NBA Post Season: Which Teams Will Make it Through and Which Ones Will Fall Out?

The regular season in the NBA has gotten to the point where it’s not so regular anymore. And that’s because while some teams have made sure of their spot in the playoff season of the NBA, some other teams are still struggling to extend their season well past April.

The ripple effect of their struggles has, to a large extent, sent its own fair share of ripples across the board. Because some of these teams have activated their “Desperate Mode,” they’re even harder to defeat these days.

As things stand now, it seems that the Toronto Raptors and Boston Celtics (from the Eastern Conference), the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors have all but ensured their spot in the play-offs. They have garnered enough points already to not finish outside the required eight teams from each conference.

But there are other teams hovering outside the “Qualified Eight” and waiting on their chance to make it through or replace any team that falls by the wayside. For some of these teams, playing in the NBA post-season has become a tradition and missing out on it will be a huge disappointment.

One team that was languishing outside the top eight some weeks back is San Antonio Spurs. It was feared that they may not make it through to the play-offs, especially with their main man, Kawhi Leaonard out injured some weeks back.

But they have turned the tables around after going on a six-game unbeaten streak. It’s like they’ve found the form that, over time, helped them to qualify for the post-season consistently in the past years.

The same cannot be said for LA Clippers, a team NBA fans are used to seeing in the play-offs (at least they usually make it into the top eight). They have lost more of their last 10 games (6 losses) than they have won.

Unlike Houston Rockets that have now gone 8 games without losing, the wins haven’t been consistent for the Clippers. They’re currently placed 10^th on the log and will need to improve their form if they will still be playing NBA basketball after April.

In the Eastern Conference, the Cavs and the 76ers have all but ensured their spot in the play-off season no thanks to their unbeaten runs. They still can’t afford any slip-ups and will be looking to push all the way till the end of the regular season.

Looking further down the table, the Hornets, although 10^th on the log, may have picked up their charge into the top eight after racking up three wins on the bounce. Their last 10 games has been a good balance of wins and defeats and they will need to do better if they’re to knock either the Chicago Bulls or the Dallas Mavericks out of the top eight to make space for themselves.