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It’s a big night: The race for the West’s No. 1 seed and the best record overall in the league — meaning home court throughout — can be decided tonight. Plus, there are several meaningful games. Here is what you need to know.
Playoff Scenarios
• Oklahoma City can clinch the No. 1 seed in the West, and with that, the overall best record in the NBA, with a win tonight over the Clippers, or a San Antonio loss to Portland.
• Atlanta can clinch a playoff spot — and the Southeast Division Title, if people still care about division titles — with a win tonight, but that will not be easy to come by in Cleveland.
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Games to Watch
Minnesota Timberwolves at Orlando Magic (7 p.m. ET, League Pass)
This game matters more to Orlando than it does to Minnesota. The Timberwolves are essentially locked into the No. 6 seed in the West (which likely means a brutal first-round series with Denver). Orlando needs wins as it is in the middle of the Eastern Conference mash-up between No. 6 and 9, with 1.5 games separating teams from avoiding the play-in altogether to having to win two games just to make the playoffs. Every game, every win matters for those East teams, but this will be a tough one for the Magic, even if the Timberwolves are without Anthony Edwards.
Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers (7 p.m. ET, ESPN)
As noted above, a win in this game means the Hawks cannot fall back to the play-in, which speaks to just how big a leap this team has made this season by turning the reins over to Jalen Johnson and Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Cleveland could use the win, too, as it is just one game back of the Knicks for the No. 3 seed, although there is speculation the Cavs may be happier as the No. 4 seed, setting up a potential second-round showdown with Detroit rather than Boston (the 2/3 second-round matchup).
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Portland Trail Blazers at San Antonio Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN)
Victor Wembanyama is officially day-to-day but don’t be surprised if he sits this one out. The Spurs are not going to catch the Thunder for the No. 1 seed, and Wemby needs to play just one more game to reach 65 and qualify for postseason…
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/nba-playoff-scenarios-wednesday-april-153323260.html
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Publish date : 2026-04-08 15:33:00
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