The final three direct NBA playoff spots have been decided for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Minnesota Timberwolves, while the Golden State Warriors will have to make a playoff run. The teams entered the final day of the regular season with three playoff spots at stake, all in the Western Conference, after all six Eastern Conference spots and the top three Western Conference spots were decided some time ago for the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets, and Los Angeles Lakers.

The most notable matchup was between the Clippers and Warriors, with the former winning 124-119 in overtime on their neighbor’s home court and claiming fifth place thanks to 39 points and 10 assists from James Harden and 33 points from Kawhi Leonard.

As a result of their 34th loss, the Warriors, who boasted Stephen Curry (36 points) and Jimmy Butler (30 with 9 assists), will be forced to play in the playoffs after finishing the regular season in seventh place.

The Warriors will face the eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies in the playoffs, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the seventh-place team, while the loser will play the winner of the ninth-place matchup between the Sacramento Kings and the Dallas Mavericks.

Golden State Warriors’ Moodie and Jimmy Butler vs. Los Angeles Clippers’ Kawhi Leonard (AP)

In a one-sided contest where the lead reached 36 points, the Nuggets, who fired head coach Michael Malone on Tuesday and assigned the job to assistant coach David Adelman for the remainder of the season, clinched a playoff spot and fourth place with a 126-111 victory over the host Rockets, who were already guaranteed a playoff spot and a second-place finish. Five players scored over 15 points, with Michael Porter (19 with 7 rebounds), Nikola Jokic (18 with 7 rebounds and 7 assists), and Aaron Gordon (18 with 7 rebounds) leading the way in the first round of the playoffs, which begins Saturday, against the Clippers, who will play their first of seven possible games.

The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed the final sixth and direct playoff spot in the West, just one game behind the seventh-place Warriors and eighth-place Grizzlies. The Timberwolves defeated the Utah Jazz 116-105, thanks to Anthony Edwards’ 43 points, including 18 in the third quarter. They will now face the third-place Los Angeles Lakers and their stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic in the first round.

In the Eastern Conference, where the top six spots were decided by the Cleveland Cavaliers, the defending champion Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks, the Indiana Pacers, the Milwaukee Bucks, and the Detroit Pistons, respectively, the Orlando Magic and their host Atlanta Hawks held a “rehearsal” for their playoff matchup. The Orlando Magic emerged victorious 117-105, thanks to a triple-double from Keaton Wallace (15 points, 15 assists, and 11 rebounds).

Most of the key players were absent from both teams, with the seventh-place playoff spot already decided for the Magic and the eighth-place playoff spot for the Hawks. The Hawks will visit their rivals on Tuesday to see which team will secure a playoff spot. The loser will have a second chance to face the winner of the ninth-place playoff between the Chicago Bulls and the Miami Heat.