Western Conference Playoff Seeding

11:54pm: The Trail Blazers have defeated the Jazz in their regular season finale and clinched the No. 3 seed with the win. Here are the first-round matchups in the Western Conference:

• Rockets (No. 1) vs. Timberwolves (No. 8)
• Warriors (No. 2) vs. Spurs (No. 7)
• Trail Blazers (No. 3) vs. Pelicans (No. 6)
• Thunder (No. 4) vs. Jazz (No. 5)

9:47pm: The Timberwolves have beaten the Nuggets and clinched the final spot in the 2018 NBA Playoffs. We now know the following.

• The Nuggets will miss the playoffs
• The Timberwolves are the No. 8 seed.
• The Spurs are the No. 7 seed.
• If the Trail Blazers beat the Jazz:
  • Pelicans are No. 6
  • Jazz are No. 5
  • Thunder are No. 4
  • Blazers are No. 3
• If the Jazz beat the Trail Blazers:
  • Thunder are No. 6
  • Pelicans are No. 5
  • Blazers are No. 4
  • Jazz are No. 3

8:54pm: The Thunder lead the Grizzlies by 12 with less than nine minutes remaining, while the Pelicans lead the Spurs by 18 with less than 10 minutes remaining. Barring a surprise comeback by Memphis or San Antonio, here is how the playoff picture looks after wins by Oklahoma City and New Orleans.

Jazz: 3 or 5

Trail Blazers: 3 or 4

Thunder: 4 or 6

Pelicans: 5 or 6

Spurs: 7 or 8

Timberwolves: 8 or 9

Nuggets: 7 or 9

4:37pm: As we indicated earlier today, the Nuggets and Timberwolves will face-off tonight with the final spot of the 2018 NBA Playoffs on the line.

And while that game will be the only winner-gets-in, loser-gets-eliminated contest tonight, there are numerous other games with playoff seeding implications on the line. In the Western Conference, only the Rockets and the Warriors know their playoff seeding. Seeds three through eight are all still up for grabs, as follows:

Jazz: 3, 4, or 5

Trail Blazers: 3, 4, or 5

Pelicans: 5, 6, 7, or 8

Spurs: 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8

Thunder: 4, 6, or 8

Timberwolves: 6, 7, 8, or 9

Nuggets: 6, 7, or 9

We will be updating the Western Conference playoff seeding scenarios – in real time – as games finish this evening, so stay tuned to Hoops Rumors for all relevant up-to-the-minute developments.  For now, here are some initial notes that are not conditional upon other game results:

• The Jazz and Trail Blazers winner gets the No. 3 seed.
• The Thunder will be the No. 8 seed with a loss to the Grizzlies.
• As noted above, the loser of the Nuggets and Wolves will finish ninth in the Western Conference standings.