There are only four games on Tuesday’s NBA schedule, but two of them have significant postseason implications for both teams.
In the East, the Orlando Magic visit the Cleveland Cavaliers (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), who have won three straight but still trail the New York Knicks by 2½ games for the third seed in the East. Orlando, meanwhile, has fallen into the play-in picture. The Magic enter Tuesday’s game in eighth place, 1½ games behind the sixth-place Atlanta Hawks.
The nightcap out west features the Phoenix Suns hosting the Denver Nuggets (11 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock). Denver is tied with Minnesota for fourth, a half-game ahead of Houston, with that trio of teams having opened up a significant cushion over the seventh-place Suns. ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI) gives the Suns less than a 3% chance of elevating out of the play-in, but doing so would almost certainly require a win Tuesday night.
For those looking at the opposite end of the standings, the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings are visiting the Charlotte Hornets. Doug Christie’s Sacramento squad has gone 5-5 in its past 10 games, allowing the Brooklyn Nets (losers of eight straight), Washington Wizards (16 straight) and Indiana Pacers (16 straight before Monday’s win) to pass the Kings for the league’s worst records. In their current position with the league’s fourth-worst record, the Kings would have only a 12.5% chance of landing the No. 1 pick in June’s draft.
Jump to a section:Current playoff matchups | Today’s scheduleMonday’s scores | Clinching scenariosProjected standings | Race for No. 1 pick
Current NBA playoff matchups
Eastern Conference playoffs
1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Atlanta Hawks4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Toronto Raptors
Eastern Conference play-in
7. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 8. Orlando Magic9. Miami Heat vs. 10. Charlotte HornetsLoser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Conference playoffs
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Houston Rockets4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves
Western Conference play-in
7. Phoenix Suns vs. 8. LA Clippers9. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 10. Golden State WarriorsLoser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Tuesday’s games
Sacramento Kings at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ETNew Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ETOrlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 11 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
NBA Playoff Challenge
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Monday’s scores
Pistons 113, Lakers 110Pacers 128, Magic 126Thunder 123, 76ers 103Spurs 136, Heat 111Hawks 146, Grizzlies 107Bulls 132, Rockets 124Raptors 143, Jazz 127Warriors 137, Mavericks 131 (OT)Trail Blazers 134, Nets 99Clippers 129, Bucks 96
Clinching scenarios
There are no clinching scenarios at stake in Tuesday’s games. The Cavaliers, Knicks, Nuggets and Suns have already clinched at least a postseason spot, but none have clinched a top-six playoff spot yet. The Kings have been eliminated from postseason contention. The Pelicans will be eliminated with a loss.
Projected end-of-season standings
Projected Eastern Conference Standings
Projected Western Conference Standings
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first four picks. All 14 teams that fail to make the playoffs are eligible to move up to the top four. After the order of the top four picks is set via the draw, the remainder of the first round is set in inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records. The three teams with the worst records each have an equal 14% chance of winning the lottery, with the odds for the non-playoff teams decreasing from there.
Among the projected lottery teams, there are multiple trades that could impact picks. The Atlanta Hawks will get the better of the picks from the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with the lesser of the two picks going to Milwaukee. If the Indiana Pacers’ pick falls between five and nine, it will go to the LA Clippers. The Utah Jazz will send their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top eight.
The Portland Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the lottery (if they make the playoffs through the play-in tournament). The Washington Wizards’ pick is top-eight protected, and the probability of their selection ending up ninth or worse is extremely low.
