The Western Conference playoff race, in particular, is going down to the wire as we approach the conclusion of the 2022–23 NBA regular season, and Sunday’s three-game slate can help determine the fate of certain playoff hopefuls.
The Nuggets were the first West team to punch their playoff tickets, and they’ve recently clinched the best record in the conference. On the other hand, the Timberwolves and the Clippers are looking to get into the Top 6 to avoid the play-in tournament altogether.
These three are set to take on teams that are already eliminated from playoff contention. Denver and Minnesota are going to visit Utah and San Antonio, respectively, while Los Angeles will host Portland.
To learn more about the games for Sunday, continue to read the SBOTOP preview below.
Denver Nuggets @ Utah Jazz
With the West’s top seed already in the bag, the Nuggets are preparing for their first-round matchup in the 2022-23 postseason.
Unfortunately for them, they have lost four of their last five, including last Wednesday against the Rockets, for which Mike Malone called his team “soft.”
Following Malone’s rant, the Nuggets responded by playing better against the Suns. If it weren’t for Chris Paul and Kevin Durant’s hot shooting, they would’ve won their 53rd game of the season.
In the loss, Bruce Brown led the way with a game-high 31 points and added six rebounds and four assists. The Nuggets were shorthanded as they held out Nikola Jokic (calf), Jamal Murray (thumb), Michael Porter Jr. (heel), Kentavious Caldwell-Pope (illness), and Aaron Gordon (shoulder) – basically their whole starting unit.
Against the Jazz, there’s not much incentive for Mike Malone to play all of his starters. But if they do, they should be favoured by the NBA 2023 odds to win against the Jazz.
The Jazz’s play-in quest has come to an end because of their four-game losing streak, and they were defeated in five consecutive home games.
Because there’s nothing left to play for if you’re the Jazz, they decided to shut down first-time All-Star Lauri Markkanen and ROY candidate Walker Kessler for the season. With that said, expect more minutes from the likes of Kris Dunn, Ochai Agbaji, and Simone Fontecchio.
Minnesota Timberwolves @ San Antonio Spurs
The Timberwolves are clinging to ninth place in the Western Conference standings with a 40-40 record. To guarantee their place in the play-in competition, they cannot afford to lose another game.
Earlier this week, the Timberwolves had lost three straight games against the Suns, Lakers, and Blazers, but they got back to winning ways against the Nets on Wednesday.
Anthony Edwards and Karl-Anthony Towns led the way with 23 and 22 points, respectively. Rudy Gobert had 12 points and 12 rebounds, and Mike Conley added 18 points, including nine in the final period.
The return of Karl-Anthony Towns has been good for Minnesota since he adds another dimension to their offense. KAT is an excellent scorer and floor spacer, meshing well with co-star Anthony Edwards.
The Spurs have beaten the Timberwolves in two of their last three meetings this season, but their fans would rather see them lose this game to get a leg up in the Victor Wembanyama sweepstakes.
But they beat the Blazers on Friday, as Keita Bates-Diop, Keldon Johnson, Julian Champagnie, and Zach Collins combined for 94 points in the 129-127 victory. All of them should continue to play heavy minutes in Sunday’s contest.
Portland Trail Blazers @ Los Angeles Clippers
The Clippers are brimming with confidence because they are coming off a statement win against the Lakers on Thursday.
With their 11th consecutive win against the Lakers, the Clippers are tied with the Warriors for fifth in the Western Conference standings at 42-38.
Without Paul George, who is sidelined with a knee injury, Norman Powell stepped up for the Clippers. The 29-year-old swingman dropped 27 points off the bench and created several NBA 2023 highlights.
Kawhi Leonard, on the other hand, had 25 points, seven rebounds, and four assists in 43 minutes of playing time.
Clippers head coach Ty Lue said that he’s not a fan of the play-in tournament, which is understandable because of what happened to them last season.
In the 2022 play-in tournament, the Clippers saw their playoff hopes dashed when they lost two consecutive games to the seventh-seeded Timberwolves and the ninth-seeded Pelicans.
So, even if the Blazers are tanking, the Clippers can’t take them lightly because defeating the Suns in their final regular season game is a much harder task.
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