Plenty still to be settled in the wacky West

Apr 10, 2010 - 7:07 PM By BRIAN MAHONEY AP Basketball Writer

Having trouble figuring out how the wacky West will be won?

You're not alone. Even veteran postseason performers aren't quite sure this year.

"More than any other years, we don't know who we're going to play. We don't know where we're going to be," San Antonio coach Gregg Popovich said. "And usually, we have a pretty good idea of where, at least, we're going to be. And that helps limit the work that you do before the playoffs. This year, it's a little different."

As the season heads into its final days, this much is certain: The Los Angeles Lakers will be the No. 1 seed.

That's it. Just about everything else is up for grabs.

"The whole Western Conference is a free-for-all," Dallas coach Rick Carlisle said. "So much is yet to be determined with three games left."

Four teams reached play Saturday with hopes of finishing second. Three others were battling to avoid No. 8 and a first-round meeting with the defending champion Lakers - who aren't even playing as well as some teams behind them.

"It's interesting. It's very competitive and teams are playing really well and there are some very strong teams," Lakers forward Pau Gasol said. "It'll be a big challenge for us even though we are in the top spot."

Dallas, Denver, Utah and Phoenix were all in the running for the No. 2 seed. The difference between possible home-court advantage for two rounds and not even having it for one was just a game.

So while the Lakers had the luxury of resting Kobe Bryant for the postseason, everyone else out West was already facing playoff-level pressure.

"It's incredible," Phoenix guard Steve Nash said Friday. "It's incredibly tight and close and exciting. We've just got to keep fighting. We've got three games left and we're going to try to win all three."

San Antonio and Portland lost Friday, leaving them the most likely opponents for the Lakers - a scenario both teams want to avoid. Just ahead of them were the Oklahoma City Thunder, about to make their playoff debut and not afraid of a tough road when they get there.

"Don't get me wrong. The Lakers are a great team, a championship team. ... But we're not scared to play anybody," All-Star Kevin Durant said. "If we happen to fall down to the eighth spot or move up, we're willing to play anybody.

"We're not playing every game to go out there and say we don't want to get the eighth spot so we won't play the Lakers. We're just trying to get as high as we can these last three games. We've just got to come out and play. If we happen to slip up and play the Lakers, then we're going to go out there and play our game."

The Lakers gave Bryant consecutive games off to rest, but the decision Sunday against Portland is a little trickier. A win increases the chances of a rematch with the Trail Blazers in the playoffs, and Los Angeles has struggled at the Rose Garden in recent years.

A Portland win means a greater likelihood for the Lakers of a series against Tim Duncan and the playoff-tested Spurs.

"We have to protect our home court no matter what," Gasol said. "Whoever we face later on remains to be seen. It'll be hard regardless."

The race for the No. 2 seed is just as tight and may not be decided until Denver visits Phoenix on Tuesday, the second-to-last night of the season. A victory in that game could mean a difference of three spots in the standings.

San Antonio visits Southwest Division champion Dallas on Wednesday, and that could be a preview of a first-round series. Then again, things could look drastically different by then, and probably will.

"It can change within a day or two, and you've got to flip scripts, look at some other teams," Popovich said. "It's been an unbelievably competitive year. Great for the fans. Great for the NBA."

The West mess resembled its race from two years ago, when all eight playoff teams won at least 50 games and were separated by only seven games in the standings. However, the postseason wasn't nearly as thrilling - the Lakers rolled through three rounds against conference foes with a 12-3 record before losing to Boston in the NBA finals.

It's hard to imagine it being as easy this time, with San Antonio, Portland or Oklahoma City all capable of providing a first-round test. Win that, and then who knows what comes next.

"It gets better and better every year. It's a fight," Lakers forward Lamar Odom said. "This is our third year winning it in a row and something we should be proud of. But our goal is not over yet. It's not finished yet."

Seems nothing is out West.

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AP Sports Writers Jon Krawczynski in Minneapolis, Jeff Latzke in Oklahoma City, Anne M. Peterson in Portland, Ore., and Paul Weber in San Antonio contributed to this report.