The Los Angeles Clippers worked overtime to secure a spot in the playoffs and send the Golden State Warriors to the play-in tournament of the NBA.
The last game to end the regular season was crucial in defining the order in the standings in the Western Conference, with the Clippers defeating the Warriors 124-119 in overtime on Sunday to secure the fifth spot.
James Harden scored 39 points, 10 assists, and seven rebounds to give the Clippers their eighth consecutive victory and a record of 50-32 in the regular season.
The Warriors fell to the seventh place and may need up to two games to make it into the playoffs.
How will the NBA postseason be played?
The Western Conference standings were not determined until the last day, with numerous teams competing for various positions, although the top three seeds, Oklahoma City, Houston, and the Los Angeles Lakers, were already determined.
The Denver Nuggets regrouped after their chaotic last week, which included the firing of coach Michael Malone and general manager Calvin Booth, to secure the fourth seed and home-court advantage in the first round against the Clippers by defeating the Rockets 126-111.
The Timberwolves, who could have dropped to eighth place in some scenarios, landed in sixth place after their 116-105 victory over the Jazz. Anthony Edwards scored 43 points after emphasizing to his teammates the urgency of avoiding having to play an additional game. They will now face the Lakers in the playoffs.
The Warriors also aimed to directly qualify for the playoffs, but the Clippers prevented them. Now they only have two days to shake off the disappointment and face the Grizzlies as hosts in the play-in.
If they win, they will advance to the playoffs as the seventh seed and will play against Houston. If they lose to Memphis, they will have one more chance against the winner of Kings vs Mavericks.
“We are right where we want to be,” said forward Jimmy Butler. “We still have a chance and we control our own destiny.”
In the East, everything was already defined
There was no drama on the last day in the East, where everything had already been decided.
The Cavaliers are in first place and the Celtics are in second place, and will wait for the two teams that advance from the play-in. The Knicks (3rd) will face the Pistons (6th) and the Pacers (4th) will face the Bucks (5th).
The 7th seed Magic will host the 8th-seeded Hawks on Tuesday, with the winner advancing to face the Celtics. The loser will have another chance against the winner of the game between the 9th-seeded Bulls and the 10th-seeded Heat.