday Australian time.
Get your League Passes ready, sports fans! It’s gonna be a wild ride.
Photo: Stephen Dunn via Getty Images.
