The Bucks and Celtics are coming down to the wire in their chase for the No. 1 seed in the East.
The end of the regular season is quickly approaching. Here’s a look at what to watch for every team in the final week of the NBA’s regular season:
Atlanta Hawks
Four games remain with playoff implications on the line for a team with a new coach in Quin Snyder that is sure to make offseason changes. So in essence, this week serves as somewhat of an audition for 2023-24. Is this the last time we’ll see Trae Young donning a Hawks jersey? Will the team sign new addition Dejounte Murray to an extension before next season, the final year of his current deal? A solid push to the playoffs this week goes a long way toward setting up Snyder’s first full season in Atlanta.
Boston Celtics
Within striking distance of the Milwaukee Bucks for the top seed in the East, Boston faces a key test Tuesday in Philadelphia that could play a role in laying the foundation for an easier postseason road. The Celtics captured the tiebreaker over Milwaukee on Thursday by virtue of a 140-99 shellacking of the Bucks on their home floor. Despite already owning the tiebreaker over the Sixers, it’s likely the Celtics go for it on Tuesday in a game that features a pair of Kia MVP candidates in Jayson Tatum and Joel Embiid.
Brooklyn Nets
Credit Jacque Vaughn for navigating a wave of turmoil in leading the Nets to the postseason, despite myriad distractions ranging from taking over as coach in November and the trades of Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving, to implementing new pieces after the trade deadline. Brooklyn should maintain its hold on the sixth seed with a closing schedule that includes winnable matchups with Detroit and Orlando. But an early playoff exit seems imminent. After that, the club needs to figure out what to do with Ben Simmons, who has two years remaining on his contract worth $78.1 million.
Charlotte Hornets
The lottery-bound Hornets were eliminated from the playoff picture long ago, so it’s now time to play the postseason spoiler role. After official elimination on March 18, Charlotte pulled off four wins in five outings against playoff hopefuls, with two victories coming against Dallas, one against Indiana and another against Oklahoma City. The team’s next opportunity against a postseason-bound opponent comes Tuesday at home against Toronto (7 ET, NBA League Pass), which clinched a Play-In Tournament berth on Sunday. Will the injured P.J. Washington return this week to continue his tear ahead of hitting restricted free agency this summer?
Chicago Bulls
The Bulls should scrap their way into the Play-In Tournament, but the upcoming schedule is a gauntlet. It starts off on Tuesday against Atlanta, which is followed by a road game at Milwaukee on the second night of a back-to-back set (7:30 ET, ESPN). Next, Chicago travels to Dallas for a matchup against the underachieving Mavericks, before closing at home against Detroit. The Bulls likely won’t last long in the playoffs if they advance beyond the Play-In Tournament. Soon it will be time to turn attention to a roster that features 10 pending free agents with four players — DeMar DeRozan, Lonzo Ball, Patrick Williams and Marko Simonovic — set to enter the final year of their contracts in 2023-24.
Cleveland Cavaliers
Firmly entrenched as the No. 4 seed, the Cavaliers have three games against lottery-bound squads left on the schedule. Cleveland owns a large enough lead over the teams behind it in the standings that it should be able to rest a few players down the stretch, which would benefit banged-up starters such as Jarrett Allen (groin) and Isaac Okoro (knee), ahead of a likely first-round series against the New York Knicks. The team’s impressive home record should help tremendously in the opening round.
Dallas Mavericks
From an appearance in the Western Conference finals in 2022 to fighting for a berth in the Play-In Tournament, the Dallas Mavericks would admit disappointment about this season. Matchups against Sacramento and Chicago await on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before the April 9 regular-season finale vs. San Antonio. It’s looking increasingly unlikely — especially after Sunday’s overtime loss at Atlanta — that the Mavs can claw their way into the Play-In Tournament. The team also faces difficult decisions this offseason, chiefly the fate of unrestricted free agent Kyrie Irving. Do they sign him to a big-money multi-year deal … or let him walk for nothing in the offseason? Pay extra close attention to how Irving vibes with franchise superstar Luka Doncic in the season’s final week.
Denver Nuggets
Having taken care of business quickly, Denver plays its next three games against a trio of teams (Houston, Phoenix and Utah) who have no chance of catching the Nuggets in the standings. And No. 2 seed Memphis — sitting three games behind — closes with three road outings, including consecutive contests at New Orleans and Milwaukee. With the Nuggets holding firm at No. 1 in the West, Thursday’s TNT matchup at Phoenix (10 ET) means more to the Suns than the visitors. Key players could see limited minutes because Denver will prioritize health going into the playoffs if its No. 1 seed isn’t in jeopardy, as a handful of key cogs are nursing minor ailments.
Will Nuggets star Nikola Jokic (right) opt to play or rest down the stretch of the 2022-23 season?
Detroit Pistons
The Pistons haven’t won two in a row since November, and don’t count on them doing it over these next four games against Miami, Brooklyn, Indiana and Chicago. Now’s the time to dream about the future, and it looks fairly bright with rookies Jaden Ivey and Jaden Duren. So, take advantage of the last few glimpses you’ll see of those players in 2022-23 before officially embarking on Victor Wembanyama watch. Can you imagine teaming the towering Frenchman with Cade Cunningham?
Golden State Warriors
No coasting down the stretch for the defending champions, who are fighting to stay out of the Play-In Tournament with two remaining road games for a team owning the worst record away from home among the remaining playoff hopefuls. While the Warriors scratch and claw for an opportunity to defend their title, they’ll continue to await the return of Andrew Wiggins, who has been out since mid-February working through a private issue. Coach Steve Kerr hasn’t ruled out a Wiggins return, and that’s a situation worth monitoring this final week because his presence is a positive for Golden State’s postseason success.
Is Golden State starting to show its championship mettle at the right time?
Houston Rockets
The No. 3 overall pick in 2022, Jabari Smith Jr. continues to grow as the losses pile up for the Rockets. So enjoy your last chance to watch Smith before next season as Houston’s focus will soon turn towards its continued rebuild into the Draft and an important 2023 offseason that should be interesting (considering the Rockets’ cap room will be plentiful). The Rockets will miss the postseason for the third consecutive season after a run of eight straight playoff berths from 2012-20. Fair or not, the future of coach Stephen Silas will be a topic of discussion, even though the team and coach have reportedly held promising talks up to this point.
Indiana Pacers
Indiana’s recent downward trajectory knocked it out of contention for a potential Play-In Tournament appearance. But when Boston clinched its postseason berth, it guaranteed the Pacers would receive a first-round pick from the 2022 offseason transaction that moved Malcolm Brogdon to the Celtics. Indiana owns two first-round picks in the 2023 NBA Draft and given its projected cap space, the club could choose to be aggressive this offseason in building around All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton. Coach Rick Carlisle has already indicated Haliburton and Myles Turner could be done for the season. That means keep an eye this week on promising rookies Andrew Nembhard and Bennedict Mathurin.
LA Clippers
The battle of L.A. looms large Wednesday on ESPN (10 ET), as this one drips in drama with Russell Westbrook facing his former team for the first time since joining the Clippers after the trade deadline. Adding to that is the seeding implications for a couple of teams scratching to finish among the top six in the West. Paul George (knee) isn’t expected back in the lineup until sometime during the playoffs, so the Clippers won’t be at full strength for the rest of the regular season. A driven Westbrook should be must-see TV down the stretch, but you should also pay close attention to the game-to-game availability of superstar Kawhi Leonard, who has spent all season working through various playing time restrictions in his return from a torn ACL suffered during the 2021 playoffs.
Los Angeles Lakers
After the matchup against the Clippers, the Lakers play another game on NBA TV Friday at home against the Phoenix Suns (10:30 ET). It’s a formidable task given that Devin Booker and new addition Kevin Durant have combined for the most points by a duo in their first five games as teammates since 1962-63. Anthony Davis sprained his left ankle Friday at Minnesota and considering the big man’s history (coupled with the team’s need to pile up wins), we should be paying close attention. Can this overhauled team get to the postseason, where it’s capable of beating most of its potential foes? Can the banged-up Davis and 38-year-old LeBron James hold up health-wise to be able to lead the Lakers in two critical outings Wednesday and Friday against the Clippers and Suns? We’ll be watching.
With a fully revamped and now healthy roster, the Lakers' two-way potential is becoming apparent.
Memphis Grizzlies
As good as they’ve been as of late, the second-seeded Grizzlies could wind up falling to No. 3 if they don’t take care of business during a difficult, season-ending three-game stretch on the road. Memphis plays a trio of teams in the thick of the playoff hunt in New Orleans, Milwaukee and Oklahoma City with a clash against the Bucks set for Friday on NBA TV (8 ET). By then, both teams’ postseason seeds could be set, which would make for an opportunity to rest key players. Teams often discuss the desire to be playing at their best going into the postseason, but the Grizzlies seem to be actually doing it. See for yourself over this last week.
Miami Heat
The scrappy Heat dispatched Dallas on Saturday to maintain its position in the Eastern Conference standings. The club would like to catch Brooklyn to avoid the Play-In Tournament and might have a legitimate shot considering three of Miami’s last four opponents (Detroit, Washington and Orlando) are all below .500. Thursday’s road clash at Philadelphia (7:30 ET, TNT) represents a key seeding game for the Heat. We all know what to expect from two of the more hard-nosed teams in the league. It’s unlikely we’ll see Udonis Haslem on the floor, but it’s worth pondering whether this is the last time in the regular season we’ll see a 42-year-old suit up in a Heat jersey.
Milwaukee Bucks
Almost fully healthy, Milwaukee (with Boston still in contention for the top seed while owning the tiebreaker between the teams) hasn’t yet clinched the No. 1 seed. However, the Bucks moved a step closer to that on Sunday with their win against Philadelphia. The Bucks will need to decide whether to dial back minutes for key contributors in preparation for the postseason or to keep building on cohesion. Milwaukee likely chooses the latter, which is good news for fans looking to check out back-to-back outings against Chicago and Memphis on Wednesday and Friday, respectively, before the team wraps the regular season Sunday at Toronto (1 p.m. ET, NBA League Pass). After what transpired last Thursday in a lopsided loss to Boston, the Bucks know what might lie ahead in the playoffs. That’s why they’ll elect to finish strong.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Minnesota dropped its third consecutive game Sunday to Portland and fell to below .500, and 1 1/2 games behind the eighth-seeded Pelicans, with back-to-back road games at Brooklyn and San Antonio coming up before finishing the season at home against New Orleans. Since there’s such a logjam between seventh and 10th seeds in the West, the Timberwolves essentially need to win out to get into the postseason, and that’s entirely possible with Anthony Edwards coming off a 37-point night and Karl-Anthony Towns back in the lineup.
> Timberwolves’ remaining games
New Orleans Pelicans
New Orleans downed the sixth-seeded LA Clippers on Saturday to pull within a half-game of them in the Western Conference standings. But this week presents a couple of formidable challenges starting with a matchup against the playoff-bound Sacramento Kings on Tuesday, followed by a clash the next night with the Memphis Grizzlies. It’s unlikely Zion Williamson will return before the end of the regular season, but it’s a situation worth monitoring because the superstar changes the dynamic of an already talented squad still fighting to make the postseason. If Williamson could make it back for a game during the final week, it might prove beneficial toward making sure he’s in game shape for the playoffs.
New York Knicks
The Knicks clinched their first playoff berth since 2021 on Sunday with a 118-109 victory against the Washington Wizards. But the club needs to put in more work to secure a first-round playoff series with the fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers. New York hits the road for a matchup Wednesday at Indiana, before another away game Friday at New Orleans, which is still scrapping for a postseason berth. The Knicks finish the regular season at home against the Pacers, which have already disclosed there’s a chance that Tyrese Haliburton and Myles Turner sit out the rest of the season. Pay attention to the progress that Julius Randle is making after suffering an injury Wednesday against Miami. The team has announced Randle will be reevaluated in two weeks, which means he’ll likely miss the rest of the regular season.
Oklahoma City Thunder
OKC starts the week on a two-game losing streak after Sunday’s loss to the Phoenix Suns, but Kia Most Improved Player candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is more than capable of carrying the Thunder to at least a berth in the Play-In Tournament — despite some long odds. The loss to Phoenix dropped the Thunder to 10th in the West, and a game Tuesday at Golden State awaits (10 ET, NBA League Pass). So let’s see if Gilgeous-Alexander can deliver with a little help from the club’s promising young supporting cast that features Josh Giddey, Lu Dort and Jalen Williams, a rookie destined to become a star in the NBA.
Orlando Magic
Markelle Fultz appears to have completed his comeback story and could now be rounding back into the form that made him a No. 1 overall pick in 2017. Throw in the likely Kia Rookie of the Year in Paolo Banchero and impressive 21-year-old Franz Wagner, and this is a week for Magic fans to delight in the team’s promising core. Orlando hasn’t been what you’d call a destination for free agents, but the team’s solid, young roster could prove appealing in the offseason along with coach Jamahl Mosley, who seems to be developing the group quickly. The Magic have won six of their last 10 games as they are looking to finish strong and head into the offseason with momentum.
Philadelphia 76ers
The third-seeded 76ers suffered a minor setback Sunday in Milwaukee in a game that saw point guard James Harden limited to 11 points on 4-of-9 shooting with five turnovers. It’s unlikely Philadelphia will catch the second-seeded Celtics in the Eastern Conference standings. So it might be best to rest MVP frontrunner Joel Embiid (as well as Harden) down the stretch considering the duo is nursing injuries. Embiid is dealing with a calf injury, while Harden continues to fight through a sore Achilles that he’s been dealing with for months. The Sixers play a pair of TNT games at home against Boston and Miami to start the week, before finishing their last two outings on the road (at Atlanta and Brooklyn).
Phoenix Suns
Phoenix can’t catch the Sacramento Kings to steal the No. 3 seed. So, it’s all about fully implementing Kevin Durant into the mix, who played in his third consecutive game since rejoining the Suns on Sunday. Overall, he’s been in just six games total with the Suns. Phoenix needs to continue building cohesion with the new group headed into the playoffs, so watch how that unfolds. Phoenix plays back-to-back nationally televised games against the Denver Nuggets on Thursday (10 ET, TNT) and the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday (10:30 ET, NBA TV). Although Durant is considered a plug-and-play type of player, it’ll be interesting to see how he looks with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton as the Suns close out the regular season.
The Suns have vast offensive potential with Kevin Durant in the fold.
Portland Trail Blazers
Superstar guard Damian Lillard recently revealed the team has shut him down for the remainder of the regular season, while several other players appear to be nursing injuries that will likely affect their availability over the final week. Realistically, there’s nothing much to watch in terms of what happens on the floor with this team, as it closes with three matchups against squads expected to advance to the playoffs or Play-In in the Grizzlies, Clippers and Warriors. This last week sets up what should be an offseason of change, and although Lillard has often discussed his loyalty to the franchise, anything could happen.
Sacramento Kings
Sacramento closed out March by clinching its first postseason berth since 2006, and it appears the Kings are pretty much locked into the third seed with No. 4 Phoenix trailing by four games. The club took an “L” at home Sunday in overtime against the Spurs, and the road doesn’t ease up at all with the Kings playing three of their last four on the road at New Orleans, Dallas and Denver with a home outing on April 7 against the sixth-seeded Golden State Warriors. The clash against the Warriors could serve as a potential preview of the opening round of the playoffs. So, it’ll be interesting to see just how much either team is willing to show in terms of strategy.
San Antonio Spurs
We might’ve witnessed coach Gregg Popovich’s last true home game last week, as the Spurs play their last two “home” contests up I-35 in Austin at the Moody Center on April 6 and 8 against Portland and Minnesota, respectively. From there, fans in San Antonio will commence the annual tradition of wondering whether the 74-year-old coach, who was chosen Saturday for the Hall of Fame class of 2023, will return for his 28th season. It’s unknown at this point, which is why Popovich is the man to watch this week in San Antonio. This could be the last we’ll see of him on the sidelines.
Toronto Raptors
At 39-39, the Raptors clinched a berth in the Play-In Tournament with Sunday’s win against the Charlotte Hornets. Now it’s all about playoff seeding for a team that has won four of its last five and currently owns the ninth seed. Toronto plays three of its final four games on the road at Charlotte on Tuesday, followed by two consecutive games at Boston before the regular-season finale Sunday at home against the Milwaukee Bucks. The Raptors hope over the final week to jump into the eighth seed, where they would need to win only one game in the Play-In Tournament as opposed to two.
Utah Jazz
Despite their current record, it’s safe to say the Jazz overachieved in 2022-23 with a rookie head coach in Will Hardy after trading away stars Donovan Mitchell and Rudy Gobert last summer. We’ve seen a resurgent season from All-Star forward Lauri Markkanen, who is one of the favorites to capture Kia Most Improved Player honors, and a solid rookie campaign from shot-blocking center Walker Kessler. If nothing else, it’s worth watching how Markkanen and Kessler close the season this last week against solid opponents. Utah plays two games against the Lakers with outings vs. Oklahoma and Denver before going into the offseason armed with plenty of assets.
Washington Wizards
Bradley Beal needs 160 points to pass Elvin Hayes (15,551 points) and become the Wizards’ all-time leading scorer. However, he’s missed the team’s last six games due to left knee soreness. The Wizards were officially eliminated from playoff contention following Sunday’s loss to the New York Knicks. If Beal can return this week, he’ll need to put together some monstrous performances to make franchise history, which will be fun to watch. No matter what, the offseason awaits. Kristaps Porzingis and Kyle Kuzma both have player options for the 2023-24 season that they could decline to hit free agency.
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Michael C. Wright is a senior writer for NBA.com. You can e-mail him here, find his archive here and follow him on Twitter.
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