Lakers facing Memphis or Suns?

All the postseason matchups in both conferences were set following Wednesday's games with the exception of who will face the West's top-seeded Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

The Portland Trail Blazers (34-39), Memphis Grizzlies (33-39), Phoenix Suns (33-39) and San Antonio Spurs (32-38) all still have a chance to compete in the play-in series to determine the eighth spot in the West entering Thursday's pivotal slate of games.

The LA Clippers clinched the West's second seed with a 124-111 win over the Denver Nuggets, who are locked into the third seed. The Clippers (48-23) will face the seventh-seeded Dallas Mavericks (43-31) as expected, setting up an intriguing matchup between one of the stingiest defenses in the league anchored by Kawhi Leonard and Paul George against the most efficient offense in NBA history powered by Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis. The Mavericks score 116.1 points per 100 possessions.

The Nuggets (46-26) will face the sixth-seeded Utah Jazz (43-28) in the first round, pitting the best passing big man in Nikola Jokic against one of the best defensive centers in the league in Rudy Gobert.

The series in the West with the most potential for drama and plot twists is between the Oklahoma City Thunder (44-27) and Houston Rockets (44-27). Rockets guard Russell Westbrook, whose status for the start of the playoffs is uncertain because of a strained muscle in his right quadriceps, will face the Thunder, his former team, if he can play, and OKC guard Chris Paul will be reunited with his ex-Rockets teammates. The Thunder lead the season series 2-1.