What do the Warriors need to avoid the NBA Play-in? All possible outcomes

The NBA’s Wild West postseason race will be decided on the final day of the regular season, in this evening’s matchups. While the six teams heading to the playoffs are already locked in, only the top three seeds have clarity on their positions. For the rest of the Western Conference contenders, Game 82 will be decisive in determining their fate.

The Warriors need to beat the Clippers

This is particularly true for the Golden State Warriors (48-33), who face two possible paths as they prepare for the postseason: entering the Play-In Tournament as the seventh seed or securing a playoff spot outright in sixth place. Led by their talisman Steph Curry, the Warriors will take on the Los Angeles Clippers (49-32) in a high-stakes showdown where their destiny rests entirely in their hands.

If the Warriors defeat the Clippers at Chase Center, they’ll lock in the sixth seed in the Western Conference playoffs, regardless of results elsewhere. However, if Golden State lose, they’ll need the Utah Jazz (17-64) to pull off an upset against the Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33) to maintain the sixth spot.

It’s a tall order, as the Clippers are riding a seven-game winning streak, with Kawhi Leonard showcasing peak performance during the season’s closing stretch. Adding to the challenge, the Clippers have already triumphed over Golden State in all of their three previous matchups this season (112-104, 102-99, 102-92).

Speaking to the Warriors’ official website, Steph Curry described the upcoming game against the Clippers as akin to a Game 7 in the playoffs: “I don’t want to be too dramatic. It should be like a Game 7 kind of vibe. You win and you control your destiny on a guaranteed playoff series. You lose, you roll the dice. Good teams find a way to win big games like that, and that’s what we’re aiming to be.”

The Warriors sit seventh

If the Warriors lose to the Clippers and the Timberwolves defeat the Jazz, Golden State will finish in the seventh spot in the Western Conference standings. Such an outcome would tip the Warriors into the Play-In Tournament, where they’d have to fight for a playoff berth instead of securing a direct spot.

The scenarios for Golden State are challenging. If they secure the sixth seed, they’ll face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round of the playoffs—a tough matchup against a strong contender. However, if they advance through the Play-In Tournament, their first-round opponent would be either the Oklahoma City Thunder or the Houston Rockets.

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