The New Orleans Pelicans can overtake the Sacramento Kings with a win and gain ground on Memphis for the eighth spot in the Western Conference.
The Western Conference is going to have a wild finish. With only 18 games remaining, the New Orleans Pelicans find themselves in a three-way tie with the Sacramento Kings and Portland Trail Blazers for the ninth seed.
All three are just 3.5 games back of Memphis, who has struggled of late, winning just four of their last 10 games.
Memphis lost to the Orlando Magic last night, so all three teams were able to gain ground, as the Trail Blazers won and the Kings and New Orleans Pelicans had a night off.
The Chase for 8th
The final spot for the Western Conference playoffs won’t likely be decided until the last day, with as many as five teams still in with a chance. Here’s their remaining strength of schedule and their odds of making the playoffs according to FiveThirtyEight.
Memphis Grizzlies
The Grizzlies are watching their playoff chances evaporate. They are the current eighth seed, 3.5 games ahead of the New Orleans Pelicans, Trail Blazers and Kings, and just four ahead of the San Antonio Spurs.
FIveThirtyEight gives the Grizzlies just a 15 percent chance of making the playoffs. Memphis has the third most difficult remaining schedule in the NBA and has upcoming games against the Trail Blazers, Jazz and Spurs, who will look to spoil the Grizzlies’ Cinderella season.
Portland Trail Blazers
The Trail Blazers find themselves just 3.5 out after last night’s 121-105 win over the Phoenix Suns.
The Trail Blazers have just a 14 percent chance at making the playoffs according to FiveThirtyEight and have the ninth easiest remaining schedule.
Portland will face the Grizzlies, Rockets and Timberwolves in their next three, with a chance to gain ground on Memphis.
Sacramento Kings
The Sacramento Kings are the hottest team on this list, winning seven of their last 10 games overall. Coming into tonight’s game against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Kings are just 3.5 games back of the eighth spot and charging.
The Kings have been playing well but are still given just an eight percent chance of making the playoffs according to FiveThirtyEight. Sacramento has the 19th most difficult remaining schedule, with upcoming games against the New Orleans Pelicans, the Nets and Mavericks.
The Kings will look to pick up a game on the Pelicans at home tonight and inch closer to Memphis and the eighth seed.
New Orleans Pelicans
Even though they are still 3.5 back of Memphis, the New Orleans Pelicans are given a 60 percent chance to make the playoffs according to FiveThirtyEight.
This is because they will enjoy the easiest schedule in the NBA over the remaining 18 games, though the next three will be difficult.
After facing the Kings tonight, the Pelicans have tough back-to-back road games against the Jazz and Clippers.
This is why the Pelicans can’t be complacent even though their schedule lightens up down the stretch. If they drop these three games on the road they may find themselves too far out of contention to catch the teams they are chasing.
They still have head-to-head matchups with the Spurs, Kings and Grizzlies, so the Pelicans will somewhat control their own fate, but they can’t fall too far behind on this road trip and that starts with winning tonight’s game in Sacramento.
San Antonio Spurs
After beating the Mavericks 119-109, the Spurs are just four back of Memphis for the eighth spot and a half game behind Portland, New Orleans and Sacramento.
The Spurs have been up and down all season and are at risk of not making the playoffs for the first time in 22 years. They have just a two percent chance at getting the eighth seed according to FiveThirtyEight.
San Antonio does have the eighth easiest remaining schedule, so it’s still too early to count out Gregg Popovich and the Spurs.
They will play the Nuggets, Timberwolves and Grizzlies in their next three as they look to sneak into the playoffs.
It is going to be a wild finish that very well may come down to the last game. Unfortunately, the New Orleans Pelicans do not control their own destiny, but they will be given every opportunity to make the playoffs with an easy schedule and plenty of head-to-head matchups against the teams they are chasing.
That starts tonight with a tough road game against the surging Kings. Can the New Orleans Pelicans get hot at the right time and seize the eighth spot? We shall see.