MLB is implementing a set of new rules for the 2023 season and beyond.
In reality, if we count the return of the ghost runner, there are more modifications, but three new norms are being introduced starting from this campaign: the pitch clock, the bigger bases, and the shift restrictions.
As a way to “advertise” the new rules, the league, the New York Mets, and Daniel Vogelbach – known for being one of the slowest baserunners in baseball – combined for a hilarious video.
The clip is supposed to let fans know about the bigger bases and how they represent an incentive for virtually every player to attempt more stolen bases.
Vogelbach looks at the base and nods towards Mets manager Buck Showalter, who begs him not to go for the steal but the player does anyway.
Fans reacted to the video and found it very, very funny.
Wow, hat’s off to y’all, this is glorious.
— Jerk Store Assistant Regional Manager (@obliqueirony) March 23, 2023
Our initial reaction was certainly laughter.
It is a very clever way to let people know about a new rule.
The reeling Phoenix Suns could certainly use Kevin Durant when they take on the Sacramento Kings at the Golden 1 Center. Durant hasn’t played since Mar. 5 in the Suns’ 130-126 win over the Dallas Mavericks.
On Mar. 9, just when KD was about to make his home debut in Phoenix, he rolled his left ankle and injured it during warmups. KD got up and finished his routine, but was declared out by the Suns for precautionary measures against his old team, the OKC Thunder.
Here’s video of Kevin Durant slipping on the floor pregame.
He stayed down for a few seconds but then got up and finished his on-court work.
Here’s video of Kevin Durant slipping on the floor pregame.He stayed down for a few seconds but then got up and finished his on-court work. https://t.co/DwTrNc6LIr
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After the game, it was announced that Kevin Durant will, unfortunately, be sidelined again until the end of this month. The Phoenix Suns informed the media that he will be re-evaluated in three weeks.
If the former NBA MVP recovers as expected, he could be available on Apr. 2 against, coincidentally, the OKC Thunder.
Phoenix is unbeaten in the three games that Durant played. He averaged 26.7 points, 7.3 rebounds and 3.7 assists during that stretch. KD also hit a ridiculous 69.0% of his shots, including a blistering 53.8% from behind the arc.
The Phoenix Suns are 2-5 in their last seven games without Durant. Unfortunately, for the Suns, he’s only going to be a cheerleader for them tonight.
What is Kevin Durant’s status against the Sacramento Kings?
Kevin Durant has officially been ruled out for the Phoenix Suns’ matchup against the Sacramento Kings. Durant hasn’t played in the Suns’ last seven games due to a left ankle sprain, which he suffered during pregame warmups.
KD was working on his routine right before the tip-off against the OKC Thunder when he rolled and injured his left ankle. It didn’t look like he was going to be sidelined as he finished his workout as if he was not injured.
Kevin Durant (ankle) and Deandre Ayton (hip) aren’t in Sacramento as #Suns end 3-game road trip Friday against #Kings.
Both ruled out for 4th and final meeting between Phoenix and Sacramento.
Suns have 2-1 series lead. They’re 4th in West.
Kings 3rd. Up five games on Phoenix.
Kevin Durant (ankle) and Deandre Ayton (hip) aren’t in Sacramento as #Suns end 3-game road trip Friday against #Kings.Both ruled out for 4th and final meeting between Phoenix and Sacramento.Suns have 2-1 series lead. They’re 4th in West.Kings 3rd. Up five games on Phoenix.
A day after the game, the Phoenix Suns broke the news to the media that the two-time NBA champ will need three weeks to recover. Durant will be re-evaluated on Mar. 30.
If things go as planned, he could be back in the Suns’ last few remaining regular-season games.
What is Kevin Durant’s impact on the Phoenix Suns?
Las Vegas oddsmakers gave the Phoenix Suns a +1800 chance of winning the 2023 NBA championship. After acquiring Kevin Durant from the Brooklyn Nets, their odds improved to +425. He can simply change the ceiling of a team when he’s available.
The Suns were energized when Durant was on the floor. Devin Booker was awarded several open looks because of KD’s presence. Chris Paul’s job became a little easier with another legitimate scoring maestro at his disposal.
Phoenix did not lose a game when the “Slim Reaper” was on the floor.
Kevin Durant makes the Phoenix Suns a bonafide championship contender. Without him, they may even drop into the play-in tournament.
The Suns (38-34), who are in fourth place, are only just 3.0 games ahead of the Utah Jazz (35-37) for the 11th spot. Phoenix is on a two-game losing streak. If they can’t snap out of their lethargy, they could end up having to fight for their playoff aspirations via the play-in tournament.
Sheikh Jassim bin Hamad Al Thani will submit his new bid for Manchester United either later on Friday or over the weekend.
The deadline for second bids was 9pm on Wednesday but Sheikh Jassim’s representatives asked for an extension on Tuesday and they have been given more time.
Sky Sports News has told the bid remains on track and nothing has changed. Sir Jim Ratcliffe and INEOS submitted a revised bid on Thursday night.
US hedge fund Elliott Management did make an offer before the deadline to buy a minority stake in the club.
Elliott Management have also offered financing to other parties interested in investing in United and that offer still stands.
Would £4.5bn be enough for Glazers to sell?
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Sky Sports News’ Kaveh Solhekol explains what American hedge fund Elliot Management’s minority bid could mean for Manchester United and the Glazers
Sky Sports News chief reporter Kaveh Solhekol:
“There was this deadline last night [Wednesday] of 9pm, and we understand Ratcliffe’s team got in touch with Raine to ask for a little bit more time, and that bid has gone in today.
“We’re now just waiting to hear that the Qataris have put their bid in too. We know Ratcliffe has the funds in place – not all of it will be his own money – to be able to buy Man Utd.
“How much is the bid worth? The information I have is that the first round of bids were world-record bids, more than £3.75bn, and potentially around £4.5bn. It’s a staggering amount of money, but may not be enough for the Glazer’s to sell.”
Sky Sports News understands the Glazer family do want to sell the club.
Here’s what happened on a dramatic Tuesday night of extraordinary developments around the sale of Man Utd:
9pm: Deadline for second bids passes, with Elliott Management having submitted offer for minority stake.
9.10pm: Qataris claim to make new, improved, debt-free world-record bid.
9.45pm: Raine Group, the firm handling the sale of Man Utd, say they did not receive bids from Sheikh Jassim or Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s INEOS. The Qataris had previously asked for an extension, followed by INEOS. Both extensions were granted.
10.25pm: Raine Group say they have received “many proposals” to buy United before deadline but not from the Qataris or Ratcliffe.
10.35pm: Sky Sports News told that Glazers do want to sell United.
10.45pm: Qataris say they did not submit bid because they were offered an extension which had been granted to other parties and Sheikh Jassim decided to take it up.
10.50pm: Sources involved reveal Sheikh Jassim’s bid is ready to go and he did not need extra time.
The Glazer family have still not indicated how much they want for United, with even the most senior people involved not knowing the asking price.
It is understood up to eight bids were sent in to Raine on Wednesday night but not all of them are to buy United outright.
The Qataris believe they will have the best offer for the club, the fans and the community.
Sheikh Jassim and Ratcliffe are the leading contenders but there is no favourite at present, with the highest first-round bids having valued the club at around £4.5bn – well short of the Glazer family’s widely-reported £6bn asking price.
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Sir Jim Ratcliffe arrives at Old Trafford on Friday as talks continue about a potential takeover of Manchester United
The Raine Group and the Glazers will take around a week to evaluate the new bids, although there is no new deadline for Sheikh Jassim to make his new bid.
Sheikh Jassim’s bid team called Raine on Tuesday and asked for more time. Sir Jim Ratcliffe’s bid team called Raine on Wednesday and asked for more time. Both requests were granted without a new deadline.
Once the bids are evaluated, one bidder could be given exclusivity, although it is more likely there will be another round of bids with a smaller group of preferred bidders.
How Ratcliffe and the Qataris made their pitch
Image: Sheikh Jassim Bin Hamad Al Thani, centre, and Sir Jim Ratcliffe, right, are in the running to buy Manchester United from the Glazers, left
Ratcliffe and his INEOS delegation have been described as impressive and sophisticated in their approach, having visited the club for six hours last Friday.
Ratcliffe says he will not pay a “stupid” price for United but his interest in the club would be “purely in winning things”, calling the club a “community asset”.
It was previously understood the Qatari bidders were determined not to pay over the odds for the club but that stance has softened in recent days, coinciding with a delegation’s visit to Old Trafford.
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Following the deadline of the second round of bidding for Manchester United, Sky Sports’ Kaveh Solhekol provides the latest updates
A Qatari delegation travelled to Manchester from London by train and received a warm welcome. Talks were held across 10 hours – a lot longer than expected.
Sheikh Jassim and members of his team had been to Old Trafford as fans before and the focus of this visit was to get a perspective on what they could do with their capital investment regarding infrastructure, youth development and the women’s team.
Any bid of more than £3.75bn would break the world-record fee for a sports club set when the Denver Broncos were sold last summer.
The Washington Commanders are also up for sale and are expected to change hands for more than that.
Zilliacus: Financing Man Utd bid isn’t a big obstacle
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Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus reveals what he would like to do with Manchester United if his bid to become an investor is accepted
Finnish businessman Thomas Zilliacus reveals what he would like to do with Manchester United if his bid to become an investor is accepted.
“We have the finances,” he told Sky Sports. “The Glazers know the world is not flush with money, but there is enough in the hands of people who are looking for interesting opportunities and returns.
“I feel this could be one of those. To finance the bid, frankly I don’t see that as a big obstacle. We have finance available for whatever is required but we won’t go to crazy levels.
“I’ve read there are as many as five other bidders for the club. We would be happy to talk to the other bidders to join forces with one or more of those if they feel the same as we do about involving the fans.”
Image: Thomas Zilliacus has revealed he has bid for Man Utd
Zilliacus has revealed his bid is based on buying half the club, letting the fans buy the other 50 per cent.
He is the founder and chairman of social media company novaM Group and has said he submitted his bid through his holding company XXI Century Capital.
“Any sport club ultimately should belong to its fans,” added Zilliacus. “The current development, where billionaire sheikhs and oligarchs take over clubs and control them as their personal playgrounds is not a healthy trend.
“The current market value of the club is just under $3.9bn. That means that if every one of the fans of the club would join in buying the club, the total sum per fan would amount to less than $6. My bid is built on equality with the fans.
“My group will finance half of the sum needed to take over the club, and will ask the fans, through a new company that is being set up for this specific purpose, to participate for the other half. If every fan joins it means less than $3 per fan. Each fan who joins will have access to an app which the fan, from anywhere in the world, can use to participate and cast his vote when deciding on footballing matters relating to the club.
“No decisions will be taken that are not supported by a majority of the fan base.
He added: “Manchester United should not only be the best football club in the world, it should also be the leading club in the world in working to stop abuse, racism and hate speech in social media and on sports grounds.
“Should we be successful in our bid we will ensure that Manchester United, the best football club in the world, will operate on a foundation of respect, equality, dignity, diversity, racial harmony and democracy, and with its global fan base included and involved in all decisions.”
We have arrived at the Elite 8, and this round is going to be a good old-fashioned slobber knocker.
Start these debates at a party with strangers and the host will kick you out because mingling would cease, and rage would consume the event. If a sports-talk radio show took these topics, gave each one week, and let the listeners call in and argue, the program would be able to fill every show for the summer with content.
You could walk into any sports bar in America and have people screaming at each other from end to end. Each one of the remaining debates deserves to win, but in the spirit of this entire bracket, something has to be the best.
So would you rather have your mind blank out arguing about Biggie and Tupac, Shaq and Kobe, the 1996 Chicago Bulls and the 2016 Golden State Warriors, or one of the other remaining arguments? Let us know!
Be sure to go to @Deadspin on Twitter and vote on which argument you would most like to waste hours of your life screaming at another human about. If you want to catch up, check out the full field and the Sweet 16.
First Take Region No. 1: LeBron James vs. Michael Jordan
Photo: Getty Images
For some the choice is obvious, for others it’s the type of sports debate that makes you feel like your T.V. is slapping you in the head at 10 a.m. Whether you hate or love this classic, it will make you feel something.
Michael Jordan is the face of the modern NBA. He took the interest that Magic Johnson and Larry Bird injected into the league in the early 80s and used it to build the first athlete economic empire. The NBA was selling its individual stars to market the games so Jordan’s agent — David Faulk — took it one step further with his client. He wanted Nike to market Jordan like a tennis star. Like a singular athlete.
LeBron James had seen the success of this his whole life and set a plan into action early. He signed a $90 million deal with Nike before he signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. Since then, James has started a fast-food pizza restaurant and also owns a production company that remade both Space Jam and the early 1990s classic House Party.
These two are true A-list celebrities. Not just sports famous, but pop culture icons like Michael Jackson, Eddie Murphy, Jack Nicholson, etc. Also one has the highest points per game average in NBA history and the other holds the record for total points scored.
– Stephen Knox
First Take Region No. 2: iPhone vs. Android
Photo: AP
The green bubble vs. the blue bubble.
Fashion dictates that anything a person walks out of the house with can be considered stylish if put together with intent and flaunted with confidence. However, there are usually some base requirements.
For a rapper in 2003, it meant wearing a jersey that extended to at least their mid-thigh. In the early 2010s, it meant the tighter the jeans the better for young people. Who cares if they want to procreate later in life?
Phones have been part of that as well, but in the aughts, it was mainly young people with their Razors and Sidekicks. Nowadays, an iPhone is almost considered as standard as a man wearing a tie to a business interview. How dare a group chat be besmirched with the site of that ugly green bubble. If you don’t have air pods, can you even hear?
For all of those white commas hanging out of people’s ears at the grocery store, there are still some people who are willing to part with standard formalities. They don’t need facetime, iCloud, or a phone that slowsdown when a new version is released.
Samsung is on its 23rd Galaxy and the NBA is advertising the new Google Pixel 7 during every game, so there are still many android users among the general population. Are those people tacky, or are they seeing with their third eye?
– Stephen Knox
Siskel & Ebert Region No. 1: Cats vs. Dogs
Photo: AP
Let’s be a little more creative than splitting this down the gender line. You know cat people, I know cat people, and there are certain people who are just cat people. But this isn’t about which version of a crazy cat person or Best In Show dog obsessive is worse. It’s about the animals themselves.
The nicest dogs are as great as the nicest cats, and ditto for the worst dogs and worst cats. I just think your average run-of-the-mill (not puppy mill, please, responsible practices for both species) dog is better than an average cat. The upside of felines is less maintenance. You don’t have to walk them or make sure to let them out every so often. With dogs, you get to bring them outside and on camping trips and a lot of other places. (Probably too many, but again, let’s focus on the animals, not the terrible owners.)
I don’t know who prevails in cats versus dogs, but I do know who wins in journalists versus cats and/or dogs, so I am aware of just how pervasive this argument is.
– Sean Beckwith
Siskel & Ebert Region No. 2: Lionel Messi vs. Cristiano Ronaldo
Photo: Getty Images
The people who think Cristiano Ronaldo is better than Lionel Messi eventually bring up Ronadlo’s dating history as if that’s supposed to sway an argument. Is it really about who he’s fucked, or are you fucking him? No judgment. Just be open with yourself. Ronaldo is a genetic freak who was created to score goals and serve as a role model for how not to handle stardom.
Messi is an artist, a savant, a genius, but he’s slight. And the argument folds in on itself from there. The internet has taken this debate to places no discussion should go, and it’s beyond personal for a lot of people (mostly Real Madrid and Barcelona fans).
From a purely GOAT point of view, Messi vs. Ronaldo is the best-running GOAT debate we’ve ever had. The era of men’s tennis that’s winding down right now is close, but Ronaldo and Messi took turns winning accolades and trophies for basically two decades.
– Sean Beckwith
Pardon The Interruption Region No. 8: The Rock vs. Stone Cold Steve Austin
Photo: WWE
At the time, Stone Cold was the biggest wrestler ever, by far, at least in terms of his ability to draw money. He chugged beers, talked shit, and did it with as much charisma as anybody. That’s why it was so alarming when The Rock showed up with just as much cachet, if not more. It was one of those feuds that made fans not want to pick a side.
Of course, we did, and if you chose The Rock, good for you. It goes without saying who won the post-wrestling career arc, though I feel like things could’ve gone differently for Austin without the injuries. I mean there’s a chance this debate could still go to Stone Cold, but it’s less dependent on his future actions and more about how many Black Adams the People’s (but not Box Office) Champ has in him.
– Sean Beckwith
Pardon The Interruption Region No. 3: 72-win Chicago Bulls vs. 73-win Golden State Warriors
Photo: AP
The 73-win Golden State Warriors are the model of modern-day basketball. Predicated on poetic off-ball movements by the Splash Brothers and Draymond Green at the nexus of his mental and physical peak, they remain the Platonic Ideal for modern basketball. The 72-win Chicago Bulls were the gold standard. Two decades earlier, the Chicago Bulls Triangle offense starring Michael Jordan and Scottie Pippen were the model of consistency. In a more physical, stagnant league, Jordan was as automatic from midrange as anyone has ever been. Each team’s stans swear the other team couldn’t hang in the other’s NBA. They’re probably both wrong though. The Phoenix Suns are proof that the Bulls could still flourish today behind hyper-efficient mid-range scorers while Golden State’s analytically superior floor spacers would eat against defenses composed to battle in the trenches instead of around endless screens on the perimeter. These contrasting play styles are ripe for endless debate, which is why there have been so many through the years.
– D.J. Dunson
McLaughlin Group Region No. 1: Biggie vs. 2Pac
Photo: Getty Images
Yes, Tupac Shakur was more famous. Biggie was great playing himself on Martin, but Tupac was an actor capable of owning movies. He was bigger than simply a musician. Tupac was a star.
His personality was a force both for good and bad. He could make some truly profound statements about the state of the world, but he also went to jail for sexual assault and reveled in an out-of-control persona.
Biggie was about the music, and few have ever spit better bars into a microphone. We only got two solo Notorious B.I.G. albums. His debut — Ready to Die — was of the same quality as The Chronic and Illmatic. The next one — Life After Death — was a strong project but fell just a bit short. As a musician sometimes it’s hard to get back to the hunger and raw storytelling of a debut album. Unfortunately, we never got to see him try again.
Two young people, gone too soon, who left indelible marks on American culture.
– Stephen Knox
McLaughlin Group Region No. 3: Kobe Bryant vs. Shaquille O’Neal
Photo: Getty Images
The greatest rivalry of the aughts. Forget Ja Rule and 50 Cent or the Indianapolis Colts and New England Patriots. After the turn of the century, everyone was tuned into The Real Housewives of Downtown LA.
A dynamic duo that has never been matched in the NBA. Two superstars in their MVP prime playing alongside each other, Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal. One had a Nintendo 64 game and the other advertised Nestle Crunch Bars and had a signature sneaker at Famous Footwear.
When playing together they were dominant, but to say their relationship had its “frosty” moments would be like saying February in Minnesota is brisk. Bryant didn’t appreciate O’neal’s offseason training and O’Neal did not appreciate any time that his name was in Bryant’s mouth.
If the Portland Trail Blazers could have made just a couple of more shots in Game 7 of the 2000 Western Conference Finals, those two likely go down as the most disappointing duo in the history of the NBA. Instead, the Blazers were as accurate as Tim Tebow at practice and a dynasty was born.
The people of Los Angeles are firmly on Bryant’s side and have been for a long time. For the rest of the county, this is certainly a “pick ‘em situation.
Teams familiar with making deep March Madness runs clash in a West Region Elite Eight matchup when the fourth-seeded Connecticut Huskies take on the third-seeded Gonzaga Bulldogs on Saturday in the 2023 NCAA Tournament. The Huskies (28-8, 13-7 Big East), who have won seven of their past eight games, are looking to reach the Final Four for the sixth time and first since winning the national championship in 2014. The Bulldogs (31-5, 14-2 West Coast), who have won 12 in a row and 15 of their last 16 games, are looking to reach the Final Four for the third time, and second in the past three seasons. UConn has won four national titles, while Gonzaga has finished second twice.
Tipoff from T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas is set for 8:50 p.m. ET. UConn leads the all-time series 3-2. The Huskies are 2-point favorites in the latest UConn vs. Gonzaga odds from Caesars Sportsbook, while the over/under for total points scored is set at 153.5. Before locking in any Gonzaga vs. UConn picks, be sure to see the college basketball predictions and betting advice from SportsLine’s proven computer model.
The SportsLine Projection Model simulates every Division I college basketball game 10,000 times. The model enters the Sweet 16 round of the 2023 NCAA Tournament 83-54 on all-top rated college basketball picks this season, returning more than $1,500 for $100 players. It also went 4-1 on top-rated picks during the first week of March Madness. Anybody who has followed it has seen huge returns.
The Bulldogs are led by senior forward Drew Timme, who is coming off a monster effort in Thursday’s 79-76 win over UCLA. He scored 36 points, grabbed 13 rebounds and dished out four assists. He scored 28 points in the 84-81 second-round win over TCU on Sunday. He has nine double-doubles on the year. In 36 starts this season, Timme is averaging 21.1 points, 7.3 rebounds, 3.2 assists and one block in 31.4 minutes.
Also helping power Gonzaga is junior guard Julian Strawther, who nailed a long 3-pointer late against UCLA to help secure the Sweet 16 win. He is coming off a double-double in the win over UCLA, scoring 16 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. He has reached double-digit scoring in 10 consecutive games, including three games with 28 points. He scored 28 points and grabbed 10 rebounds in the 82-70 first-round win over Grand Canyon University. In 36 games, all starts, he is averaging 15.3 points, 6.1 rebounds and 1.3 assists.
Why UConn can cover
The Huskies are led by junior forward Adama Sanogo, who scored 18 points and grabbed eight rebounds in Thursday’s win over Arkansas. He has been red hot of late, scoring 24 points and grabbing eight boards in a 70-55 win over Saint Mary’s on Sunday. He registered a double-double in the first-round 87-63 win over Iona, scoring 28 points and grabbing 13 rebounds. In 36 games, all starts, Sanogo is averaging 17.3 points, 7.5 rebounds and 1.2 assists in 26.6 minutes of action.
Sophomore guard Jordan Hawkins has been dominant in the NCAA Tournament. He has reached double figures in all three tournament games, including a 24-point, three-assist and two-rebound performance against Arkansas. He has scored in double figures in four of the past five games and in 28 of 34 games, all starts. For the year, he is averaging 16.1 points, 3.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 29.4 minutes.
The No. 8 Dallas Mavericks, No. 9 Los Angeles Lakers, No. 10 New Orleans Pelicans and No. 11 Oklahoma City Thunder hold identical 36-37 records after OKC’s loss to the Clippers on Thursday.
In tiebreaker scenarios that involve more than two teams, the nods, in order, go to the teams with the best aggregate head-to-head winning percentages against all teams involved.
Below is a comprehensive snapshot of where things stand in the Western Conference playoff and play-in races entering play on Friday. This post will update daily throughout the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are clinched.
Reminder on how the play-in tournament works: No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed.
NOTE: Our SportsLine model, developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and precise projections imaginable.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
Projected seed: 1
Current first-round matchup: TBD
Tiebreaker vs. Memphis: Nuggets have clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Sacramento: Season series tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Nuggets lead season series 2-0 with two to play
Projected seed: 2
Current first-round matchup: vs. Timberwolves-Mavericks play-in winner
Tiebreaker vs. Denver: Nuggets have clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Sacramento: Kings currently own via conference record
Tiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Grizzlies own via division leader
Projected seed: 3
Current first-round matchup: vs. Warriors
Tiebreaker vs. Denver: Tied 1-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Memphis: Kings currently own via conference win percentage
Tiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Golden State:Warriors lead 2-1 with one to play
4. Phoenix Suns (38-34)
Projected seed: 4
Current first-round matchup: vs. Clippers
Tiebreaker vs. Memphis: Grizzlies own via division leader
Tiebreaker vs. Sacramento: Phoenix leads 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Suns have clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Suns currently own via conference win percentage
Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
5. Los Angeles Clippers (39-35)
Projected seed: 5
Current first-round matchup: at Suns
Tiebreaker vs. Phoenix: Suns lead 2-1 with one to play
Tiebreaker vs. Golden State: Clippers lead via division win percentage
Tiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: Wolves clinched
Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Mavericks currently own via conference record
Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Pelicans lead 1-0 with two to play
