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Craig Lassig/Associated Press
There are less than two weeks remaining in the 2021-22 NBA season.
This is when teams smash the turbo button to sprint through what’s left of the stretch run in hopes of snagging optimal position for the postseason.
That may be more true now than ever, as teams led by generational greats LeBron James and Kevin Durant appear bound for the Play-In Tournament, meaning they can’t climb higher than the No. 7 seed in their respective conference.
With plenty of jostling still to come, let’s take a glance at the bracket and seedings as of Sunday’s results before predicting which teams are likely to finish the season with a different seed than they currently hold.
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Joe Murphy/Getty Images
Eastern Conference
1. Boston Celtics: 47-28
2. y-Miami Heat: 47-28
3. Milwaukee Bucks: 46-28
4. Philadelphia 76ers: 46-28
5. Chicago Bulls: 43-31
6. Toronto Raptors: 42-32
7. Cleveland Cavaliers: 41-33
8. Charlotte Hornets: 39-36
9. Brooklyn Nets: 39-36
10. Atlanta Hawks: 37-37
11. New York Knicks: 33-42
12. Washington Wizards: 32-42
13. e-Indiana Pacers: 25-50
14. e-Detroit Pistons: 20-55
15. e-Orlando Magic: 20-55
Western Conference
1. b-Phoenix Suns: 61-14
2. x-Memphis Grizzlies: 52-23
3. Golden State Warriors: 48-27
4. Dallas Mavericks: 46-29
5. Utah Jazz: 45-30
6. Denver Nuggets: 44-31
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 43-33
8. Los Angeles Clippers: 36-39
9. New Orleans Pelicans: 32-43
10. Los Angeles Lakers: 31-43
11. San Antonio Spurs: 30-44
12. Portland Trail Blazers: 27-47
13. Sacramento Kings: 27-48
14. e-Oklahoma City Thunder: 21-53
15. e-Houston Rockets: 20-55
b-clinched best league record
y-clinched division
x-clinched playoff berth
e-eliminated from playoff contention
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Garrett Ellwood/Getty Images
Eastern Conference
No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Seed
No. 4 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 5 Chicago Bulls
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Toronto Raptors
No. 2 Miami Heat vs. No. 7 Seed
Play-In Matchups
No. 7 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Charlotte Hornets
No. 9 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. 10 Atlanta Hawks
Western Conference
No. 1 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 8 Seed
No. 4 Dallas Mavericks vs. No. 5 Utah Jazz
No. 3 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 6 Denver Nuggets
No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Seed
Play-In Matchups
No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers
No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans vs. No. 10 Los Angeles Lakers
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Justin Ford/Getty Images
The way our crystal ball sees it, the 20 teams in current possession of playoff or Play-In Tournament spots are the 20 who will fill them after this season. That sounds bolder than it is, though. The Spurs are the only team with a realistic chance of escaping the lottery, but the state of their rebuild says the lottery is right where they should be.
Plus, so long as LeBron James’ ankle injury is nothing major, it’s hard to see him letting the Lakers drop out of the Play-In.
Where should fans expect to see movement? The top of the East is the most obvious place to start, since there’s only a half-game difference between the Nos. 1 and 4 seeds. Based on recent trends, the Celtics are likeliest to stick at No. 1, the Bucks have a great shot at climbing to No. 2 and the Heat and 76ers could hold down the Nos. 3 and 4 spots, respectively.
The Raptors have a good chance of holding off the Cavaliers for the No. 6 spot, while the Nets feel likely to leapfrog the Hornets for the No. 8 spot. Yes, Charlotte snagged the tiebreaker by beating Brooklyn on Sunday, but the Nets close with a softer schedule, and their outlook brightened immensely once Kyrie Irving was allowed to play in home games.
Out West, the top two seeds aren’t changing, but the third just might. The Mavericks are playing better basketball than the Warriors, who are 1-4 since losing Stephen Curry to a foot injury. Dallas also faces easier competition the rest of the way.
The fifth-seeded Jazz aren’t inspiring much confidence amid a four-game losing skid, but the Nuggets and Timberwolves aren’t exactly rolling either. A bold prediction of Minnesota jumping a spot or two wouldn’t be the worst call to make, but it feels like all three teams will wind up staying in their current spots.
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