No NBA games will be played on Monday, April 8, but the men's NCAA National Championship Game is normally held. This means now is the perfect time to see how the playoff picture is shaping up, with one week left in the 2023-24 regular season.
Including the play-in tournament, a total of 20 teams have been determined to participate in the postseason, but not all teams have qualified for the playoffs yet. Teams ranked 7th through 10th will participate in a play-in bracket to determine the 7th and 8th seeds, with the top six teams in each conference automatically qualifying for the postseason. As the final week of regular season games begins, let's take a look at which teams have qualified for the 2024 NBA Playoffs.
eastern conference
boston celtics
The Celtics had the best record in the league. This means they have home court advantage throughout the postseason. Last year's season ended with Game 7 at home against the Heat, but the Celtics will likely want to return to the NBA Finals this year to finish the job.
milwaukee bucks
It's been an interesting year for the Bucks. They made a big offseason trade for Damian Lillard and replaced head coach Adrian Griffen with Doc Rivers after 43 games. Milwaukee has struggled recently, but a successful season will depend on what this team does in the postseason.
western conference
denver nuggets
The defending champions are aiming to become the first team since the Warriors in 2018-19 to secure a playoff spot and become the first team to repeat the playoffs. Nikola Jokic will likely win the MVP award again, as Denver looks to hold off some young key players to earn the No. 1 seed in the West.
oklahoma city thunder
In the shadow of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's rise to superstardom, the Thunder have finally arrived and are competing for the No. 1 seed. It will be interesting to see if this young core can hold the team together until the end before taking some important rest for the postseason.
minnesota timberwolves
Anthony Edwards continues to develop into a star and makes this team a championship favorite. Karl-Anthony Towns' injury situation is a bit of a blow for the Timberwolves, but the big man could return for the playoffs. As a result, Minnesota is in a difficult situation.
