NBA Playoff Standings 2015: San Antonio Spurs Make Huge Push Toward Western Conference Playoffs
NBA playoff standings for 2015 are getting even tighter in the Western Conference. With the 2015 NBA Playoffs less than 10 days away, the Southwest Division is still up for grabs. On Wednesday night (April 8), the San Antonio Spurs beat the Houston Rockets 110-98 in a very important game. It brought the Spurs within half a game of first place in the division, and has shaken up how all the potential playoff match-ups appear. Suddenly, the Spurs have a real shot at nabbing the No. 2 seed, and home court advantage in the postseason.
In the updated 2015 NBA playoff standings from Thursday (April 9), the top three teams from the Southwest are in a heated battle. The 53-25 Memphis Grizzlies are at No. 2 in the West, the 53-25 Houston Rockets are No. 3, and the 53-26 Spurs are No. 6. In between them are the 51-27 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 4, due to winning the Northwest Division, and the 53-26 Los Angeles Clippers from the Pacific Division at No. 5. In fact, the only two things settled, so far, are the 63-15 Golden State Warriors at No. 1, and the 47-31 Dallas Mavericks at No. 7.
There is also still a battle taking place for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference Playoffs. In the current standings, the New Orleans Pelicans and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied at 42-36, with the tie-breaker owned by the Pelicans. Four-straight losses by Oklahoma City might just cost the team a shot at the postseason. The team looked really strong in recent NBA playoff standings updates, but has continued to slip since losing Kevin Durant to injury. Even MVP-play from Russell Westbrook hasn’t been able to keep the team on an upward trend.
The San Antonio Spurs are on a nine-game winning streak, and it has shown just how good Kawhi Leonard has become. Leonard helped lead the Spurs to the NBA title in the 2014-15 season, and might have them on a path to do it again. The Spurs have just three regular season games left and the most important one comes on Friday (April 10) when they head on the road to play the Houston Rockets. It’s realistic to suggest the winner of that game could take the Southwest Division.
Another important game when it comes to the 2015 NBA playoff standings in the West takes place on Saturday (April 11). The Los Angeles Clippers will host the Memphis Grizzlies at Staples Center in a match-up that could have a huge impact on home court advantage. The Clippers, though the No. 5 seed, have a better record than the No. 4 Blazers. It would mean Staples Center gets to host two first-round games to begin any series. The Blazers will also try to move up, but finish the season with games against the Warriors, Utah Jazz, Thunder, and Mavericks that they must win.
As previously reported on the Inquisitr, losing Kevin Durant for the season has shifted the destinies of many teams in the Western Conference. It was a huge break for the New Orleans Pelicans, and fans of that team might get an exciting first-round series with the Golden State Warriors. Outside of that potential series, nothing else is set in stone with the 2015 NBA playoff standings. It means every game in the final week and a half that includes one of those teams will have a direct impact on seeding.
[Image Source: Mark Wilson/Getty Images]
