Rockets' loss to Mavs gives Warriors final postseason spot

The field is set.

The Houston Rockets' 147-136 overtime loss Sunday to the Dallas Mavericks resulted in the Golden State Warriors clinching a top-10 seed and cemented Steve Kerr's squad as the final team to qualify for the postseason.

At worst, the Warriors will compete in the play-in as the 10th seed and require back-to-back wins in order to return to the playoffs for the third straight year. However, Stephen Curry and Co. can still finish as high as sixth in the Western Conference thanks to the Phoenix Suns falling Tuesday to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Entering Sunday, the Rockets' slim hopes of qualifying for the play-in hinged on likely having to win out the five games remaining on their regular-season schedule. Ime Udoka's side was hanging on until Rockets forward Jabari Smith Jr. missed back-to-back free throws and Mavericks guard Dante Exum hit a buzzer-beating three to force overtime. Dallas then outscored Houston 18-7 in the extra frame to boot the Rockets from postseason contention.

Heavy changes in seeding are still possible over the final week of the regular season, but the field is clearer in the East than the West. The Boston Celtics are assured of the top record in the league regardless of what happens. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are locked into the play-in tournament but could still swap spots, and thus hosting duties, for their postseason encounter.

Aside from the Celtics, the Denver Nuggets, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Oklahoma City Thunder are the only teams so far to clinch an outright playoff berth. However, none of their current seeds are safe, as the three are separated by just one game, with the fourth-place Los Angeles Clippers only three games behind the Thunder.