The New Orleans Pelicans had a chance to make their play-in road significantly easier on the final day of the regular season. That didn't happen.
The Pelicans fell to the Timberwolves 113-108, finishing with a record of 42-40 and dropping behind Minnesota into the bottom half of the play-in. It's a complicated road, but it's not unfamiliar. New Orleans also went into the play-in as the 9 seed in the 2022 postseason, but they won twice to make it onto the full playoff bracket.
With all that in mind, here's how the final Western Conference standings land heading into the postseason:
1. Nuggets: 53-29
2. Grizzlies: 51-31
3. Kings: 48-34
4. Suns: 45-37
5. Clippers: 44-38
6. Warriors: 44-38
-- PLAY-IN
7. Lakers: 43-39
8. Timberwolves: 42-40
9. Pelicans: 42-40
10. Thunder: 40-42
-- ELIMINATED
11. Mavericks: 38-44
12. Jazz: 37-45
13. Trail Blazers: 33-49
14. Rockets: 22-60
15. Spurs: 22-60
HOW DOES THE PLAY-IN WORK?
It sounds more complicated than it is. There are three games in total. Game 1 features the 7 seed (Lakers) hosting the 8 seed (Timberwolves). The winner of that game advances as the 7 seed.
Game 2 features the 9 seed (Pelicans) hosting the 10 seed (Thunder). The loser of that game is eliminated.
Game 3, the final game, features the loser of the 7/8 game hosting the winner of the 9/10 game. The team that wins game 3 advances to the full playoff bracket as the 8 seed, while the loser is eliminated.
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WHEN WILL THE PELICANS PLAY?
GAME 1: Timberwolves (42-40) at Lakers (43-39)
- Where: Staples Center, Los Angeles, California
- When: 9 p.m. (central), Tuesday, April 11
- TV: TNT
GAME 2: Thunder (40-42) at Pelicans (42-40)
- Where: Smoothie King Center, New Orleans, Louisiana
- When: 8:30 p.m. (central), Wednesday, April 12
- TV: ESPN
GAME 3: Game 2 winner at Game 1 loser
- Where: TBD
- When: Friday, April 14
Should the Pelicans play through and make it to the full bracket -- as they did last year with victories over the Spurs and Clippers -- they would face the Nuggets in the first round.
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