The culmination of the regular season solidified the rankings for the NBA playoffs and play-in tournament, with the Oklahoma City Thunder securing the leading position out West and the preliminary matches commencing on Tuesday.

The Lakers, occupying the eighth spot, are scheduled to compete against the Pelicans ranked at No. 7 in New Orleans, renewing an anticipated clash after Los Angeles instigated the encounter with a 124-108 triumph in New Orleans over the weekend.

The Lakers averted the Pelicans from evading the preliminary competition entirely with this victory, ultimately concluding the regular-season series in their favor with a 3-1 scoreline.

“We have to come back with the right mentality,” New Orleans coach Willie Green said. “We have to be the aggressive team. We have to be the more physical team. We have to keep them out of our paint.”

The Sacramento Kings positioned at No. 9 will entertain the Golden State Warriors, holding the 10th seed, later on Tuesday.

These teams lack a recent history of encounters, with their last face-off transpiring on Jan. 25, culminating in a narrow 134-133 victory for the Kings. Their series during the regular season ended level at 2-2.

Wednesday will witness the focal point shifting towards the Eastern Conference, with the Philadelphia 76ers sitting at No. 7 hosting the Miami Heat occupying the eighth spot.

Despite a convincing 107-86 win over the Brooklyn Nets last Sunday, the Sixers relinquished their aspirations of clinching a top-six position as the Indiana Pacers emerged victorious as well. The Heat sustained two consecutive defeats against Philadelphia, including a narrow 109-105 verdict on April 4.

The evening culminates with the No. 10 seed Atlanta Hawks embarking on a journey to Chicago to face the Bulls at ninth place, a battle characterized by an extended anticipation given the teams’ persistent distance within the standings.

The Bulls emerged triumphant in the series with a 2-1 margin, although the Hawks secured a recent victory with a score of 113-101 on April 1.

The victors of the 7-8 duels will progress to the playoffs as the seventh seeds to confront the Denver Nuggets in the West and the New York Knicks in the East.

Friday will witness the defeated side of the Miami-Philadelphia encounter facing the triumphant team from Atlanta-Chicago. In the Western Conference scenario, the winner between Golden State and Sacramento will square off against the loser of the Los Angeles-New Orleans game.

The NBA playoffs are slated to commence the ensuing Saturday, with the Nuggets and Knicks, seated at second place in their respective conferences, hosting their first matchups.

Simultaneously, the Orlando Magic (No. 5) and the Cavaliers (No. 4) will inaugurate their series in Cleveland, while the Minnesota Timberwolves (No. 3) will welcome the Phoenix Suns (No. 6) for their initial clash.

Sunday will witness the continuation of the playoffs with the Thunder playing host to the ultimate victor of the Western Conference’s preliminary competition. The Thunder secured the leading position in the West on Sunday through a commanding 135-86 victory over the Dallas Mavericks.

Meanwhile, the Mavericks, placed fifth in the Western Conference, will embark on a journey to face the Los Angeles Clippers, positioned fourth.

The top-seeded Boston Celtics will host the winner of Friday’s preliminary competition in the Eastern Conference, while Indiana at No. 6 will clash against the Milwaukee Bucks at No. 3 in Milwaukee.