The NBA's regular season has officially come to an end, with today's final results putting defending champions the Los Angeles Lakers in uncharted territory.
For the second season in a row, the NBA will go with a play-in tournament to finalise the remaining playoffs spots, which will include the Lakers. It means the top six teams in the NBA's eastern and western conferences are locked in for the playoffs, while the teams that finished 7-10 fight it out for the final two places in each conference.
The Lakers, spearheaded by four-time NBA champion LeBron James, finished in seventh spot in the NBA's western conference standings, dropping off dramatically after sitting top of the table back in January.
While it's a grim situation for the defending champions, with the Lakers decimated by injuries that saw James and All-Star teammate Anthony Davis miss extended periods of time during the middle of the season, the equation is a winner for NBA fans.
The NBA will once again witness James and Golden State Warriors star point guard Stephen Curry battle it out when the stakes are at their highest. The pair have faced off in four separate NBA Finals series to date, with Curry having won three championships in those clashes against James, who was a member of the Cleveland Cavaliers in all four series.
The Lakers won their fifth game in a row today but will remain in the seventh spot with Portland (sixth) defeating the Denver Nuggets to keep their spot in automatic qualification.
HOW THE PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT WORKS
The teams who finish seventh and eighth will play one game against each other, with the winner of that match to decide who cements the seventh spot.
The loser out of the 7 v 8 match-up will play the winner from 9 v 10, which will determine who finishes in the eighth spot.
The NBA's western conference will see the Lakers (7) play Golden State (8), while Memphis (9) will meet San Antonio (10).
In the eastern conference, Boston (7) will face off against Washington (8) as Indiana (9) come up against Charlotte (10).
CURRENT PLAYOFF PICTURE
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