Bokom in the NBA puls A production of iHeartRadio in the NBA. I'm Saracusack, NBA analysts for the y S Networking. Today is Friday, April seventh, and from our incredible core group of NBA journalists were joined now by NBA dot Com senior writer Sean Poll and Sean, it's almost time.
We're getting down to the nitty gritty of the final days of this regular season before were determining what exactly the playoff picture will look like, and there's still a handful of things left in the balance, in particular the Western Conference, of which we have talked about for quite some time. Also at the point of the season where gonna be interesting to see what lineups a couple of these teams and games are rolled out given the scenarios
and the situations that teams are currently locked into. So let's start in the Western Conference. For you, what are you most intrigued about to either learn in terms of playoff matchups or to learn who will slide into where with these standings, Well, the team that has the biggest urgency obviously is a Dallas Mavericks because they're not on the edge of getting a top six automatic birth or
going into the play in situation. They're on the edge of missing everything, all the fun and you know, and then compounding that, this is a team that made the big trade for Kyrie Irving, putting them in the backcourt with Luca to creative ball handlers and scores, and they've had the sixth worst record in the NBA since those two became a tandem. I mean, it just hasn't worked out well. And so now they're teetering on the edge.
They don't control their own destiny. And that's whenever a team is in that kind of situation, it's you know, you're just you feel helpless basically because you need someone to help you out. Unfortunately, for the Dallas Mavericks, the Oklahoma City is not helping them out. Okay, they win last night and now they have one more game. Oklahoma City beats Memphis, it is all over for the Dallas Mavericks.
So it has been a slippery slope for them ever since Kyrie Irving came to the team, and this team went to the Western Conference Finals last year, Sarah, without Kyrie, I just want to remind you of that. So the Big D stands for disappointment as simple as that, and a lot of what happens may determine not for us to get into now, but not just this season, not
just this postseason, but how things look this offseason. And as you continue on to the picture of the Dallas Mavericks future, let's switch to the Los Angeles Lakers, because they obviously lost that game against the Clippers on Wednesday night, but the second of the back to back certainly a tough turnaround for Los Angeles and they play tonight against the Phoenix Suns on NBA TV at ten thirty Eastern. Phoenix coming off of a win against Denver, of which
never didn't play Yokich Murray Porter. Phoenix has won seventh straight, but they're pretty much locked into that fourth spot. That will be interesting to see what runway they feel like in acclimating now that Kevin Durant is back. But the Lakers in the seventh spot, do they have a chance to move up into that sixth spot? What things look like for them? How do you frame where the Lakers are at at this point, which is the Sun's here tonight and then the Jazz will finish them or finish
with them at home on Sunday. Well, I'll give you the good news for the Lakers. Everyone's healthy. That's first good news. The second good news is they play they close out against Phoenix and Utah. My gut feelings that the Phoenix Suns, who are pretty much locked in the fourth place, I don't think they're going to play everyone. Same thing with the Utah Jaz Utah jadd Right now,
they're holding tryouts for next season. They're putting guys off the bench and giving them thirty five minutes a night. So I don't think either of those teams will probably be an issue for the Lakers. The problem with the Lakers that they don't control their own destiny, and so again you know you need help the Clippers on the tie breaker over the Lakers. The Golden State Warriors are sitting ahead of the Lakers, and the key game is going to be the Warriors versus the Sacramento Kings. The
Warriors win that game is pretty much all over. The Lakers will be in the play in situation. Now. The other thing is with the Lakers in the play in situation, it's not such a terrible place to be. I just think that they're just so much better than the other teams in the play in situation that I think that the odds are they're definitely going to make the playoffs. But again, when you're in that tournament, that play in tournament, you know, any freaky thing that happens, you know it
could cost you. And I understand if the Lakers get the number seven spot, they would have to lose two games, you know, when you have to play that extra game or two extra games, anything can happen. I like their chances of making the playoffs eventually, but I don't think they're going to be in the top six. The odds are against and they're going to have to go through
that tournament. Yeah, and as you mentioned, you know, with the Lakers or one team that we've had an eye on trying to get into that top six, but the other two that we've had a lot of focus on have been the Golden State Warriors and the Los Angeles Clippers currently with the same record, though the Clippers do own the tiebreaker. As you mentioned, Golden State Warriors are
at the kings here tonight. In some of this you look at you're not just looking at the staying at that top six, so you don't have to play in the playing game, but also who your opponent may be. As Sacramento is locked into the third spot, Phoenix locked into that fourth spot. What is your take on where things are at right now for both the Clippers and the Warriors. Well, you know, Sarah, no one's going to say this to you with straight vase and you know,
but everybody wants to be in that six spot. They
sends that the Sacramento Kings. You know, all due respect to the Sacramento Kings that given a choice between playing Sacramento or Kevin Durant infused Phoenix Suns team in the first round at four, let me think about that, Okay, So I think ideally, for if you're the Clippers, if you're the Warriors, or even if you're the Lakers, if you're lucky, you probably want to avoid that number five spot because that means you're locked into the first round
series against a Sun's team that has been rejuvenated that has Kevin Durant next to Devin Book and Chris Paul and DeAndre Ayton. So that would probably be a little bit difficult, no disrespect to the Sacramento Kings, but the number six spot would probably be favorable now, having said that, if the Warriors get to five or the Clippers at five, I think if you're the Phoenix Suns, you know that's a tough matchup for YouTube now. So I mean, I'm not putting it all on the team that's going up
against Phoenix. I think it would be tough with the Phoenix Sun. And again, you get Kevin Durant. You didn't have him for a whole season. You've had him forward a hand for games and you've got to figure it out real quick to play a tough first round matchup against one of those two teams. So it look it won't be a holiday for them either. I agree, Sean co sign what you're saying, and you know every time that you say no disrespect compliments are not necessarily a
little bit coming with it. And we've got more to come. We're gonna take a quick break here, but up next we are get going to get over to the Eastern Conference on some of the unknowns of the standings to
this point of the season. Well come into NBA pul Saracousta joined by Sean Pyle and Sean the West has taken a lot of the highlights of what we've looked at of where the standings have lied, but things on the East two have been interesting and in particular as you look at just trying to solidify, getting yourself outside the playing game. That's something Brooklyn Nets have been searching to do, and the Miami Heat knocking at the door. They came away with a big win against the seventy
six ers, final meeting of the year. Between these two, the road team has won each of the first two games. Tyler Hero it's a three in the corner. Last night in Philly one twenty nine one on one. Everyone played for Philly except for Tyrese Maxie. However, the Heat are starting to roll into their playoff form, despite the fact that they would need some help to move into that six spot. Brooklyn playing Orlando here tonight, they will play Philadelphia at home on Sunday, and as for Miami, they're
a game behind. The Nets do hold the tie breaker. How do you look at just not just how things will shake out in the Eastern Conference, but also what some of these matchups may look like here in the first round. Well, the difference between the East and West is the East is pretty much, It's not pretty much, it's set you know what teams are going to be in the top ten, and the only mystery is whether Miami can overcome Brooklyn for the number six spot. Obviously,
as you said, the Brooklyn Nets owned the tiebreaker. And again, when these teams that are contending for something are playing the last few games, their opponents will probably be resting people. Even if their opponent it's like the Philadelphia seventy six ers, I can't imagine Joe and Bid James Harden those guys will play that final game, they're going to rest him. Or even if you're playing a team that's already ticketed for the draft lottery, and those teams aren't playing anybody.
I mean, they're resting guys and everything. So you know, again it's probably it should It's probably an easier situation that maybe it should be for the Brooklyn Nets, but they own the tide breaker and or what And how about the Miamie Heat. This is a team that just clinched the Southeast Division title and may be ticketed for the play in tournament. Think about that. You would think that in the standings, if you actually clinch something that's good,
that you should be rewarded for it. Oh No, In the situation with the Miami Heat. It looks like that this team that by the way, came a Jimmy Butler's shop from reaching the NBA Finals last year for the second time in three seasons, will have to go through the play in scenario. And again I compare the Miami Heat to the Los Angeles Lakers. If the Miami Heats in the play in the situation, I like them. I think that they're probably they'll probably be better than any
other team in that situation. Jimmy Butler's healthy, this Butler and he's foul fouls him from behind and you know he got bam out of Bio Tyler Hero. I think that you know they'll be in the playoffs. But again, if you're in that playing tournament, strange things can happen. You know, one of your stars could twist an ankle, knock on wood, or whatever could be, and it could
go against you. The Miamie Heat all season long, they've had problems scoring, that's been their big thing, and then when they don't play defense, then they have no shot at winning a game. So I think that this is a time for them to re establish your identity, find some way to get buckets and put themselves into position
to succeed. If they get that number seven stot, that number seven spot and they have to play, it would be what the Boston Celtics at number two at this point, So that would not be an easy task for the Celtics, even though I do think they're the superior team, but I think that they would be in a bit of a dog fight against the Miamie Heat as they were last year in the Eastern Conference lines. Keep an eye
out for Eric Spoelstra and Jimmy playoffs. He always takes his game to another level and brings his team with them. The one series in the East we're going to close out with in the first round that is already locked in in All eyes will be on the New York Knicks and the Cleveland Cavaliers. Storyline after storyline with this one in particular, just the competitiveness of the balance between both these teams. Give us your preview of what you
think that series could entail. Well, these two teams basically changed their fortunes by obtaining guards in the offseason. You know, Donathan Mitchell going to the Cleveland Cavaliers and Jalon Bronson going to the Knicks. And it's real. I mean when you really look at it. I mean, those two players have upgraded their teams pretty much in every and every way they handle the ball, they win close games, You
trust them, you know. It's just when you when you really look at those teams where they were last year versus this year. The friendses are those two players. And what's interesting is that the Knicks, I guess, had a shot of getting Donovan Mitchell also last year and pairing him with Jalen Brunson. They would have had to give up you know, the store, the house, and a neighborhood to get him, but they didn't. So now that's the intrigue.
When you talk about storylines, you're talking about Donovan Mitchell, who grew up in you know, suburban Connecticut, grew up a Knicks fan, played ball during the summers in Harlem, came down to New York looking for the greatest games all of the sis father worked for the New York Mets. All of a sudden, you know, he's coming back to New York as sort of the enemy, trying to deny
the Knicks going to the second round. And if you're the Knicks, you've been waiting for a moment like this, particularly Knicks fans, you know, they've been starved for so long, ever since really the Carmelo Anthony years, when they really had, you know, a shot up doing something and they didn't punch their ticket. Then I think, you know, with Julius Randall, you know, Jadon Bronson, Thibodeau pulling the right strings. He's
had a good gear as far as a coach. I think people in New York are thinking this team can get to the second round. It's going to be fun, to say the least. And when we come back on Monday, we'll have a much clearer picture on what the postseason we'll start to look like. Sean, As always, we appreciate you and your time, No problem, Sarah. NBA Pulse with Sara Kustack as a production of the NBA and iHeartRadio.
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