I realize that many teams didn't really came to play here, focused mainly on offseason or the postseason already and so on, but in overall... Suns basically won the bubble season and it still not enough, while 9th place suddenly gets a shot to make it to playoffs despite regular season being over.
I think that Portland, Memphis, Suns and Spurs had to do Final 4 in case that the difference in placing is not more than a game (half a game even - assume Spurs would have won if the game mattered to them)... Portland just had the luck of season being over after they played one more game than Suns/ Memphis...
8th against 11, 9 against 10 and the final - two games just like in this scenario (maybe), but makes more sense to me...
Obviously Blazers hardest challenge for the Lakers, but a team that wants a title, needs to be able to beat the Blazers...