NBA standings 2019-20 ; NBA standings 2020 ; NBA games today - Lakers vs pacers ;NBA standings today
NBA standings 2019-20 ; NBA standings 2020 ; NBA games today - Lakers vs pacers ;NBA standings today NBA Playoff Picture 2020: Updated Bracket, Standings and Seed Predictions Even as the seeding portion of the NBA restart nears its halfway point, most races for contested playoff positions remain too close to call. The Los Angeles Lakers have listed Alex Caruso (left neck muscle spasms) and LeBron James (sore right groin) as questionable for Saturday’s game against the Indiana Pacers. Caruso and James missed the Lakers’ game against the Houston Rockets on Thursday for the same reasons. The Los Angeles Lakers have already clinched the No. 1 seed in the West, and the Milwaukee Bucks could claim the East's top spot any day now. But nearly everything else is up for grabs. Both conferences have traffic jams near their midsections, and the fight for the West's final playoff ticket runs six teams deep. After updating the standings and latest playoff bracket, we'll break out our crystal ball to crown a winner in some of the closest races. Standings Eastern Conference 1. x-Milwaukee Bucks (54-14) 2. x-Toronto Raptors (49-18) 3. x-Boston Celtics (45-23) 4. x-Miami Heat (43-25) 5. x-Indiana Pacers (42-26) 6. x-Philadelphia 76ers (41-27) 7. Brooklyn Nets (32-36) 8. Orlando Magic (32-37) 9. Washington Wizards (24-44) Western Conference 1. x-Los Angeles Lakers (51-16) 2. x-Los Angeles Clippers (45-22) 3. x-Denver Nuggets (45-23) 4. x-Utah Jazz (43-25) 5. x-Oklahoma City Thunder (42-25) 6. x-Houston Rockets (42-25) 7. x-Dallas Mavericks (41-29) 8. Memphis Grizzlies (32-37) 9. Portland Trail Blazers (31-38) 10. San Antonio Spurs (29-38) 11 New Orleans Pelicans (29-38) 12. Phoenix Suns (29-39) 13. Sacramento Kings (28-39) *x = clinched playoff berth Playoff Bracket Eastern Conference No. 1 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic No. 4 Miami Heat vs. No. 5 Indiana Pacers No. 3 Boston Celtics vs. No. 6 Philadelphia 76ers No. 2 Toronto Raptors vs. No. 7 Brooklyn Nets Western Conference No. 1 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies No. 4 Utah Jazz vs. No. 5 Oklahoma City Thunder No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Houston Rockets No. 2 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 7 Dallas Mavericks Seeding Predictions Celtics Stay at No. 3 Boston hasn't had the most comfortable stay at Disney World. The Celtics have split their first four games, losing to the Heat for the first time this season and needing to sweat out a win against the ninth-seeded Trail Blazers. Kemba Walker has battled a knee injury that predates the season's suspension, and Jayson Tatum has only shown flashes of the superstar ability he displayed with regularity before the hoops world went into hiatus. And yet, the Celtics should still like their chances of maintaining the No. 3 seed. Boston has a two-game cushion on Miami, and it faces the softer schedule going forward. While the Celtics only face one more team with a winning record, four of the Heat's final five opponents have winning percentages north of .600. Thunder Climb to No. 4 Oklahoma City has spent much of this season as arguably the feel-good story of the campaign. Many doomsday scenarios were written up once the franchise moved on from both Russell Westbrook and Paul George last offseason, but the Thunder have actually elevated their winning percentage (.627, up from .598). "Nobody expected us to be here," Chris Paul told reporters. If OKC was still a surprising success, one could say this squad is playing with house money at this point. But it seems what we've actually seen is the Thunder transforming from surprisingly good to just plain, old good. Wednesday's takedown of the Los Angeles Lakers—by a 19-point margin, no less—was the latest example of that change. The Thunder moved within a half-game of the No. 4 seed and rank 10th overall in net efficiency rating (one spot ahead of the fourth-seeded Jazz). OKC gets the Jaren Jackson Jr.-less Grizzlies, then the Bradley Beal-less Wizards up next. After that, it's a Suns squad that's playing well but owns a .426 winning percentage, a plucky Heat team and finally a Clippers club that might have its seed secured before the contest. That's hardly a murder's row, and the Thunder—who won their season series against the Rockets and Jazz—should have a path to the No. 4 seed. Blazers Win Race for No. 8 The six-team race for the West's No. 8 seed is really only half that size. The Grizzlies are 0-4 in Orlando and lost Jackson to a season-ending meniscus tear. The Kings are the conference's only other winless team inside the bubble. The Spurs don't have LaMarcus Aldridge and have previously said they're prioritizing development.
