NBA Playoffs Recap: Rockets’ seeding scenario guide for final weekend

All playoff series will follow the same best-of-seven format, with the team with home-field advantage scheduled to host Game 1, Game 2, Game 5, and Game 7 (the last two if necessary).

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So what will determine the final result of the planting?

— If the Rockets go 0-2 iIn their final games of the regular season, the math is simple: they are locked into fifth place.

— If the Rockets go 1-1They can’t catch Denver, and they can only catch Los Angeles (for the No. 4 spot) if the Lakers finish 0-2.

— If the Rockets leave 2-0they would move to Los Angeles if the Lakers are 1-1 or worse, and they would move to the Nuggets if Denver is 0-2. Passing one of those teams would mean the No. 4 seed, and passing both would give Houston the No. 3 seed.

Any scenario in which Houston is No. 3 would mean a matchup against No. 6 Minnesota in the first round, and would put the Rockets on the same side of the draw as San Antonio for a potential second-round matchup.

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But aside from Houston’s own seeding, there’s also the question of where the Nuggets and Lakers finish, relative to each other. Let’s review those scenarios.

— If the Nuggets leave 2-0They are locked in as the No. 3 seed in the West, and Houston would face Los Angeles in a first-round series between the No. 4 and No. 5 seeds. The Lakers would have home-field advantage over the Rockets, in this scenario, unless Houston wins a game against them over the final weekend.

— If the Nuggets leave 1-1the Lakers could overtake Denver for third place with a 2-0 record. That would lead Denver to a 4/5 matchup against the Rockets, with the Nuggets having home field advantage. Otherwise, if the Lakers finish 1-1 or 0-2, the standings remain the same as today: Los Angeles/Houston as the 4/5 series.

— If the Nuggets go 0-2which is unlikely but not impossible, things could get crazy. We can break down these scenarios separately:

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• Nuggets 0-2, Lakers 2-0, Rockets 2-0 would make Los Angeles No. 3, Houston No. 4 and Denver No. 5

• Nuggets 0-2, Lakers 1-1, Rockets 1-1 or worse would make Los Angeles No. 3, Denver No. 4 and Houston No. 5

• Nuggets 0-2, Lakers 1-1, Rockets 2-0 would make Houston No. 3, Los Angeles No. 4 and Denver No. 5

• Nuggets 0-2, Lakers 0-2, Rockets 1-1 would make Denver No. 3, Houston No. 4 and Los Angeles No. 5

• Nuggets 0-2, Lakers 0-2, Rockets 0-2 would make Denver No. 3, Los Angeles No. 4 and Houston No. 5

Beyond seeding/matchup preferences for each of the three teams involved, there are also potential incentive considerations for opponents.

For example, could San Antonio try a little harder against Denver in its finale if the Spurs think a loss would drop the Nuggets to the No. 4 or No. 5 seed?

That would put Denver on Oklahoma City’s side in the West group, and would likely put the injury-ravaged Lakers on San Antonio’s side.

Furthermore, with Victor Wembanyama limited by a rib bruise, Spurs could prioritize rest before any group considerations.

From a strategic perspective, a complicating factor is that the six games involving the Nuggets, Lakers and Rockets will overlap with each other. All Sunday games will begin at 7:30 pm central time, while Friday games will begin between 8:00 and 9:30 pm central time.

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Therefore, in the pre-game preparations, neither team will fully know what it must do (or not do) to win a specific position or matchup. Most scenarios will depend, at least in part, on results elsewhere, which should lead to plenty of drama during the final weekend of the regular season.

For each team, Game 1 of the next first-round series will be played the following weekend, either Saturday, April 18 or Sunday, April 19. An initial playoff schedule will be released shortly after Sunday’s games are final.

Further: Eight in a row! Kevin Durant scores 29 and the Rockets (51-29) beat the Sixers