NBA Playoff Picture: Los Angeles Lakers Tiebreakers
The 2022-23 NBA regular season is set to end on April 9 and the Los Angeles Lakers find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference standings.
There is very little room for error for LeBron James, Anthony Davis and the Lakers, which is why the final week of the season is very important for this group.
Losing just one game could result in them falling out of the playoff picture for the moment and into the Play-In Tournament picture, possibly having to play a game or two just to earn a playoff spot as the 7-seed or 8-seed in the conference.
Avoiding the Play-In Tournament is definitely something every team would like to do at this point in the season and all the Lakers need to do at this point to make the postseason is win.
Here is the tiebreaker criteria the NBA will use to determine playoff seeding in the event two or more teams tie:
NBA Tiebreaker Rules for 2 Teams Tied:
(1) Better winning percentage in games against each other
(2) Division leader wins a tie over a team not leading a division
(3) Division won-lost percentage (only if teams are in same division)
(4) Conference won-lost percentage
(5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position)
(6) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in other conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position)
(7) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”)
NBA Tiebreaker Rules for 3 or More Teams Tied:
(1) Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division (this criterion is applied regardless of whether the tied teams are in the same division)
(2) Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams
(3) Division won-lost percentage (only if all teams are in same division)
(4) Conference won-lost percentage
(5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position)
(6) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”)
Some tiebreakers will be determined over the final week of the regular season, but based on the league’s criteria outlined above, here is a team-by-team breakdown of what tiebreakers the Los Angeles Lakers do and do not own over teams close to them in the Western Conference standings:
Team-By-Team Tiebreakers for Los Angeles Lakers (43-39):
(UPDATED 4/9/23 at 6:00 p.m. ET.)
Phoenix Suns - Currently 4-seed in Western Conference, Record: 46-36
[Tiebreaker Favors Phoenix Suns] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL
- Phoenix Suns tied Los Angeles Lakers 2-2 in 2022-23 regular season meetings.
- Suns Divison Record: 9-7, Lakers Divison Record: 6-10
Los Angeles Clippers - Currently 5-seed in Western Conference, Record: 44-38
[Tiebreaker Favors Los Angeles Clippers] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL
- Los Angeles Clippers defeated Los Angeles Lakers 4-0 in 2022-23 regular season meetings.
Golden State Warriors - Currently 6-seed in Western Conference, Record: 44-38
[Tiebreaker Favors Los Angeles Lakers] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL
- Los Angeles Lakers defeated Golden State Warriors 3-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
Minnesota Timberwolves - Currently 8-seed in Western Conference, Record: 42-40
[Tiebreaker Favors Minnesota Timberwolves] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL
- Minnesota Timberwolves defeated Los Angeles Lakers 2-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
New Orleans Pelicans - Currently 9-seed in Western Conference, Record: 42-40
[Tiebreaker Favors Los Angeles Lakers] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL
- Los Angeles Lakers defeated New Orleans Pelicans 3-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
Oklahoma City Thunder - Currently 10-seed in Western Conference, Record: 40-42
[Tiebreaker Favors Los Angeles Lakers] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL
- Los Angeles Lakers defeated Oklahoma City Thunder 2-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
Current Western Conference Standings
Updated at 6:00 p.m. ET. on 4/9/23
- Denver Nuggets (53-29) [Clinched Playoff Spot] - 0.0 GB
- Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) [Clinched Playoff Spot] - 2.0 GB
- Sacramento Kings (48-34) [Clinched Playoff Spot]- 5.0 GB
- Phoenix Suns (45-37) [Clinched Playoff Spot] - 8.0 GB
- Los Angeles Clippers (44-38) - 9.0 GB
- Golden State Warriors (44-38) - 9.0 GB
- Los Angeles Lakers (43-39) - 10.0 GB
- Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40) - 11.0 GB
- New Orleans Pelicans (42-40) - 11.0 GB
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42) - 13.0 GB
- Dallas Mavericks (38-44) - 15.0 GB [ELIMINATED]
- Utah Jazz (37-45) - 16.0 GB [ELIMINATED]
- Portland Trail Blazers (33-49) [ELIMINATED] - 20.0 GB
- Houston Rockets (22-60) [ELIMINATED] - 31.0 GB
- San Antonio Spurs (22-60) [ELIMINATED] - 31.0 GB
Be sure to catch up on the newest episode of The Fast Break Podcast hosted by Fastbreak's own Brett Siegel!
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