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Friday’s late Western Conference game has a strange mix of urgency and uncertainty. The Suns head into Crypto.com Arena for a 10:30 p.m. ET tip after clinching the No. 7 seed at 44-36, while the Lakers sit 51-29 and still have reason to care about finishing strong in the top four. Phoenix got the playoff spot it needed, but now it has to navigate this matchup without Devin Booker, which changes the entire feel of the offense. Los Angeles is dealing with its own issues, though, and that is what keeps this line tight. The Lakers are coming off a much-needed win over Golden State after a rough stretch, but the injury picture has not really eased up. Luka Doncic

The Golden State Warriors head to Golden 1 Center on Friday night for a 10:00 PM ET tip against the Sacramento Kings in a game that still has some weight for one side and mostly evaluation value for the other. Golden State is 37-42 and sitting 10th in the Western Conference, so every result still matters as the play-in picture closes. Sacramento is 21-59, tied near the bottom of the conference standings, and playing out the string while trying to stay competitive through a battered rotation. Golden State just beat this same Kings team 110-105 and snapped a losing streak at the right time, even if the win was not exactly clean. Sacramento, to its credit, has been more competitive

Philadelphia heads to Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Friday night for a 7:30 p.m. ET tip in a game that still carries some real pressure for the road team. The 76ers come in 43-37 and sit eighth in the East, so every remaining result matters if they want a cleaner path into the postseason. Indiana is 19-61 and 14th in the conference, but the Pacers are coming off a win and are still dangerous enough in this kind of late-season spot to make a huge spread uncomfortable. The bigger story, obviously, is Joel Embiid’s absence. Philadelphia lost to Houston on Thursday and now has to turn around quickly without its best player after his appendicitis diagnosis and surgery. That changes the shape

This rematch has a very different feel from the one Cleveland just won on Wednesday. The Cavaliers head to State Farm Arena for a 7:00 p.m. ET tip on Friday at 51-29, still fighting for Eastern Conference positioning, but Atlanta is the team under real pressure at 45-35. The Hawks are trying to stay out of the play-in, and with only two games left, this one carries obvious playoff weight. Cleveland took the first leg of this home-and-home 122-116 behind a huge night from Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley, but the setup now looks different. The Cavaliers are expected to sit several core pieces, while Atlanta comes in knowing a win would go a long way toward locking in a