Six biggest questions about the NBA's playoff picture

We've reached the end game for the 2023-24 NBA regular season. Every team has 10 games (or less) remaining, and plenty of playoff spots still need to be solidified.

Here are the six most pressing questions surrounding the league as the regular season approaches its conclusion on Sunday, April 14.

Can the Knicks catch the Bucks for No. 2 in the East?

Not long ago, the Bucks seemed to have No. 2 on lock. 

That changed as the Knicks went 8-2 over their last 10 games while the Bucks were 5-5, pulling New York within two games of Milwaukee. 

Both teams have 10 games remaining in the regular season, including a game against each other on April 7. Per Tankathon, the Knicks' remaining schedule is the ninth-toughest in the league, and the Bucks' is 12th.

Which of the Pacers, Heat or 76ers, avoids the play-in tournament?

Indiana, Miami and Philadelphia are separated by only 1.5 games in the standings, and they could be even closer if referees didn't botch the ending of Wednesday's Clippers-76ers game. The Pacers and Heat are tied in the loss column (33), while the Sixers have 34 losses with nine games remaining.

Miami has one game left with both teams, and Indiana won its regular-season series against Philadelphia, 2-1. Basketball Reference likes the Pacers to hang on to sixth place, giving them a 48.3 percent chance of avoiding the play-in tournament.

Who gets the West's No. 1? 

The defending champion Nuggets are hanging on to No. 1 by a thread. Denver's lead atop the conference shrunk to 0.5 games over both the Timberwolves and Thunder following its 104-97 loss to the Suns on Wednesday. Oklahoma City won its season series with the Nuggets, 3-1, while Minnesota split its first two games at home with the West's leader and have two games remaining, including on Friday night. 

Per Basketball Reference, Minnesota (39.3 percent) has the best odds of finishing atop the Western Conference standings, followed by the Thunder (31 percent). Denver is most likely to finish third (35.8 percent).

Will the Clippers hang on to home-court advantage in the first round?

The Pelicans blew an opportunity to pull even with the Clippers for fourth place with their home 119-112 loss to the Thunder on Tuesday. They're a game behind the Clippers but might not be the biggest threat to Los Angeles for the West's No. 4. The Mavericks have won five in a row, are two games behind the Clippers and rank 22nd in remaining strength of schedule. 

New Orleans (eighth) and Los Angeles (11th) have much more challenging slates, and Dallas is also playing some of its best basketball of the season. Over their last 10 games, the Mavericks have outscored their opponents by 13.2 points per game. They've been particularly effective defensively, ranking second in defensive rating.

Are the playoff paths for the Suns and Kings set in stone?

With Dallas hitting its stride, Phoenix and Sacramento might have hit their ceiling. While both are likely headed to the play-in tournament, it's premature to suggest both will make it to the 7-8 play-in game. Either team could fall.

The Lakers have won five in a row and are averaging 130.2 points per game during that span. They are only 1.5 games behind the Kings for the eighth-seeded and two behind the Suns for seventh place. Like the Mavericks, they have a more favorable remaining schedule than the teams they're chasing.

Los Angeles still has four games left against teams with a losing record, while Phoenix's remaining nine opponents are above .500. The Kings have three games against lottery-bound teams but have the fourth-hardest remaining schedule overall.

Are the Warriors in danger of missing the play-in tournament?

It's been a wild March for Houston. Before its current 10-game win streak, Houston was 27-35 and six games behind Golden State for 10th place and the final spot in the West's play-in tournament. With both teams having 10 games remaining, the Warriors' lead is down to one game.

Since the All-Star break, only the Celtics and Nuggets have a better record than the Rockets. Guard Jalen Green has been sensational during the stretch, ranking second in the league in points per game (29.8) while shooting 51 percent from the field.

Given the Rockets' recent performance, Golden State should be panicked about possibly finishing outside the top 10.