Enormous Consequences: Knicks And Bucks Play For A Lot Of The Marbles

Apr 11, 2012, 4:12 PM UTC

Enormous Consequences is a daily look at the most impactful games in the NBA’s playoff races.

The NBA Playoffs aren’t far off in the distance, meaning its put up or shut up time for the majority of the teams still vying for a postseason berth. There are 11 games on tap for Wednesday night’s professional basketball schedule, too, meaning we’ll get an up-close glimpse at plenty of teams trying to play their way into May.

The biggest game on Wednesday night's schedule, at least as far as enormous consequences for the losing team are concerned, will take place in beautiful Wisconsin as the Milwaukee Bucks play host to the visiting New York Knicks (8 p.m., ESPN). The Bucks are just one game back in the Eastern Conference playoff standings, meaning a win at home would move them into a tie with the Knicks for the final playoff berth in the East.

There's another team that has settled into the battle for the bottom of the Eastern Conference, too, as the Philadelphia 76ers sputtered down the stretch and now own the seventh seed after formerly leading their division. Their hold on that seed isn't very strong, however, and a loss in Canada against the Toronto Raptors (7 p.m., NBA League Pass) would drop them into a three-way tie (if the Bucks win) for the last two spots in the playoffs.

The Western Conference playoff standings aren’t much cleaner -- and likely won’t be following Wednesday’s results either. There are just 2.5 games separating the sixth seed and the tenth seed, meaning things will likely be cray right up until the NBA’s season finale.

One game that could help clear things up taking place on Wednesday evening will be played in Texas as the Utah Jazz visit the Houston Rockets. Houston is currently at the top of the (bottom of the) heap with the No. 6 seed while the Jazz essentially are the worst team in the West, record-wise, with a chance to still make the playoffs. That said, scoreboard watchers will likely be paying attention when the two teams tip-off at 8 p.m. on NBA League Pass.

The Phoenix Suns, currently the last team out in the West, have a tough game on tap with the Memphis Grizzlies (8 p.m., NBA League Pass). With a win, along with a Los Angeles Clippers loss, the Grizz would move into the fourth seed in the West while earning homecourt advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The other team in the mix in the Western Conference has a solid chances of picking up a win on Wednesday night as the Denver Nuggets are hosting the Minnesota Timberwolves (9 p.m., NBA League Pass) as the latter tries to avoid a seven-game losing streak.

There are games without enormous consequences that should be fun to watch on Wednesday night, if one's interested in perennial playoff teams squaring off. The San Antonio Spurs are hosting the Los Angeles Lakers (8:30, NBA League Pass) during the aforementioned Clippers-Thunder game (8 p.m., NBA League Pass). The other matchup between playoff teams will happen at 8 p.m. on League Pass as the Boston Celtics host the Atlanta Hawks.