The NBA playoffs are approaching. With less than two weeks left in the regular season, the postseason is scheduled to begin with a play-in tournament on April 16th. Playoffs begin on April 20th. Most of the teams that will qualify for the postseason are known, but there are a lot of decisions to be made in the final weeks of the regular season. Between now and April 14th, seeding, home court advantage and a chance to avoid the play-in tournament are all at stake.
So what's the latest on the NBA playoffs? Thanks to Sunday's win over the Spurs and Houston's loss to the Mavericks, the Warriors extended their lead for the 10th seed and the final play-in spot to two games and a little more. I felt safe.
The Thunder, the top-ranked team in the West, returned to first place, while Minnesota fell to third place after a crushing loss to Chicago. Denver currently occupies the No. 2 seed in the West, but the Suns are the No. 8 seed, just one game behind the Lakers, and have the huge advantage of only needing to win one of the two play-in games to earn them. be. Instead of making it back-to-back as a No. 9 or No. 10 seed, they will earn a playoff spot.
As a reminder, the NBA play-in tournament will determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences. Four teams from each conference (seeds 7-10) will participate in a play-in tournament, with the top six seeds automatically qualifying for a playoff spot. The 7th and 8th place teams will compete for the 7th seed. The 9th and 10th place teams will play in separate matches, followed by the 7th/10th place losers. The 8th game will be against the winner of No. 9/No.1. 10th game for the 8th seed.
For the rest of the season, this will be your one-stop-shop playoff picture. We've got everything from the current standings to tiebreaker scenarios to the magic numbers for both play-in spots and top-six seeds.
This is the situation at the start of the game on Monday, April 1st.
If the season ended today, the playoff bracket…
West
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Suns/Kings/Lakers/Warriors
(2) Nuggets vs. (7) Kings/Suns
(3) Timberwolves vs. (6) Pelicans
(4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks
east
(1) Celtics vs. (8) Heat/76ers/Bulls/Hawks
(2) Bucks vs. (7) Heat/76ers
(3) Cavaliers vs. (6) Pacers
(4) Knicks vs. (5) Magic
western conference standings
- clinch: playoff spot
- Magic number: Top 4 seeds (2)
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: OKC won
- Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: The Wolves currently own through division records
- clinch: playoff spot
- Magic number: Top 4 seeds (2)
- Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: thunder clinch
- Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: wolf wins
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spot (1)
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: wolf wins
- Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: The Wolves currently own through division records
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spots (5)
- Tiebreaker vs. Pelicans: the pelicans won
- Tiebreak vs. Suns: Clippers lead 2-0 with two games remaining
- Magic number: Play-in spot (2)
- Tiebreak vs. New Orleans: Dallas currently holds the divisional winning percentage
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: Mavs lead conference record
- Tiebreak vs. Suns: Mavs confirmed
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Mavs lead 2-0, 2 games remaining
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Mavs confirmed
6. New Orleans Pelicans (45-29)
- Magic number: Play-in spot (2)
- Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: the pelicans won
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: the pelicans won
- Tiebreak vs. Suns: Suns lead 1-0 with 2 games remaining
- Tiebreak vs. Dallas: Dallas currently holds the divisional winning percentage
play-in tournament
- Magic number: Play-in spot (5)
- Tiebreaker vs. Mavericks: Mavs lead conference record
- Tiebreak vs. Suns: Draw 2-2, 1 game remaining
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Kings lead in district records
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: the kings won
- Magic number: Play-in spot (4)
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: Draw 2-2, 1 game remaining
- Tiebreaker vs. Dallas: Mavs confirmed
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: suns win
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Lakers decided
9. Los Angeles Lakers (42-33)
- Magic number: Play-in spot (5)
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Warriors lead 2-1 with one game left
- Tiebreak vs. Suns: Lakers decided
- Tiebreaker vs. Mavs: Mavs confirmed
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: Kings decided
- Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: Rockets lead conference record
- Magic number: Play-in spot (7)
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: Kings lead in district records
- Tiebreaker vs. Mavs: Mavs lead 2-0, 2 games remaining
- Tiebreak vs. Suns: suns win
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Warriors lead 2-1 with one game left
- Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: Warriors win
in the hunt
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Rockets lead conference record
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Warriors win
eastern conference standings
1. Boston Celtics (58-16)
- clinch: 1st seed
- Magic number: Overall best record (5)
2. Milwaukee Bucks (47-27)
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spots (2)
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Bucks decided
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: Bucks lead the division
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spots (4)
- Tiebreaker vs. Bucks: Bucks lead the division
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Knicks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Magic currently owned via Division Leader
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spot (5)
- Tiebreaker vs. Bucks: Bucks decided
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: Knicks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Magic has been decided
5. Orlando Magic (43-31)
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spot (6)
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: Magic currently owned via Division Leader
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Magic has been decided
- Tiebreaker vs. Pacers: Magic has been decided
6. Indiana Pacers (42-33)
- clinch: play-in spot
- Magic number: Playoff spot (7)
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Magic has been decided
- Tiebreak vs. Heat: Draw 1-1, 1 game remaining
- Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: Pacers decided
play-in tournament
- clinch: play-in spot
- Tiebreaker vs. Pacers: Draw 1-1, 1 game remaining
- Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: Miami leads 2-1 with one game remaining
- clinch: play-in spot
- Tiebreaker vs. Pacers: Pacers decided
- Tiebreak vs. Heat: Miami leads 2-1 with one game remaining
- Magic number: Play-in spot (1)
- Tiebreaker vs. Hawks: bulls win
- Magic number: Play-in spot (3)
- Tiebreaker vs. Bulls: bulls win
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