It came down to the last day of the 2023-24 NBA regular season in order for the playoff picture to be set in the Western Conference, with the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder securing the top spot in the conference and the Los Angeles Lakers locking in the eighth spot to face the New Orleans Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament.
Although it came down to the final day of the regular season, the West is stacked with some intriguing playoff matchups, starting with the Play-In Tournament, with four solid teams squaring off with two playoff spots up for grabs in the first round.
Despite up-and-down seasons for the Lakers and Golden State Warriors, both teams were able to keep their playoff hopes alive by securing spots in the Play-In Tournament.
According to NBA Communications’ Twitter account, the Lakers will take on the Pelicans while the Warriors will face the division-rival Sacramento Kings.
The @NBA Western Conference postseason seeds ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/31bpiLk6nz
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 14, 2024
With two spots up for grabs in the first round, the Thunder and the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets will wait to see how the Play-In Tournament unfolds in order to find out who they’ll be facing right out of the gate in the postseason.
The Nuggets are still very much considered to be the team to beat in the West, with NBA MVP favorite Nikola Jokic and company playing at a high level heading into the postseason.
However, this year won’t be as easy as it was for the Nuggets last year, with many talented teams in the conference, which will make for an exciting postseason in the West.
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Analyst Shares Full Schedule For East Play-In Tournament