NBA playoff race 2024: Warriors, Mavericks meet again in critical West battle

There are no set matchups yet ahead of the NBA playoffs due to the fact that the standings in both the Eastern and Western Conferences are changing each and every night. A total of 12 games will be played on Friday night, 10 of which will directly impact the race to the playoffs across the NBA. Current 1-seeds in the Boston Celtics and the Minnesota Timberwolves will be in action, but the biggest game on the schedule once again involves the Golden State Warriors taking on the Dallas Mavericks.

In a rematch of a game that was just played on Tuesday, the Warriors will now hit the road to take on the Mavs, whom they defeated 104-100 to snap Dallas' then seven-game win streak. Stephen Curry and the Warriors are clicking right now, as they have won six straight games. Unlike last season, Golden State has found a ton of success on the road, moving to 23-15 away from Chase Center after defeating the Houston Rockets 133-110 on Thursday night.

With this win over Houston, the Warriors have almost certainly guaranteed themselves a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament. Now, their focus shifts to the standings, and they are trying to possibly move up. Extending their win streak to seven games would certainly present this opportunity to the Warriors.

In Dallas, Luka Doncic continues to dazzle and add to his MVP campaign with the Mavs. The middle of the West standings is extremely tight right now, which is why the Mavs need to continue picking up wins to close out the season if they are to avoid having to fight in the play-in tournament.

Around the NBA, other key matchups could be influenced in regards to the playoffs by the result of this Warriors-Mavericks duel. The Phoenix Suns, who play the Minnesota Timberwolves, will be impacted by this result, as will the Sacramento Kings, who face the toughest task of playing the Boston Celtics. Over in the Eastern Conference, the Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and New York Knicks will all look to strengthen their position in the standings.

The only two games that hold no playoff significance whatsoever involve the Portland Trail Blazers taking on the Washington Wizards, as well as the Detroit Pistons and Memphis Grizzlies squaring off. Only the NBA Draft lottery could be influenced by these two games.

There is plenty of action to be had on Friday night, as 10 different games can all influence what matchups we will see when the NBA Playoffs begin in roughly two weeks.

Thunder vs. Pacers (7:00 PM ET)

Without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and Jalen Williams in recent games, the Oklahoma City Thunder have been slumping. Could this be a ploy by the Thunder to avoid running into a proven championship team like the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors in a first-round series? This is very unlikely, as the Thunder have made it clear that they are confident playing against anyone thrown at them. Their opponents, the Indiana Pacers, have also been struggling to find their footing as of late. Now on the verge of falling into the play-in region of the East standings, the Pacers desperately need a win against a top-tier team like the Thunder.

• Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will sit out for the fifth time over OKC's last six games. Jalen Williams is also unlikely to play.
• The Thunder are a half-game behind the No. 2 Denver Nuggets and a full-game behind the No. 1 Timberwolves.
• A win over the Thunder keeps the Pacers in the 6-seed position entering the final week of the regular season.
• A loss to the Thunder, plus a win by the Miami Heat, puts the Pacers a half-game behind Miami for the 6-seed in the East.

Magic vs. Hornets (7:00 PM ET)

One of the most sneaky teams in the NBA ahead of the playoffs is the Orlando Magic. Jamahl Mosley has been getting the best out of his young team, and the Magic have been one of the best defensive squads throughout the course of the 2023-24 season. Currently occupying the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference, Orlando can strengthen their lead while possibly overtaking the No. 3 Cleveland Cavaliers in the standings. The Magic can't afford to slip against the Charlotte Hornets.

• The Magic are currently tied with the New York Knicks for the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference.
• A win over Charlotte puts the Magic in a tie with the Cavs for the 3-seed in the East. Orlando currently owns the season tiebreaker over Cleveland.
• A loss to Charlotte moves the Magic a half-game behind the Knicks for the 4-seed.

Kings vs. Celtics (7:30 PM ET)

Many are overlooking the Kings being in action against the Celtics on Friday night. This is a massive game that could really make things interesting in the play-in region of the Western Conference standings ahead of the NBA Playoffs. The Celtics are locked into the No. 1 overall spot ahead of the playoffs, as they own the best record in the league. However, the Kings losing 120-109 on Thursday to the Knicks has them on the verge of falling deeper into the play-in region. Sacramento can clinch a Top-10 seed with a win or a loss by the Rockets.

• Sacramento currently leads the No. 9 Lakers by a half-game in the standings. The Kings own the season tiebreaker over Los Angeles.
• The Kings trail the No. 6 Suns and No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans by one full game.
• A win over Boston, plus a loss by the Suns, momentarily moves Sacramento into the 7-seed in the West.
• A loss to Boston throws the Kings into a tie for the 8-seed with the Lakers.

Knicks vs. Bulls (8:00 PM ET)

Coming off their win over the Kings on Thursday, the Knicks can possibly retake the 4-seed from the Magic with a win over the Chicago Bulls on Friday. On the flip side of things, the Bulls are still barely holding onto the 9-seed from the Atlanta Hawks. Both teams need a win in order to try and maintain home-court advantage in their respective situations.

• The Knicks are tied with the Magic for the 4-seed in the Eastern Conference. Orlando owns the tiebreaker.
• A win, plus a loss by the Magic, moves the Knicks into the 3-seed due to their tiebreaker over Cleveland.
• A loss, plus a win by the Magic, moves the Knicks one full game behind both the Magic and Cavaliers in the East.
• A win over the Knicks moves the Bulls one full game ahead of Atlanta for the 9-seed.

Heat vs. Rockets (8:00 PM ET)

Two teams coming off a loss on Thursday night will meet on Friday night when the Miami Heat and Houston Rockets play. After losing to the Warriors, the Rockets are in big trouble if they do not pick up a win over the Heat. After losing to the Philadelphia 76ers, the Heat are in trouble and will fall further into the play-in region of the East standings if they do not pick up a win. Although their records may not be great, this is definitely a very important game for both teams as they look to keep their playoff hopes alive.

• Houston is eliminated from play-in contention with a loss and a win by the Warriors on Friday.
• The Rockets are currently four full games back of the No. 10 Warriors.
• Miami currently trails the No. 6 Pacers by a half-game but leads the No. 8 76ers by a half-game.
• A win against Houston, plus a loss by Indiana, moves the Heat to the 6-seed in the East.
• A loss to Houston moves the Heat into a tie for the 7-seed with the 76ers. Miami currently owns the tiebreaker due to its conference record.

Raptors vs. Bucks (8:00 PM ET)

The Milwaukee Bucks desperately need a win right now. After losing to the Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies in back-to-back games, the Bucks hold just a 1.5-game lead for the 2-seed in the East. Another devastating loss to a team with a losing record may just see the Bucks surrender their spot in the standings before the end of the season. The good news for Milwaukee is that Damian Lillard is set to return after his recent absences due to a groin injury.

• The Bucks currently hold a 1.5-game lead over the No. 3 Cavaliers in the East standings.
• A loss to the Raptors puts the Bucks in a position where they would only hold a one-game lead for the 2-seed.

Spurs vs. Pelicans (8:00 PM ET)

After losing to the Magic on Wednesday, the Pelicans have fallen into the play-in region of the Western Conference standings. If they are not careful, they may wind up missing the NBA playoffs altogether. Even though they are without Brandon Ingram, the Pelicans still have enough talent to make some noise and be a threat in the playoffs. With the San Antonio Spurs missing Keldon Johnson, Jeremy Sochan, and Devin Vassell, there is no reason New Orleans should lose this game at home on Friday.

• The Pelicans are tied with the No. 6 Suns in the standings. Phoenix owns the season tiebreaker.
• A win over San Antonio, plus a loss by Phoenix, moves the Pelicans back into the 6-seed in the conference.
• A loss to the Spurs and a win by the Kings move the Pelicans into a tie for the 7-seed in the West. The Pelicans own the season tiebreaker over Sacramento.

Warriors vs. Mavericks (8:30 PM ET)

Just a few days ago, the Warriors were able to defeat the Mavericks 104-100 behind great defense and Andrew Wiggins' 23 points. Golden State did a terrific job of containing the Mavs on offense, as Luka Doncic, Kyrie Irving, and PJ Washington combined for 77 of their 100 total points. Another win over Dallas would be huge for the Warriors pertaining to them possibly moving up and out of the 10-seed down the stretch run of the season. For the Mavs, another loss could really hurt their chances of claiming the 6-seed or better in the West. The Warriors will clinch a play-in spot with a win and a loss by the Rockets.

• The Mavericks currently lead the No. 6 Suns and the No. 7 Pelicans by one full game.
• Dallas trails the No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers by two games.
• A win over Golden State keeps the Mavericks in the 5-seed for the moment.
• A loss to the Warriors, plus a Suns or Pelicans win, puts the Mavs in a tie for the 5-seed. Dallas currently owns the tiebreakers over Phoenix and New Orleans.
• A win over the Mavs moves the No. 10 Warriors one game behind the No. 9 Lakers.

Jazz vs. Clippers (10:00 PM ET)

The Clippers pulled off a huge win over the Denver Nuggets on Thursday night, giving them a little bit of breathing room for the 4-seed in the West. Los Angeles now leads the Mavericks by two full games with just six games remaining, including Friday night's fight with the Utah Jazz. Kawhi Leonard has missed two straight games for the Clippers due to a knee injury, and he is expected to miss this one as well.

• The Clippers would move three games ahead of anyone else for the 4-seed with a win and a loss by the Mavs on Friday.
• A loss to the Jazz, plus a win by Dallas, makes the Clippers just one game ahead of the Mavs for the 4-seed.

Timberwolves vs. Suns (10:00 PM ET)

The final game on Friday night features two teams that will enter the playoffs with NBA Finals aspirations. While nobody expected them to sit at the top of the West, the Timberwolves are still rolling along without Karl-Anthony Towns. In Phoenix, Kevin Durant, Devin Booker, and Bradley Beal are beginning to look a lot more confident alongside one another. The Wolves could fall out of the 1-seed in the West with a loss, and the Suns are in danger of slipping back into the play-in region of the standings. This is a really big game with huge playoff implications for both organizations.

• The Timberwolves lead the No. 2 Nuggets by a half-game for the 1-seed in the West.
• A loss to Phoenix and a win by the Thunder on Friday puts the Timberwolves, Nuggets, and Thunder in a tie for the 1-seed.
• A win over Minnesota and a loss by Dallas move the Suns into a tie for the 5-seed with the Mavs. Dallas owns the season tiebreaker.
• A loss to Minnesota and wins by both New Orleans and Sacramento push Phoenix into a  7-seed tie with the Kings. Sacramento currently owns the tiebreaker over Phoenix.