The Los Angeles Lakers will have to work their way through the play-in tournament after the playoffs spots were locked in with Sunday’s final regular season fixtures.
Reigning champions LA Lakers won 110-98 over the Sacramento Kings but missed out on sixth spot in the Western Conference due to the Portland Trail Blazers claiming a 132-116 win over the Denver Nuggets.
Portland will finish sixth and therefore play the Nuggets in the first round of the NBA playoffs, while the Lakers will take on the Golden State Warriors in the play-in tournament, with the winner to face the second seed Phoenix Suns.
The match-up is a promoter’s dream with LeBron James and Stephen Curry to face off, although the match isn’t sudden death.
The loser will take on the winner of the Memphis Grizzlies-San Antonio Spurs play-in match, to earn the right to face the top seed Utah Jazz.
The permutations are similarly complex in the East, where the Philadelphia 76ers finished top and will await the eighth seed, which will be decided by the play-in tournament.
The second seed Brooklyn Nets, who are potentially NBA title favourites, will face the winner of the Boston Celtics and the Washington Wizards.
The loser of the Celtics-Wizards game will take on the Indiana Pacers or Charlotte Hornets, to earn the right to challenge the 76ers.
Brooklyn held on to second seed on Sunday with a 123-109 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers although James Harden did not back up and play after returning from injury on Saturday.
The third seed Milwaukee Bucks rested key players including Giannis Antetokounmpo as they lost 118-112 to the Chicago Bulls.
