Western Conference: Current playoff matchups
By Jeff Adcox
With nearly three quarters of the 2014 NBA season in the books, most teams are looking to solidify their playoff positioning. For teams in the Western Conference, many seeds are going to be contested all the way down to the wire as team’s vie for home court in the first round.
Right now, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the San Antonio Spurs have the top two seeds. However, the Los Angeles Clippers, Portland Trail Blazers and Houston Rockets can all make things interesting if they go on a late season run. But if the playoffs started today, this is what the Western Conference slate would look like.
(1) Oklahoma City (45-15) vs. (8) Dallas (36-25)
The Oklahoma City Thunder have been struggling a bit as of late, going 6-4 in their last 10 games. The Dallas Mavericks have also failed to gain any momentum recently, carrying the same 6-4 record over the same time span. The Thunder won the only matchup between these two team so far this year, 107-93. These squads will be well acquainted once the playoffs begin with two more contests scheduled this season.
(2) San Antonio (43-16) vs. (7) Phoenix (35-24)
The San Antonio Spurs have gone 7-3 in their last 10 games. Meanwhile, the Phoenix Suns have the common 6-4 record. The Spurs lead the season series 2-1, which includes wins at home and on the road. These teams play for the final time this year on April 11.
(3) Portland (41-19) vs (6) Golden State (36-24)
The Portland Trail Blazers and the Golden State Warriors also both have 6-4 records in their last 10 games. The season series between these two squads is also tied 1-1. Portland does have a win on the road in this series, beating Golden State 113-101 early in the season. The teams will face off two more times in the regular season, with both games in Portland.
(4) Los Angeles Clippers (41-20) vs. (5) Houston (40-19)
The Houston Rockets currently have the best record in the Western Conference over the last 10 games at 8-2. The Golden State Warriors, on the other hand, have been mediocre, posting another 6-4 mark. The Warriors do hold a 3-0 advantage so far in the season series, including a 137-118 blowout in November. These two teams will meet for the final time this year on March 29.