NBA Playoffs 2013: Western Conference Standings 4 / 17 / 2013 -- While you were sleeping

Tonight is the last night of the 2012-2013 NBA Regular Season . . . wow.

And here we go...

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The Good:

• Uh, our announcers and beat reporters and PR dudes went and had themselves a good, unhealthy meal last night in Memphis. So, yeah....
  

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The Bad:

• The Los Angeles Clippers beat the Portland Trail Blazers last night, which *is* bad because that win means that Memphis may have something to play for tonight -- because LAC and MEM are fighting for home court, and are now tied because of the LAC win.
  

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The 'Meh':

• Don't go into medicine, kids.
  

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Tonight:

Every. Single. Team. In. The. Entire. League. Is. Playing. Tonight.

1. The Oklahoma City Thunder will host the Milwaukee Bucks.
2. The San Antonio Spurs will host the Minnesota Timberwolves
3. The Denver Nuggets will host the Phoenix Suns
4. The Los Angeles Clippers will play against the Sacramento Kings in what could be their last ever homegame
5. The Memphis Grizzlies will host our mighty Utah Jazz
6. The Golden State Warriors will play against the Portland Trail Blazers in hipster-ville
7. The Houston Rockets will play in Tinseltown against the Los Angeles Lakers
8. The Dallas Mavericks will host the New Orleans Hornets

It's interesting to look at the schedule makers (the NBA) and see which teams were supposed to finish the season looking forwards to the playoffs, because the NBA favored them. Home games for OKC, SAS, DEN, MEM, LAL, DAL, POR . . . and knowing SAC was in the process of leaving, giving them a token end of season home game. It's not a conspiracy, it's just called planning ahead.

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The Races (That are left):

• Race for homecourt between #4/5: The Los Angeles Clippers and Memphis Grizzlies are both tied, and I don't know who owns their tiebreaker. But despite winning their division, LAC can still start the playoffs without homecourt (like we did when we won the NW division but played HOU in their gym for Games 1,2, and 5). LAC has SAC in an emotional game for the Kings fans. MEM hosts our team. Whatever happens, LAC and MEM know they are playing against each other in a bloodbath rematch of their 1st round series last year.
  
• Race for #6: The Golden State Warriors are up by one game on Houston Rockets. If they end up tying (GSW loses, HOU wins), then HOU gets the #6 seed. If GSW wins, no matter what happens between HOU and LAL, GSW will retain the #6 seed.
  
• Race for #7: If the Houston Rockets lose to the Los Angeles Lakers tonight, the Lakers will be the #7 Seed. If Houston wins they will be. The whole point is to avoid being the #8 seed -- and playing OKC in the first round. Both teams will play hard.
  
• Race for #8: This is almost the under-card to the Race between 4/5 and 7/8. But it's the most important one for us Jazz fans. UTA needs to win tonight at MEM, *and* HOU needs to beat LAL in LAL for us to make it.