NBA West Playoff Image: Lakers Now Predicted For 10th Place; Warriors score a crucial win in the race to avoid a play-in

The Golden State Warriors rebounded from a 17-point halftime deficit to a 120-109 win over the Pelicans on Tuesday in what may have saved their season.

With the profit that Warriors jump back into the #6 seedbut they’re still in the losing column with the No. 7 Timberwolves in a complicated tiebreaker scenario where the head-to-head streak is virtually identical at 2-2 and the conference records at the time.

The same is true now for the Warriors/Pelicans tiebreaker: 2-2 neck and neck, virtually identical conference records with 27-21 for the Warriors and 26-22 for the Pelicans. In the event of a tie between two non-division winners sharing the same conference win percentage with an evenly split season streak, the record against all playoff teams would be the next tiebreaker.

Below is a comprehensive snapshot of the state of the Western Conference playoffs and play-in races that come into play on Wednesday. This post will be updated daily for the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are won.

Reminder of how the play-in tournament works: #7 plays against #8 and #9 against #10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the #7, while the loser plays against the winner of the 9-10 game for the #8.

READ: Eastern Conference playoff image

NOTE: Developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, our SportsLine model simulates the entire season 10,000 times to create the most unbiased and accurate predictions imaginable.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

• Top 3 Seeds Won
• Projected Seed: 1
• Current first round encounter: open
• Tiebreakers vs. Memphis: Nuggets have taken hold
• Tiebreakers vs. Sacramento: Season series tied 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Nuggets lead the season streak 2-0, playing two

• Top 3 Seeds Won
• Projected Seed: 2
• Current first round encounter: vs. Timberwolves-Pelicans Play-In Winners
• Tiebreaker vs. Denver: Nuggets have taken hold
• Tiebreakers vs. Sacramento: Kings currently own a Via conference record
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Grizzlies own over the department head

• Projected Seed: 3
• Current first round encounter: against warriors
• Tiebreaker vs. Denver: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreakers vs. Memphis: Kings currently own the win percentage over the conference
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Kings own over division leaders
• Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Warriors lead 2-1 with one to play

• Projected Seed: 4
• Current first round encounter: vs Clippers
• Tiebreakers vs. Memphis: Grizzlies own over the department head
• Tiebreakers vs. Sacramento: Kings own over division leaders
• Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Suns have settled
• Tiebreakers vs. Timberwolves: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Suns currently own the winning percentage over the conference
• Tiebreakers vs. Clippers: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play

5. Los Angeles Clippers (40-36)

• Projected Seed: 6
• Current first round encounter: at suns
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Clippers lead by division win percentage
• Tiebreakers vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clung
• Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Mavericks currently own a Via conference record
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans lead 1-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Jazz clamped
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Clippers clipped

6. Warrior of the Golden State (40-37)

• Projected Seed: 5
• Current first round encounter: at Kings
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Suns have settled
• Tiebreakers vs. Timberwolves: Wolves currently lead the conference win percentage
• Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Warriors clung
• Tiebreakers vs. Clippers: Clippers lead by division win percentage
• Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: Warriors lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Lakers clung
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Warriors lead via Conference Win Percentage
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Warriors clung

Play-In Tournament

7.Minnesota Timberwolves (39-37)

• Projected Seed: 10
• Current first round encounter: vs. Pelicans (Play-In)
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Wolves currently lead the conference win percentage
• Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Wolves clung
• Tiebreakers vs. Clippers: Wolves clung
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Wolves currently own a via division record
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Wolves clung

8. New Orleans Pelicans (38-38)

• Projected Seed: lottery
• Current first round encounter: at Timberwolves (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Warriors lead via Conference Win Percentage
• Tiebreakers vs. Timberwolves: Tie 1-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Mavericks lead 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Jazz clamped
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Lakers clung
• Tiebreaker vs. OKC: Pelicans flinched
• Tiebreaker vs Portland: Pelicans flinched

9.Los Angeles Lakers (37-38)

• Projected Seed: 10
• Current first round encounter: vs Thunder (Play-in)
• Tiebreakers vs. Clippers: Clippers clipped
• Tiebreaker vs. Warrior: Lakers clung
• Tiebreakers vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clung
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Lakers clung
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Jazz leads 2-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs. OKC: Lakers clung
• Tiebreaker vs Portland: Blazers currently own the winning percentage over the conference

• Projected Seed: 9
• Current first round encounter: at Lakers (play-in)
• Tiebreaker vs. Warrior: Golden State leads 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: OKC clung
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans flinched
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: OKC leads 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Lakers clung
• Tiebreaker vs Portland: OKC clung

Look inside outside

11. Dallas Mavericks (37-39)

• Projected Seed: 8th
• Tiebreaker vs. Oklahoma City: OKC clung
• Tiebreaker vs Phoenix: Suns owns the winning percentage of the conference
• Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Warriors clung
• Tiebreakers vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clung
• Tiebreakers vs. Clippers: Dallas currently holds a Via conference record
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Dallas leads 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreaker vs. Utah: Dallas leads 2-1 with one to play
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Mavericks won

12. Utah Jazz (35-40)

• Projected Seed: lottery
• Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Jazz clamped
• Tiebreakers vs. Lakers: Jazz leads 2-0 with two to play
• Tiebreaker vs. OKC: Thunder lead 2-1 with a play
• Tiebreaker vs Portland: Blazers lead 2-1 with one to play