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Yahoo Sports will keep you updated nightly on the NBA playoff race during the last two weeks of the regular season. Check back daily for the latest movement in the standings, what to watch for and teams securing their 2020-21 playoff berths.
Friday’s standings
Eastern Conference
1. Philadelphia 76ers (46-21)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (43-24, 3 GB)
3. Brooklyn Nets (43-24, 3 GB)
4. New York Knicks (37-30, 9 GB)
5. Atlanta Hawks (37-31, 9.5 GB)
6. Miami Heat (36-31, 10 GB)
Play-in tournament
7. Boston Celtics (35-32, 11 GB)
8. Charlotte Hornets (33-34, 13 GB)
9. Indiana Pacers (31-35, 14.5 GB)
10. Washington Wizards (31-36, 15 GB)
On the playoff bubble
11. Chicago Bulls (28-39, 18 GB)
11. Toronto Raptors (27-40, 19 GB)
Western Conference
1. Utah Jazz (49-18)
2. Phoenix Suns (48-19, 1 GB)
3. Los Angeles Clippers (45-22, 4 GB)
4. Denver Nuggets (44-23, 5 GB)
5. Dallas Mavericks (39-28, 10 GB)
6. Portland Trail Blazers (37-29, 11 GB)
Play-in tournament
7. Los Angeles Lakers (37-30, 12 GB)
8. Golden State Warriors (34-33, 15 GB)
9. Memphis Grizzlies (33-33, 15.5 GB)
10. San Antonio Spurs (32-34, 16.5 GB)
On the playoff bubble
11. New Orleans Pelicans (30-37, 19 GB)
12. Sacramento Kings (29-38, 20 GB)
Game of the night: Lakers slide into play-in tournament territory
It was only a matter of time based on their recent play but the Los Angeles Lakers are now the seventh seed in the West following Friday’s 106-101 loss to Portland. Anthony Davis was indeed healthy after playing only nine minutes in Thursday’s loss to the Clippers — logging 36 points, 12 rebounds and five assists — but it wasn’t enough for the LeBron-less Lakers. If LeBron James thought heads should roll for the play-in tournament concept, wait until we possibly get a Lakers-Warriors matchup with the loser needing a win in order to keep their playoff hopes alive.
That’s what the Lakers would be facing at the moment if the season ended today as the Trail Blazers’ win gives them the tie regular-season tiebreaker. Here’s what’s ahead of the Lakers and Trail Blazers down the stretch:
Lakers:
May 9: Phoenix
May 11: New York
May 12: Houston
May 15: @ Indiana
May 16: @ New Orleans
Trail Blazers:
May 8: San Antonio
May 10: Houston
May 12: @ Utah
May 13: @ Phoenix
May 16: Denver
Performance of the night: Bojan Bogdanović
Bojan Bogdanović was the latest Utah Jazz player to step up with Donovan Mitchell sidelined, scoring a career-high 48 points in a 127-120 win over the Denver Nuggets and making franchise history in the process:
Bogdanović is now averaging 32.8 points while shooting 64% from the field over four games in the month of May, helping lead the Jazz to a 4-0 record down the stretch as they attempt to secure the top seed in the West.
What to watch Saturday
Brooklyn vs. Denver (7:00 p.m. ET)
Saturday doesn’t get any easier for the Denver Nuggets after losing a close game on the road to the Utah Jazz with a slumping Brooklyn coming to town. Friday’s loss now leaves the Nuggets one game behind the Los Angeles Clippers in the fourth seed.
The Nets are in the middle of a four-game losing streak and now the third seed in the East following Milwaukee’s win over Houston. Brooklyn’s shot at catching Philadelphia and claiming the first seed is unlikely at this point, but the schedule will get easier during the last week of the season with the Nets closing the regular season at home against San Antonio, Chicago and Cleveland.
One last thing
Maybe it’s not the Lakers’ year after all:
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