NBA Playoff Scenarios – 3 Days Until Season End

Only three (3) days left until the NBA playoffs. I took an Easter Sunday break yesterday on the playoff what-ifs, but we’re back! So what will the seeds be? Here are the possibilities (ranked in order of likelihood):


    East

  1. Cleveland Cavaliers
  2. Boston Celtics OR Orlando Magic
  3. Orlando Magic OR Boston Celtics
  4. Atlanta Hawks
  5. Miami Heat OR Philadelphia 76ers OR Detroit Pistons
  6. Chicago Bulls OR Philadelphia 76ers OR Detroit Pistons OR Miami Heat
  7. Philadelphia 76ers OR Detroit Pistons OR Chicago Bulls OR Miami Heat
  8. Detroit Pistons OR Philadelphia 76ers OR Chicago Bulls OR Miami Heat


    West

  1. Los Angeles Lakers
  2. Houston Rockets OR Denver Nuggets OR Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs
  3. Denver Nuggets OR Houston Rockets OR Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs
  4. Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs OR Houston Rockets OR Denver Nuggets OR New Orleans Hornets
  5. San Antonio Spurs OR Portland Trailblazers OR Denver Nuggets OR Houston Rockets OR New Orleans Hornets OR Dallas Mavericks
  6. New Orleans Hornets OR Dallas Mavericks OR Utah Jazz OR Portland Trailblazers OR San Antonio Spurs
  7. Dallas Mavericks OR Utah Jazz OR New Orleans Hornets
  8. Utah Jazz OR New Orleans Hornets OR Dallas Mavericks


    NBA Games Tonight with Playoff Implications:

  • Minnesota Timberwolves @ Dallas Mavericks
  • Chicago Bulls @ Detroit Pistons
  • New Orleans Hornets @ Houston Rockets
  • Los Angeles Clippers @ Utah Jazz
  • Sacramento Kings @ Denver Nuggets
  • San Antonio Spurs @ Golden State Warriors
  • Oklahoma City Thunder @ Portland Trailblazers


What happened yesterday and the day before?

In the East, the Orlando Magic stumbled into the #3 seed, which clinched the #2 seed for the Boston Celtics. We also got our first playoff matchup determined with the Miami Heat clinching the #5 seed and setting a date with the Atlanta Hawks. In the West, we still only have one spot determined with only 3 days left in the season. We now know that the New Orleans Hornets, the Dallas Mavericks and the Utah Jazz will take 6, 7 and 8 – but we aren’t sure of the order. Additionally, we now know that the Houston Rockets, the Denver Nuggets, the Portland Trailblazers and the San Antonio Spurs will take 2, 3, 4 and 5 – but, again, we aren’t sure of the order. In fact, within those two ranges there are no certainties. This makes for an exciting finish to the 2008-2009 NBA season.

Further reading:

  1. NBA Playoff Scenarios – 7 Days Until Season End
  2. NBA Playoff Scenarios – 6 Days Until Season End
  3. NBA Playoff Scenarios – 5 Days Until Season End