NBA Takes End of Season Edition – Goodbye to an exciting season, Hello play-ins
Final Standings
If everything seemed upside down this season, that’s because it was. Even though it ended in a bubble, the 2019–20 regular season was close to expectations. The Lakers, Clippers, Nuggets, Rockets, and Thunder were the top five in the Western Conference. The Bucks, Raptors, Celtics, Pacers, and Heat were the Eastern Conferences top five.
Things changed greatly in 2020–21. The Western conference finished with the Utah Jazz, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, and Dallas Mavericks at the top. Over in the east, the Philadelphia Sixers, Brooklyn Nets, Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and the Atlanta Hawks are the top five. Most of those ten teams have generally been at the bottom (or near the bottom) of the NBA barrel recently.
Meanwhile, the Lakers must win a play-in game to be included. Joining them in the West are the Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, and the San Antonio Spurs. You read that right; the defending World Champion Lakers must now play and win against the Warriors to keep the seventh seed. If not, they have to beat the winner of Memphis/San Antonio to get a shot at defending their title.
Boston has to run the same gauntlet in the East as L.A. does in the West. Meeting the Celtics in the seven vs. eight game is the Washington Wizards. Indiana meets Charlotte in the nine/ten matchup.
.@JordanClarksons closes the regular season on a high note, scoring 33 PTS for the No. 1 seed @utahjazz! 🎵 #OnlyHere #RepublikaNgNBA
Catch the intense action and riveting drama unfold on NBA TV Philippines via @CignalTV, @OneSportsPHL, and @TV5manila! 📺 pic.twitter.com/1weKLQkcxB
— NBA Philippines (@NBA_Philippines) May 17, 2021