First Place Clinch Scenario for LasVegas LasVegas's traditional magic number (relative to first-place Seattle) is 18 + 1 - 17 + 1 = 3. As shown below, LasVegas's first-place clinch number is 1. If LasVegas wins 1 more games, their final win total will be at least 18. The table below shows the best case scenario for each of the other teams if LasVegas wins all 1 of their remaining games. For each team, the table shows the current record (number of wins (W) and losses (L)) and the number of games that team has left to play (GL) in the regular season. Taking the schedule of games left to play into account, the 'Losses to LasVegas' column gives the minimum number of games that each team will lose to LasVegas if LasVegas wins 1 more games. Assuming that each team wins all of its remaining games except for the games it loses to LasVegas, the resulting maximum number of wins and maximum winning percentage are shown in the 'Maximum W' column. Team W L GL Losses to LasVegas Maximum W Seattle 18 3 1 1 - 0 = 1 18 LosAngeles 15 7 0 0 15 Minnesota 14 8 0 0 14 Phoenix 13 9 0 0 13 Chicago 12 10 0 0 12 Connecticut 10 12 0 0 10 Washington 8 13 1 0 9 Atlanta 7 14 1 0 8 Dallas 7 14 1 0 8 Indiana 6 16 0 0 6 NewYork 2 19 1 0 3 The table above shows that if LasVegas wins 1 more games (18 total), then they will finish the season in first place in the division. To see that LasVegas's first-place clinch number cannot be less than 1, consider the following scenario in which LasVegas wins 0 more games (17 total) but does not finish in first place. To construct the scenario, we start with the current standings: Team W L GL PCT GB Seattle 18 3 1 0.818 0.0 LasVegas 17 4 1 0.773 1.0 LosAngeles 15 7 0 0.682 3.5 Minnesota 14 8 0 0.636 4.5 Phoenix 13 9 0 0.591 5.5 Chicago 12 10 0 0.545 6.5 Connecticut 10 12 0 0.455 8.5 Washington 8 13 1 0.364 10.0 Atlanta 7 14 1 0.318 11.0 Dallas 7 14 1 0.318 11.0 Indiana 6 16 0 0.273 12.5 NewYork 2 19 1 0.091 16.0 Next, we show how the remaining series of games in the season plays out: Atlanta currently has 1 win(s) against Chicago and 1 loss(es). Atlanta and Chicago have no remaining games. Atlanta and Chicago split their series 1 games to 1. Atlanta currently has 1 win(s) against Connecticut and 1 loss(es). Atlanta and Connecticut have no remaining games. Atlanta and Connecticut split their series 1 games to 1. Atlanta currently has 1 win(s) against Dallas and 1 loss(es). Atlanta and Dallas have no remaining games. Atlanta and Dallas split their series 1 games to 1. Atlanta currently has 1 win(s) against Indiana and 1 loss(es). Atlanta and Indiana have no remaining games. Atlanta and Indiana split their series 1 games to 1. Atlanta currently has 0 win(s) against LasVegas and 2 loss(es). Atlanta and LasVegas have no remaining games. Atlanta loses the series with LasVegas 0 games to 2. Atlanta currently has 0 win(s) against LosAngeles and 2 loss(es). Atlanta and LosAngeles have no remaining games. Atlanta loses the series with LosAngeles 0 games to 2. Atlanta currently has 1 win(s) against Minnesota and 1 loss(es). Atlanta and Minnesota have no remaining games. Atlanta and Minnesota split their series 1 games to 1. Atlanta currently has 2 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). Atlanta and NewYork have no remaining games. Atlanta wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. Atlanta currently has 0 win(s) against Phoenix and 2 loss(es). Atlanta and Phoenix have no remaining games. Atlanta loses the series with Phoenix 0 games to 2. Atlanta currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). Atlanta and Seattle have no remaining games. Atlanta loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. Atlanta currently has 0 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). In the scenario, Atlanta wins 0 additional games against Washington and 1 loss(es). Atlanta loses the series with Washington 0 games to 2. Chicago currently has 1 win(s) against Connecticut and 1 loss(es). Chicago and Connecticut have no remaining games. Chicago and Connecticut split their series 1 games to 1. Chicago currently has 2 win(s) against Dallas and 0 loss(es). Chicago and Dallas have no remaining games. Chicago wins the series with Dallas 2 games to 0. Chicago currently has 2 win(s) against Indiana and 0 loss(es). Chicago and Indiana have no remaining games. Chicago wins the series with Indiana 2 games to 0. Chicago currently has 2 win(s) against LasVegas and 0 loss(es). Chicago and LasVegas have no remaining games. Chicago wins the series with LasVegas 2 games to 0. Chicago currently has 1 win(s) against LosAngeles and 1 loss(es). Chicago and LosAngeles have no remaining games. Chicago and LosAngeles split their series 1 games to 1. Chicago currently has 0 win(s) against Minnesota and 2 loss(es). Chicago and Minnesota have no remaining games. Chicago loses the series with Minnesota 0 games to 2. Chicago currently has 1 win(s) against NewYork and 1 loss(es). Chicago and NewYork have no remaining games. Chicago and NewYork split their series 1 games to 1. Chicago currently has 1 win(s) against Phoenix and 1 loss(es). Chicago and Phoenix have no remaining games. Chicago and Phoenix split their series 1 games to 1. Chicago currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). Chicago and Seattle have no remaining games. Chicago loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. Chicago currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). Chicago and Washington have no remaining games. Chicago and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. Connecticut currently has 2 win(s) against Dallas and 0 loss(es). Connecticut and Dallas have no remaining games. Connecticut wins the series with Dallas 2 games to 0. Connecticut currently has 2 win(s) against Indiana and 0 loss(es). Connecticut and Indiana have no remaining games. Connecticut wins the series with Indiana 2 games to 0. Connecticut currently has 0 win(s) against LasVegas and 2 loss(es). Connecticut and LasVegas have no remaining games. Connecticut loses the series with LasVegas 0 games to 2. Connecticut currently has 0 win(s) against LosAngeles and 2 loss(es). Connecticut and LosAngeles have no remaining games. Connecticut loses the series with LosAngeles 0 games to 2. Connecticut currently has 0 win(s) against Minnesota and 2 loss(es). Connecticut and Minnesota have no remaining games. Connecticut loses the series with Minnesota 0 games to 2. Connecticut currently has 2 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). Connecticut and NewYork have no remaining games. Connecticut wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. Connecticut currently has 1 win(s) against Phoenix and 1 loss(es). Connecticut and Phoenix have no remaining games. Connecticut and Phoenix split their series 1 games to 1. Connecticut currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). Connecticut and Seattle have no remaining games. Connecticut loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. Connecticut currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). Connecticut and Washington have no remaining games. Connecticut and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. Dallas currently has 2 win(s) against Indiana and 0 loss(es). Dallas and Indiana have no remaining games. Dallas wins the series with Indiana 2 games to 0. Dallas currently has 0 win(s) against LasVegas and 2 loss(es). Dallas and LasVegas have no remaining games. Dallas loses the series with LasVegas 0 games to 2. Dallas currently has 0 win(s) against LosAngeles and 2 loss(es). Dallas and LosAngeles have no remaining games. Dallas loses the series with LosAngeles 0 games to 2. Dallas currently has 0 win(s) against Minnesota and 2 loss(es). Dallas and Minnesota have no remaining games. Dallas loses the series with Minnesota 0 games to 2. Dallas currently has 1 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). In the scenario, Dallas wins 1 additional games against NewYork and 0 loss(es). Dallas wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. Dallas currently has 1 win(s) against Phoenix and 1 loss(es). Dallas and Phoenix have no remaining games. Dallas and Phoenix split their series 1 games to 1. Dallas currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). Dallas and Seattle have no remaining games. Dallas loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. Dallas currently has 2 win(s) against Washington and 0 loss(es). Dallas and Washington have no remaining games. Dallas wins the series with Washington 2 games to 0. Indiana currently has 0 win(s) against LasVegas and 2 loss(es). Indiana and LasVegas have no remaining games. Indiana loses the series with LasVegas 0 games to 2. Indiana currently has 0 win(s) against LosAngeles and 2 loss(es). Indiana and LosAngeles have no remaining games. Indiana loses the series with LosAngeles 0 games to 2. Indiana currently has 0 win(s) against Minnesota and 2 loss(es). Indiana and Minnesota have no remaining games. Indiana loses the series with Minnesota 0 games to 2. Indiana currently has 2 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). Indiana and NewYork have no remaining games. Indiana wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. Indiana currently has 1 win(s) against Phoenix and 1 loss(es). Indiana and Phoenix have no remaining games. Indiana and Phoenix split their series 1 games to 1. Indiana currently has 1 win(s) against Seattle and 1 loss(es). Indiana and Seattle have no remaining games. Indiana and Seattle split their series 1 games to 1. Indiana currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). Indiana and Washington have no remaining games. Indiana and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. LasVegas currently has 2 win(s) against LosAngeles and 0 loss(es). LasVegas and LosAngeles have no remaining games. LasVegas wins the series with LosAngeles 2 games to 0. LasVegas currently has 2 win(s) against Minnesota and 0 loss(es). LasVegas and Minnesota have no remaining games. LasVegas wins the series with Minnesota 2 games to 0. LasVegas currently has 2 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). LasVegas and NewYork have no remaining games. LasVegas wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. LasVegas currently has 0 win(s) against Phoenix and 2 loss(es). LasVegas and Phoenix have no remaining games. LasVegas loses the series with Phoenix 0 games to 2. LasVegas currently has 1 win(s) against Seattle and 0 loss(es). In the scenario, LasVegas wins 0 additional games against Seattle and 1 loss(es). LasVegas and Seattle split their series 1 games to 1. LasVegas currently has 2 win(s) against Washington and 0 loss(es). LasVegas and Washington have no remaining games. LasVegas wins the series with Washington 2 games to 0. LosAngeles currently has 1 win(s) against Minnesota and 1 loss(es). LosAngeles and Minnesota have no remaining games. LosAngeles and Minnesota split their series 1 games to 1. LosAngeles currently has 2 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). LosAngeles and NewYork have no remaining games. LosAngeles wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. LosAngeles currently has 2 win(s) against Phoenix and 0 loss(es). LosAngeles and Phoenix have no remaining games. LosAngeles wins the series with Phoenix 2 games to 0. LosAngeles currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). LosAngeles and Seattle have no remaining games. LosAngeles loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. LosAngeles currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). LosAngeles and Washington have no remaining games. LosAngeles and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. Minnesota currently has 2 win(s) against NewYork and 0 loss(es). Minnesota and NewYork have no remaining games. Minnesota wins the series with NewYork 2 games to 0. Minnesota currently has 1 win(s) against Phoenix and 1 loss(es). Minnesota and Phoenix have no remaining games. Minnesota and Phoenix split their series 1 games to 1. Minnesota currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). Minnesota and Seattle have no remaining games. Minnesota loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. Minnesota currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). Minnesota and Washington have no remaining games. Minnesota and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. NewYork currently has 0 win(s) against Phoenix and 2 loss(es). NewYork and Phoenix have no remaining games. NewYork loses the series with Phoenix 0 games to 2. NewYork currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). NewYork and Seattle have no remaining games. NewYork loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. NewYork currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). NewYork and Washington have no remaining games. NewYork and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. Phoenix currently has 0 win(s) against Seattle and 2 loss(es). Phoenix and Seattle have no remaining games. Phoenix loses the series with Seattle 0 games to 2. Phoenix currently has 2 win(s) against Washington and 0 loss(es). Phoenix and Washington have no remaining games. Phoenix wins the series with Washington 2 games to 0. Seattle currently has 1 win(s) against Washington and 1 loss(es). Seattle and Washington have no remaining games. Seattle and Washington split their series 1 games to 1. Here are the final standings in the scenario: Final standings: Team W L PCT GB Seattle 19 3 0.864 0.0 LasVegas 17 5 0.773 2.0 LosAngeles 15 7 0.682 4.0 Minnesota 14 8 0.636 5.0 Phoenix 13 9 0.591 6.0 Chicago 12 10 0.545 7.0 Connecticut 10 12 0.455 9.0 Washington 9 13 0.409 10.0 Dallas 8 14 0.364 11.0 Atlanta 7 15 0.318 12.0 Indiana 6 16 0.273 13.0 NewYork 2 20 0.091 17.0