Warriors vs. Clippers scenarios, explained: How Game 82 will impact 2026 NBA playoff bracket originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The final day of the NBA season isn’t loaded with high-stakes games, aside from the jumbled mix of teams outside the top-four seeds in the East, but the Warriors and Clippers again meet for Game 82 with something on the line.
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While the Warriors are locked into their spot in the West, the Clippers face the possibility of getting another matchup with Golden State in the Play-In Tournament.
Even with a win on Sunday, the Clippers don’t control their own fate.
Here’s what you need to know about the playoff scenarios for Sunday’s game between the Warriors and Clippers.
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NBA Western Conference playoff standings
Standings through April 11.
Seed
Team
Wins
Losses
Games Back
1
Thunder*
64
17
—
2
Spurs*
62
19
2
3
Nuggets*
53
28
11
4
Lakers*
52
29
12
5
Rockets*
51
30
13
6
Timberwolves*
48
33
16
7
Suns**
44
37
20
8
Trail Blazers**
41
40
23
9
Clippers**
41
40
23
10
Warriors**
37
44
27
11
Pelicans
26
55
38
12
Grizzlies
25
56
39
13
Mavericks
25
56
39
14
Kings
22
59
42
15
Jazz
22
59
42
*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Pelicans, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Kings, Jazz
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The Warriors enter the final day of the regular season locked into the No. 10 seed and a Play-In spot, while the Clippers are tied with the Trail Blazers at 41-40 but currently sit behind Portland thanks to a tiebreaker disadvantage.
Here’s a look at the NBA’s two-team tiebreaking procedure:
Winning percentage head-to-head
If one team is leading its division and the other team isn’t, the division leader gets the edge.
If teams are in same division: Winning percentage in division
Winning percentage in conference
Winning percentage against playoff-eligible teams in conference
Winning percentage against playoff-eligible teams in opposing conference
As the Clippers’ fate is determined, here is a look at how the scenarios break down.
MORE:Cases for and against every MVP candidate
Warriors vs. Clippers scenarios, explained
The Warriors are locked into the No. 10 seed and will have to win two Play-In games on the road to reach the playoffs. For the Clippers, here are the scenarios:
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If the Warriors win
A Warriors win would guarantee the Clippers remain the No. 9 seed in the West and set up a Play-In Tournament game between these two teams at the Intuit Dome in Los Angeles. The winner of that Play-In game would advance to a winner-take-all game for the No. 8 seed, while the Trail Blazers and Suns would play in Phoenix for the No. 7 seed.
If the Clippers win
The Clippers can only move into the No. 8 seed with a win over the Warriors and a Trail Blazers loss to the Kings. If Portland wins, L.A. cannot move up or down in the West standings.
Should the Clippers jump to the No. 8 seed, they would have a chance to secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs by beating the Suns in Phoenix. If they remain the No. 9 seed, the Clippers would need to win two games to reach the playoffs and could be no higher than the No. 8 seed in the bracket.