With only six games scheduled in the NBA on Saturday, many eyes will be on Charlotte and the Eastern Conference play-in race. The Philadelphia 76ers, fresh off getting Joel Embiid and Paul George back in the lineup, take on the Charlotte Hornets (6 p.m. ET). Philadelphia is currently in seventh in the East, just a game ahead of Charlotte, with both teams still incredibly close to breaking into the top six, and a guaranteed playoff spot.
Saturday’s only other game between two postseason teams features the Detroit Pistons taking on the Minnesota Timberwolves (5:30 p.m. ET, ABC). Even without Cade Cunningham, Detroit has maintained a solid cushion for the top seed in the East, while Minnesota is just a game behind the Denver Nuggets for fourth in the west, and the homecourt advantage that would come with it in the first round.
In other action, the San Antonio Spurs will look to continue their winning ways against the skidding Milwaukee Bucks (3 p.m. ET, Prime), as Victor Wembanyama tries to improve his MVP case.
Here’s a look at the current and projected NBA playoff picture, the most important games left in the regular season and how the race for the No. 1 pick in June’s draft is shaping up:
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Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule | Friday’s scores
Critical remaining games
Projected standings | Race for No. 1 pick
Current NBA playoff matchups
Eastern Conference playoffs
1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Atlanta Hawks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Toronto Raptors
Eastern Conference play-in
7. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 8. Charlotte Hornets
9. Orlando Magic vs. 10. Miami Heat
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Conference playoffs
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Houston Rockets
4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves
Western Conference play-in
7. Phoenix Suns vs. 8. LA Clippers
9. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 10. Golden State Warriors
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
NBA Playoff Challenge
Pick the winners and crown your NBA champion! Create A Bracket
Saturday’s games
Spurs at Bucks, 3 p.m. ET (Prime)
Pistons at Timberwolves, 5:30 p.m. ET (ABC)
76ers at Hornets, 6 p.m. ET
Kings at Hawks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Bulls at Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET
Jazz at Suns, 10 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Friday’s scores
Clippers 114, Pacers 113
Celtics 109, Hawks 102
Cavaliers 149, Heat 128
Rockets 119, Grizzlies 109
Thunder 131, Bulls 113
Raptors 119, Pelicans 106
Nuggets 135, Jazz 129
Warriors 131, Wizards 126
Mavericks 100, Trail Blazers 93
Lakers 116. Nets 99
Most important games left
Projected end-of-season standings
Projected Eastern Conference Standings
Projected Western Conference Standings
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first four picks. All 14 teams that fail to make the playoffs are eligible to move up to the top four. After the order of the top four picks is set via the draw, the remainder of the first round is set in inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records. The three teams with the worst records each have an equal 14% chance of winning the lottery, with the odds for the non-playoff teams decreasing from there.
Among the projected lottery teams, there are multiple trades that could impact picks. The Atlanta Hawks will get the better of the picks from the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with the lesser of the two picks going to Milwaukee. If the Indiana Pacers’ pick falls between five and nine, it will go to the LA Clippers. The Utah Jazz will send their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top eight.
The Portland Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the lottery (if they make the playoffs through the play-in tournament). The Washington Wizards’ pick is top-eight protected, and the probability of their selection ending up ninth or worse is extremely low.
