The Dallas Mavericks’ Chandler Parsons’ knee injury and the Chicago Bulls’ bellyflop against a weak schedule have forced these two teams out of the playoff picture heading into the final two-and-a-half weeks of the regular season.
Lottery Locks
1. Philadelphia 76ers (9-65) Eight opportunities to avoid tying the worst record in NBA history.
2. Los Angeles Lakers (15-58) L.A. has a 55.8 percent chance of keeping its first-round pick.
3. Phoenix Suns (20-53) Devin Booker is a baby-faced assassin. If he’s off the court, change the channel or go get a hot dog.
4. Brooklyn Nets (21-51) Will Joe Johnson and Miami end the Nets’ two-game winning streak on Monday? Does it even matter?
5. Minnesota Timberwolves (24-49) Karl-Anthony Towns is a top-10 player next year—hands down. Zach LaVine is out here setting fire to the Wizards’ playoff hopes.
6. New Orleans Pelicans (26-46) If the Pelicans wind up with Timothy Luwawu or Buddy Hield, this season might be considered a success.
7. Sacramento Kings (29-44) The Kings have won two in a row. They haven’t reached 30 wins since 2007-08. Progress?
8. New York Knicks (30-44) Kristaps Porzingis is giving the fans a few final memories heading into a long summer without a first-round draft pick.
9. Milwaukee Bucks (30-44) Losers of five in a row, the deer do not fear the tank.
10. Orlando Magic (30-43) Victor Oladipo and Nikola Vucevic are injured, and the team has been mathematically eliminated from the playoff conversation.
11. Denver Nuggets (31-43) Daniel Coughlin’s dose of optimism spins the Nuggets into the playoffs.
Playoff Race
West
6. Portland Trail Blazers (38-36) A near blunder against the 76ers on Saturday could have cost them, but C.J. McCollum saved the squad. It’s rough sledding this week, with games against Sacramento, Boston, Miami, and Golden State.
7. Utah Jazz (36-37) Having won seven of the last 10, the Jazz have a good chance to go 3-1 this week with matchups against the Lakers, Warriors, Timberwolves, and Suns.
8. Houston Rockets (36-38) Houston’s nonchalant defense could confuse the Warriors for a quarter or two, but there’s going to be so much blood if they draw Golden State in round one.
9. Dallas Mavericks (35-38) Without Chandler Parsons (knee) for the remainder of the season, Dirk Nowitzki needs to lead his team to a 3-1 week against the Nuggets, Knicks, Pistons, and Timberwolves.
East
7. Indiana Pacers (39-34) A win on Tuesday versus the Bulls means you can essentially pencil the Pacers into the playoff field.
8. Detroit Pistons (39-35) The wrath of Russell Westbrook awaits Reggie Jackson in Oklahoma City on Tuesday, and the Pistons have a tough road ahead. Still, the Bulls looked awful last week, and it might not take much more winning for Detroit to secure a playoff spot.
9. Chicago Bulls (36-36) After three straight losses during what was supposed to an easy week, this team appears to be packing it in. A five-game slate is on the docket, with bouts versus the Hawks, Pacers, Rockets, Pistons, and Bucks. A 3-2 week in which they beat the Pacers and Pistons keeps Chicago’s playoff hopes alive.
10. Washington Wizards (36-37) Zach LaVine sent a serious dagger into the team’s playoff hopes on Friday by sinking a seemingly endless string of threes. With the Warriors, Suns, Kings, and Clippers on tap this week, the Wizards probably need to pull of a 3-1 week in order to remain relevant in the postseason race.
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