One more day.
While the Eastern Conference playoff bracket is already officially set, the fate of seven Western Conference teams all comes down to Sunday—the final day of the 2024-25 NBA regular season.
All 30 teams will be in action to wrap up the season Sunday, and while a good chunk of games won't mean much to the playoff picture, a handful of contests will mean everything.
Over in the West, the top three seeds are decided but No. 4 through No. 8 are up for grabs. Additionally, the Sacramento Kings and Dallas Mavericks have yet to determine which team will host the No. 9 seed vs. No. 10 seed play-in tournament game.
Without further ado, here is what's at stake on the hardwood Sunday:
No. 1 seed: Oklahoma City Thunder (67-14)
The Thunder clinched the top seed in the West and home-court advantage throughout the playoffs by posting an NBA-best 67-14 record. They'll play the No. 8 seed to emerge from the play-in tournament and will look to advance past the Western Conference semifinals for the first time since 2016.
No. 2 seed: Houston Rockets (52-29)
Houston is locked into the No. 2 seed after notching a 52-29 record with a deep, talented roster that saw seven different players average double-digit points per game this season. The Rockets will likely rest most of their key players Sunday against Denver in what is a meaningless game to them but an important tilt for the Nuggets.
No. 3 seed: Los Angeles Lakers (50-31)
The Lakers clinched the No. 3 seed and their first Pacific Division title since the 2019-20 campaign with a 140-109 win over the Rockets on Friday night. The last time the Lakers won the Pacific Division, they went on to win the championship in the NBA bubble.
No. 4 seed: Denver Nuggets (49-32)
The task is simple Sunday for Denver: Beat the Rockets (who will likely rest their stars) and clinch the No. 4 seed. They can also secure a top-six spot with a loss by either Golden State or Minnesota. That would be a big relief for a franchise that shockingly dismissed its head coach and general manager with just three regular-season games to go.
No. 5 seed: Los Angeles Clippers (49-32)
The Clippers visit the Warriors at Chase Center in the most important game of Sunday's jam-packed slate. If they win, they'll clinch the No. 5 seed and can move up to the No. 4 seed if Denver falls to Houston. A loss to Golden State would drop Los Angeles to the play-in tournament unless the heavily favored Timberwolves lose to Utah or Denver drops one to Houston.
No. 6 seed: Golden State Warriors (48-33)
Steph Curry's trek to a fifth NBA championship can avoid the play-in tournament with a win over the red-hot Clippers at home. If the Warriors lose, they can still clinch the No. 6 seed if the Wolves fall to Utah. But if Golden State drops one to Los Angeles and the Timberwolves win, the Warriors will be hosting a play-in tournament game in San Francisco.
No. 7 seed: Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
Things were looking bleak earlier this week when the Wolves fumbled a 24-point fourth-quarter lead and lost to the Milwaukee Bucks, but Minnesota still controls its own destiny in the final day of the regular season. A win over the tanking Jazz would secure a top-six spot for Minnesota, and it can move into the No. 5 seed if the Warriors and Nuggets win, as well as if the Clippers win and the Nuggets lose. Minnesota can move all the way up to the No. 4 seed with a win over Utah paired with a Warriors win and a Nuggets loss.
A loss to Utah, however, would drop Minnesota back into the play-in tournament, and the Wolves could plummet to the No. 8 seed with a loss paired with a Grizzlies win. The Timberwolves received a big boost Saturday when the NBA rescinded Anthony Edwards's 18th technical foul of the season from Friday night, which nullified his pending one-game suspension, allowing him to play against Utah.
No. 8 seed: Memphis Grizzlies (47-34)
Memphis is stuck in the play-in tournament after dropping games to the Timberwolves and Nuggets on back-to-back nights, but it can move into the No. 7 seed and host a play-in game with a win over the Mavericks combined with a Minnesota loss.
No. 9 seed: Sacramento Kings (39-42)
One thing is certain: The Kings will play the Mavericks in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in tournament game. But where? Sacramento will host that game at Golden 1 Center if the Kings beat the Phoenix Suns on Sunday or if Dallas falls to Memphis.
No. 10 seed: Dallas Mavericks (39-42)
On the flip side, the Mavericks are stuck in the No. 10 seed unless they beat the Grizzlies and the Kings fall to Phoenix. But with all the "fire Nico!" chants heard these days at American Airlines Center, would Dallas even want to host a playoff game?
More NBA on Sports Illustrated
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Playoff Seeding Scenarios: What's at Stake in Western Conference on Sunday?.
