NBA Playoff Picture: Golden State Warriors Tiebreakers

The NBA playoffs are right around the corner and here is an updated look at who the Golden State Warriors do and do not own tiebreakers over.

The 2022-23 NBA regular season is set to end on April 9 and the Golden State Warriors find themselves in the middle of the pack in the Western Conference standings.

There is very little room for error for the defending champions and over the final week of the regular season, they can control their own fate by simply winning games.

However, if they lose games, they could very well fall out of the playoff picture for the moment and into the Play-In Tournament picture, possibly having to play a game or two just to earn a playoff spot as the 7-seed or 8-seed in the conference.

Avoiding the Play-In Tournament is definitely something every team would like to do at this point in the season and for the Warriors, this may be difficult given the tiebreakers other teams own over them.

Here is the tiebreaker criteria the NBA will use to determine playoff seeding in the event two or more teams are tied in the standings:

NBA Tiebreaker Rules for 2 Teams Tied:

(1) Better winning percentage in games against each other

(2) Division leader wins a tie over a team not leading a division

(3) Division won-lost percentage (only if teams are in same division)

(4) Conference won-lost percentage

(5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in own

conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff

position)

(6) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in other

conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff

position)

(7) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all

opponents (“point differential”)

NBA Tiebreaker Rules for 3 or More Teams Tied:

(1) Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division (this criterion is 

applied regardless of whether the tied teams are in the same division)

(2) Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams

(3) Division won-lost percentage (only if all teams are in same division)

(4) Conference won-lost percentage

(5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in own 

conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff 

position)

(6) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all 

opponents (“point differential”)

Some tiebreakers will be determined over the final week of the regular season, but based on the league’s criteria outlined above, here is a team-by-team breakdown of what tiebreakers the Golden State Warriors do and do not own over teams close to them in the Western Conference standings:

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Team-By-Team Tiebreakers for Golden State Warriors (44-38):

(UPDATED 4/9/23 at 6:00 p.m. ET.)

Phoenix Suns - Currently 4-seed in Western Conference, Record: 45-37

[Tiebreaker Favors Phoenix Suns] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL

• Phoenix Suns have defeated Golden State Warriors 3-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings.

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Los Angeles Clippers - Currently 5-seed in Western Conference, Record: 44-38

[Tiebreaker Favors Los Angeles Clippers] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL

• Los Angeles Clippers tied Golden State Warriors 2-2 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
• Clippers Division Record: 9-7, Warriors Division Record: 7-9

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Los Angeles Lakers - Currently 7-seed in Western Conference, Record: 43-39

[Tiebreaker Favors Los Angeles Lakers] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL

• Los Angeles Lakers defeated Golden State Warriors 3-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings.

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Minnesota Timberwolves - Currently 8-seed in Western Conference, Record: 42-40

[Tiebreaker Favors Golden State Warriors] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL

• Minnesota Timberwolves tied Golden State Warriors 2-2 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
• Timberwolves Conference Record: 29-23, Warriors Conference Record: 30-22

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New Orleans Pelicans - Currently 9-seed in Western Conference, Record: 42-40

[Tiebreaker Favors Golden State Warriors] - Tiebreak is OFFICIAL

• New Orleans Pelicans tied Golden State Warriors 2-2 in 2022-23 regular season meetings
• Pelicans Conference Record: 29-23, Warriors Conference Record: 30-22

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Oklahoma City Thunder - Currently 10-seed in Western Conference, Record: 40-42

[Tiebreaker Favors Golden State Warriors] - Tiebreaker is OFFICIAL

• Golden State Warriors defeated Oklahoma City Thunder 3-1 in 2022-23 regular season meetings.

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Current Western Conference Standings

Updated at 6:00 p.m. ET. on 4/9/23

1. Denver Nuggets (53-29) [Clinched Playoff Spot] - 0.0 GB
2. Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) [Clinched Playoff Spot] - 2.0 GB
3. Sacramento Kings (48-34) [Clinched Playoff Spot]- 5.0 GB
4. Phoenix Suns (45-37) [Clinched Playoff Spot] - 8.0 GB
5. Los Angeles Clippers (44-38) - 9.0 GB
6. Golden State Warriors (44-38) - 9.0 GB
7. Los Angeles Lakers (43-39) - 10.0 GB
8. Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40) - 11.0 GB
9. New Orleans Pelicans (42-40) - 11.0 GB
10. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42) - 13.0 GB
11. Dallas Mavericks (38-44) - 15.0 GB [ELIMINATED]
12. Utah Jazz (37-45) - 16.0 GB [ELIMINATED]
13. Portland Trail Blazers (33-49) [ELIMINATED] - 20.0 GB
14. Houston Rockets (22-60) [ELIMINATED] - 31.0 GB
15. San Antonio Spurs (22-60) [ELIMINATED] - 31.0 GB

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