Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

Important NBA Western Conference Games that will decide the fate of the NBA Playoffs

Ahead of the 15-game slate on Sunday, let's figure out the important games in the Western Conference that will decide the fate of the NBA Playoffs.

Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

The Western Conference in the NBA regular season is in the most complicated situation. Ahead of the final day of the regular season, only three teams have been confirmed their seeding for the playoffs. Even the playoff matchups are decided in the East but we have a drama in the West for the 82nd game of the season.

OKC Thunder have already clinched the top seed in the Western Conference. The Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers are confirmed to end the regular season as No. 2 and No. 3 respectively. Five teams are fighting out for the remaining three spots in the direct playoff qualification. The battle to finish in the top-6 is intense and every team demands a win on their final game of the regular season.

No. 5 Clippers. No. 6 Warriors.
Massive matchup for seeding. 🔥

▪️ Winner is guaranteed a top 6 automatic playoff spot
▪️ LAC can finish 4th, 5th or 7th
▪️ GSW can finish 6th or 7th

Don’t miss this critical regular season finale Sunday at 3:30pm/et on ESPN! pic.twitter.com/WF1maztZto
— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2025

Also Read: NBA Western Conference Playoff Scenarios – Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers Among Teams Trying To Avoid Play-In in the Race to Postseason

Two spots are yet to be filled for the Play-in Tournament as only the Kings and the Mavericks are confirmed to feature in the competition which will be played from Apr. 15 to Apr. 18. Both teams will look to win their final game to avail the home-court advantage for the Play-In game next week.

Ahead of the 15-game slate on Sunday, April 13, let’s figure out the important games in the Western Conference that will decide the fate of the NBA Playoffs. All the games in Eastern Conference games will be tipped off at 1 pm ET and the Western Conference games will begin at 3:30 pm ET.

Important Games in the Wild West Today

It will be an eight-game slate in the Western Conference on Sunday and five games will impact the seeding for the NBA playoffs. As we mentioned earlier, the Thunder, the Rockets and the Lakers have already booked their place in the playoffs.

Here are the key matchups for the Western Conference on Sunday.

Warriors vs. Clippers

This is the biggest matchup of the day as the winner will confirm their place in the playoffs and avoid the Play-In tournament. The Warriors (48-33) will lock the Play-in spot as the No. 7 seed if they lose. The Dubs will seal the No. 6 spot if they manage to win in the final game of the regular season.

On the other hand, the Clippers (49-32) can slip to Play-In if they lose and some results don’t go in their favour. Los Angeles can clinch the No. 4 seeding as well if they pull off a win at Chase Center and the Nuggets lose their final game against the Rockets.

Grizzlies vs. Mavericks

The Memphis Grizzlies (47-34) and Dallas Mavericks (39-42) have booked their places in the Play-In Tournament but their seeding is not confirmed yet. Both teams will look to win their final game to avail the home-court advantage in the Play-In fixture. Memphis can seal the No. 7 spot with the win and Dallas can confirm the No. 9 spot if they win on Sunday. Both the Mavs and the Kings are tied for the ninth spot with a 39-42 record.

Rockets vs. Nuggets

Denver Nuggets (49-32) will take on the No. 2 seed, Houston Rockets to retain their No. 4 spot in the West. The Nuggets are on the verge of the finishing line as they can also move to Play-In if they lose against the Rockets. If Denver loses and three of their rivals (Golden State, Minnesota and Memphis) win their games, they will end the season as No. 7.

Denver can only retain their position if they win or the Clippers, the Timberwolves and the Grizzlies lose. The Rockets have nothing to gain or lose from this game as they will enter the playoffs as No. 2.

Also Read: Denver Nuggets Playoff Scenarios – What Needs to Happen for Nikola Jokic and Co. to Avoid the Play-In Tournament?

Timberwolves vs. Jazz

Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33) can clinch the NBA playoffs if they beat the Utah Jazz in their home game on Sunday. The Wolves have gone 8-2 through the last ten games and are tied with the Warriors for the sixth seed. However, the Warriors hold the tiebreaker against the Timberwolves so this matchup is already a crucial win for Minnesota. If they lose, they will fall to the Play-In tournament or can lose the home-court advantage against the Grizzlies.

Kings vs. Suns

This game is only important for the Sacramento Kings (39-42), who locked their place in the Play-In tournament. The Kings are tied with the Mavericks for the ninth spot and a defeat can snatch a home-court advantage from them.

If Sacramento win, they will get the No. 9 seeding irrespective of the result of the Grizzlies-Mavs game. The Kings hold the tiebreaker against the Mavericks. If they lose against the Suns and the Mavs also lose against the Grizzlies, Sacramento will still take the home-court advantage.

Image Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.