The Golden State Warriors control their own playoff destiny.
Even after a disappointing, buzzer beater loss to San Antonio on Wednesday, Golden State can avoid the play-in tournament.
Waiting on the other side, if the Warriors take care of business, would be the Los Angeles Lakers.
Here’s how the Warriors get the No. 6 seed in the Western Conference:
If Golden State is the 6-seed, then it means they’ll play the 3-seed in the first round.
The Lakers currently are No. 3, and they’ll stay there if they win one of their final two games (vs. Rockets, at Trail Blazers).
So the NBA is just a few wins away from a dream first-round playoff series between LeBron, Luka and the Lakers against Steph and the Warriors.
Basketball Reference gives the Lakers an 88.9 percent chance to get the 3-seed.
The Warriors’ chances are tougher, given only a 28.7 percent chance of the 6-seed. They could actually climb as high as No. 4 in an unlikely combination of events, but also have a combined 43 percent chance of being either the 7- or 8-seed.
