NBA: As the post-All-Star push begins, here’s a closer look at the playoff races

Taking a closer look at the most intriguing NBA playoff races in both the Eastern and Western Conferences heading into the post-All-Star break playoff push

With the 2019 All-Star break official over, the NBA is entering the final stretch and several storylines will dominate the leagues coverage for the next few months. One of the most important storylines will be the playoff races as they enter the final 25, or so, games for each team.

This season the Eastern Conference is up for grabs and the Western Conference has LeBron James battling for the final playoff spot. Every game matters from now until the end of the regular season, and teams like the Los Angeles Lakers, Charlotte Hornets and Oklahoma City Thunder have some of the league’s toughest remaining schedules.

In looking at each of these playoff races, we will take into account the teams involved, their current records, their remaining games (both on the road and at him) and that remaining schedule strength (ranked from 1-30, most difficult to easiest). Strength of schedule, courtesy of Tankathon.

With that in mind, let’s take a look at some of the best playoff races, in both the Eastern and Western Conferences, heading into the post-All-Star break push.