The Minnesota Timberwolves may have been the big winners in the NBA on Monday night.
And that’s quite an achievement considering they weren’t part of the 12 teams in action.
But when the final buzzer sounded in the Phoenix Suns’ 124-111 victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the result made Minnesota the third Western Conference team to clinch a playoff spot. This means that for the first time in three seasons, the Timberwolves reached the playoffs without needing to fight their way out of the play-in tournament.
Speaking of play-ins, this Suns-Pels matchup could play a big role in the race for one of the remaining top six seeds in the West. Before we delve deeper into the topic, let’s update the league standings with Monday’s results.
Eastern Conference
1. z-Boston Celtics: 59-16
2. Milwaukee Bucks: 47-27
3. Cleveland Cavaliers: 45-30
4. New York Knicks: 44-30
5. Orlando Magic: 44-31
6. Indiana Pacers: 43-33
—–Automatic cutoff for playoff spots—–
7. Miami Heat: 41-33
8. Philadelphia 76ers: 40-35
9. pb-Chicago Bulls: 36-40
10. Atlanta Falcons: 35-40
—–Closure of the Play-In tournament—–
11. Brooklyn Nets: 29-47
12. Toronto e-Raptors: 23-51
13. e-Charlotte Hornets: 18-57
14. e-Washington Wizards: 14-61
15. e-Detroit Pistons: 13-62
Western Conference
1. x-Oklahoma City Thunder: 52-22
2. x-Denver Nuggets: 52-23
3. x-Minnesota Timberwolves: 51-23
4. Los Angeles Clippers: 47-27
5. Dallas Mavericks: 45-29
6. New Orleans Pelicans: 45-30
—–Automatic cutoff for playoff spots—–
7. Phoenix Suns: 44-31
8. Sacramento Kings: 43-31
9. Los Angeles Lakers: 42-33
10. Golden State Warriors: 40-34
—–Closure of the Play-In tournament—–
11. Houston Rockets: 38-36
12. e-Utah Jazz: 29-46
13. e-Memphis Grizzlies: 25-50
14. e-Portland Trail Blazers: 19-56
15. e-San Antonio Spurs: 18-57
*conference unhooked in Z; x-clinched a playoff berth; play berth with pb; e-eliminated from the playoffs
While the Bucks have built enough cushion to hold on to the No. 2 seed, the biggest remaining drama in the East exists between the No. 3 and 7 seeds.
These five teams are only separated by a total of 3.5 games, meaning one last misstep or winning streak could be the deciding factor. And given what’s at stake, we have to assume that all of these clubs will be heading full throttle toward the finish line.
Grab the third or fourth seed and you have a first-round series. Land in seventh place and you have a play-in game.
That’s what made Monday’s wins for the Magic and Pacers, currently fifth and sixth seeds respectively, so important. But while Orlando was busy grinding out a victory over the Trail Blazers, Indiana was cruising its way to a 22-point triumph over the Nets, thanks to a 27-point, 13-assist double-double from guard All- Star Tyrese Haliburton. .
The Pacers, who made a massive move for Pascal Siakam in January, have eight wins to show in their last 12 trips to the hard court. If Indiana can keep this up, it has a real chance to not only escape the play-in, but potentially work its way into a top-four seed.
In the West, rankings are clustered everywhere you look. The biggest gap between the No. 1-11 seeds is the four-game lead the third-seeded Timberwolves have over the fourth-seeded Clippers. Otherwise, no one else is more than two games ahead of the team directly behind them.
That includes the sixth-seeded Pelicans, who now play just one game against the seventh-seeded Suns after Monday’s collision. Phoenix sprinted to an 18-point advantage after the first frame and led by as many as 27 points before securing a 13-point victory.
For the second time this season, the Pels had no answer against Suns star guard Devin Booker, who poured in 52 points, matching his total the last time he faced them at home. mid-January. This time around, Booker converted 19 of 28 field goals and 8 of 16 field goals while narrowly missing a double-double by also posting nine assists in his 39 minutes.
The Suns still face toughest remaining schedule (by far), but Monday’s win was potentially huge for their hopes of landing a top-six seed. The Pelicans, meanwhile, lost for the third time in six games since losing Brandon Ingram to a bone bruise in his left knee.
This race should be great at the end, like all the others in the West.
