There are three games on the NBA schedule Thursday night, and only one involves two teams in the postseason picture. But there’s a lot at stake when the New York Knicks pay a visit to the Charlotte Hornets (7 p.m. ET, NBATV).
New York enters Thursday’s matchup having won seven consecutive games, tied for the longest active win streak in the NBA. The Knicks are a half-game behind the Boston Celtics for the 2-seed in the East, following Boston’s win against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday night. The Hornets have won their past four games and have the league’s second-best record since Jan. 22. Kon Knueppel has become the overwhelming favorite for Rookie of the Year honors, but in two games against the Knicks this season, both Hornets losses, he’s averaging just 9.5 points on 25% shooting.
In the other games on Thursday, the Detroit Pistons will look to take another step toward clinching the 1-seed in the East, hosting the New Orleans Pelicans, who were officially eliminated from postseason contention on Tuesday night. And the Orlando Magic will look to end a six-game skid when they welcome the cellar-dwelling Sacramento Kings to town. The early tipoff means Kings fans can check out the action in the men’s NCAA tournament, where projected top-five pick Darius Acuff Jr. and Arkansas will take on top-seeded Arizona at 9:45 p.m. ET. The Kings have a 48% chance of ending up with a top-four pick in May’s draft lottery.
Here’s a look at the current and projected NBA playoff picture, the most important games left in the regular season and how the race for the No. 1 pick in June’s draft is shaping up:
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Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule | Wednesday’s scores
Clinching scenarios | Critical remaining games
Projected standings | Race for No. 1 pick
Current NBA playoff matchups
Eastern Conference playoffs
1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Toronto Raptors
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Atlanta Hawks
Eastern Conference play-in
7. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 8. Miami Heat
9. Charlotte Hornets vs. 10. Orlando Magic
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Conference playoffs
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Houston Rockets
4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves
Western Conference play-in
7. Phoenix Suns vs. 8. LA Clippers
9. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 10. Golden State Warriors
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Thursday’s games
New York Knicks at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m. ET (NBATV)
New Orleans Pelicans at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m. ET
Sacramento Kings at Orlando Magic, 7 p.m. ET
Wednesday’s scores
Hawks 130, Pistons 129 (OT)
Lakers 137, Pacers 130
76ers 157, Bulls 137
Celtics 119, Thunder 109
Heat 120, Cavaliers 103
Spurs 123, Grizzlies 98
Wizards 133, Jazz 110
Timberwolves 110, Rockets 108 (OT)
Nuggets 142, Mavericks 135
Warriors 109, Nets 106
Trail Blazers 130, Bucks 99
Clippers 119, Raptors 94
Most important games left
Clinching scenarios
The Knicks would clinch a playoff spot with a win Thursday night.
Projected end-of-season standings
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first four picks. All 14 teams that fail to make the playoffs are eligible to move up to the top four. After the order of the top four picks is set via the draw, the remainder of the first round is set in inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records. The three teams with the worst records each have an equal 14% chance of winning the lottery, with the odds for the non-playoff teams decreasing from there.
Among the projected lottery teams, there are multiple trades that could impact picks. The Atlanta Hawks will get the better of the picks from the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with the lesser of the two picks going to Milwaukee. If the Indiana Pacers’ pick falls between five and nine, it will go to the LA Clippers. The Utah Jazz will send their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top eight.
The Portland Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the lottery (if they make the playoffs through the play-in tournament). The Washington Wizards’ pick is top-eight protected, and the probability of their selection ending up ninth or worse is extremely low.
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