Instant Reaction: Final Western Conference Standings

The Western Conference standings have been finalized.

The NBA regular season is over. Let's take a look at the final  Western Conference standings and the playoff matchups ahead of the 2021 NBA Playoffs.

Western Conference Standings

1. Utah Jazz

2. Phoenix Suns

3. Denver Nuggets

4. LA Clippers

5. Dallas Mavericks

6. Portland Trail Blazers

----------Play-in Tournament------------------------

7. Los Angeles Lakers

8. Golden State Warriors

9. Memphis Grizzlies

10. San Antonio Spurs

Playoff Matchups

The NBA Playoffs will look different this year. As part of the condensed COVID-19 schedule, the teams ranked #7-#10 in the conference standings will participate in a four-team playoff for the final two playoff spots. The #7 seed and #8 seed will face off for an opportunity to play the #2 seed in the conference. Then the loser of that game will face the winner of a prior game between the #9 seed and #10 seed for an opportunity to play the #8 seed. Clear as mud? Hopefully this graphic from the NBA will help:

Utah Jazz vs Winner 9/10 or Loser 7/8

The Utah Jazz won't know their first round opponent until Friday night. It's most likely that the Jazz will face the loser of Wednesday's Lakers-Warriors play-in game.

Phoenix Suns vs LA Lakers OR Golden State Warriors

The Suns will take on the winner of the play-in game between the Warriors and the Lakers.

Denver Nuggets vs Portland Trail Blazers

The Denver Nuggets take on the Trail Blazers in the first round. Damian Lillard and company have played very well over the last 10 games.

LA Clippers vs Dallas Mavericks

The Clippers tanked their way to the #4 seed. Time will tell whether their decision to tank will pay off.

Welcome to Inside the Jazz - the new Utah Jazz fan site on Sports Illustrated. Our site is currently under construction and the commenting capability is turned off. We look forward to engaging with you in the future! While we work on some exciting updates to improve your experience, you can ask us questions through one of our social media channels:

Facebook - Utah Jazz Sports Illustrated

Twitter - @Utahjazz_SI

Instagram - @UtahJazz_SI