The race for the NBA playoffs is heating up by the day as the regular season enters its final three weeks. The Play-In Tournament kicks off on April 16th, followed by the main event which is the playoffs, on April 20th. While the playoff contenders are starting to separate themselves from the pack of the non-playoff ones, there’s still plenty of drama left to be unfolded in the West; amidst which the LA Clippers find themselves in deep after their recent loss to the Pacers.

With just a couple of weeks left, every win and loss matters. Seeding, home-court advantage, and avoiding the Play-In Tournament are all on the line. ESPN’s Brian Windhorst summed up the pressure on the LA Clippers who have very little room for error. “Being a play-in team in this season with where they’ve been with what they’ve got on the line, it’d be disaster.”

Windhorst further continues, “…and ending up playing the Lakers in a one-game playoff in the play-in to get into the playoffs and their last game potentially in Crypto would be a quadruple disaster.”

The LA Clippers are currently sitting pretty at the 4th seed with 44-27, but not too far away from the likes of the Dallas Mavericks (7th), Phoenix Suns (8th), Los Angeles Lakers (9th), and the Golden State Warriors (10th). Now, with the Houston Rockets (11) breathing down the Warriors’ neck, things are getting more intriguing by the second.

Wild Wild West Play-In

The Western Conference playoff race has become a real nail-biter. LA Clippers who were clinging onto a half-game lead over the New Orleans Pelicans (44-27) over a flurry of recent losses continue to fight a close battle after a 116-133 defeat against the Pacers.

The battle for the sixth seed is just as tight, with Phoenix (42-30), Sacramento (42-29), and Dallas (42-29) all separated by but one game. The Lakers (40-32) sit one game behind this pack, highlighting the brutal competition in the West. With only one team likely to bag a first-round bye, the rest face a major play-in tournament fight.

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The upcoming schedule throws another wrench in the mix. The Suns face a difficult week, while the Kings and Mavericks clash twice. This opens a window for Golden State (36-34) and a red-hot Houston (35-35). As far back as on March 1st, the Rockets were at a distant 12th place with a 25-34 record. Now, after 10 wins in 11 games, they’re just one game behind the GSW, rooting for the 10th seed and the final play-in spot. The pressure’s on Golden State as Houston is certainly trying to turn things around.

With roughly 10 to 12 games remaining before the playoffs, it’s the wild, wild west with the Clippers hanging on and the Warriors constantly looking over their shoulders, anything goes. Which teams do you think will be in the Play-In tournament? Share your thoughts in the comments below!

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