Tuesday’s NBA schedule features only four games, yet two of them carry considerable postseason significance for both competing teams.
In the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic will face the Cleveland Cavaliers (8 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock), who are on a three-game winning streak but still trail the New York Knicks by 2½ games for the third seed. Meanwhile, Orlando has slipped into the play-in tournament picture, currently sitting in eighth place, 1½ games behind the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
The late game in the West sees the Phoenix Suns take on the Denver Nuggets (11 p.m. ET, NBC/Peacock). Denver is currently tied with Minnesota for the fourth position, a half-game ahead of Houston, with this trio having established a notable lead over the seventh-seeded Suns. According to ESPN’s Basketball Power Index (BPI), the Suns have less than a 3% chance of escaping the play-in tournament, which would almost certainly necessitate a victory on Tuesday night.
At the other end of the standings, the lottery-bound Sacramento Kings are set to visit the Charlotte Hornets. Doug Christie’s Sacramento team has recorded a 5-5 record over its last 10 games, allowing the Brooklyn Nets (who have lost eight in a row), Washington Wizards (16 consecutive losses), and Indiana Pacers (16 straight losses before Monday’s win) to surpass the Kings for the league’s worst records. Currently positioned with the fourth-worst record, the Kings would possess only a 12.5% chance of securing the No. 1 pick in the upcoming June draft.
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Current playoff matchups | Today’s schedule
Monday’s scores | Clinching scenarios
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. Orlando Magic
9. Miami Heat vs. 10. Charlotte Hornets
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
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Full standings and playoff matchups
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Odds to win the NBA Finals
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ESPN BPI’s playoff projections
Tuesday’s games
Sacramento Kings at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ET
New Orleans Pelicans at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. ET
Orlando Magic at Cleveland Cavaliers, 8 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
Denver Nuggets at Phoenix Suns, 11 p.m. ET (NBC/Peacock)
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Full upcoming schedule
Monday’s scores
Pistons 113, Lakers 110
Pacers 128, Magic 126
Thunder 123, 76ers 103
Spurs 136, Heat 111
Hawks 146, Grizzlies 107
Bulls 132, Rockets 124
Raptors 143, Jazz 127
Warriors 137, Mavericks 131 (OT)
Trail Blazers 134, Nets 99
Clippers 129, Bucks 96
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Full NBA scoreboard
Clinching scenarios
No clinching or elimination scenarios are in play for Tuesday’s matchups. The Cavaliers, Knicks, Nuggets, and Suns have all secured at least a postseason berth, but none have yet guaranteed a top-six playoff position. The Kings have been eliminated from playoff contention. The Pelicans will be eliminated with a combination of three additional losses or Warriors victories.
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Who has clinched so far?
Projected end-of-season standings
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Current NBA standings
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NBA employs a draft lottery to establish the order of the first four selections. All 14 teams that do not qualify for the playoffs are eligible to move up into the top four. Once the top four picks are determined through the lottery, the rest of the first round is arranged in reverse order of the teams’ regular-season records. The three teams with the poorest records each have an equal 14% chance of winning the lottery, with the odds for the non-playoff teams decreasing thereafter.
Among the anticipated lottery teams, several trades could influence the draft picks. The Atlanta Hawks will receive the superior pick from the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with the lesser of the two selections going to Milwaukee. If the Indiana Pacers’ pick lands between five and nine, it will be allocated 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 transfer their pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the lottery (if they qualify for the playoffs through the play-in tournament). The Washington Wizards’ pick is protected in the top eight, and the likelihood of their selection ending up ninth or lower is very minimal.
