NBA playoffs: The race out West goes down to the wire

The 2024 NBA regular season wraps up Sunday, and it’s already been a wild day of results.

Once the dust settles, the top six teams from each conference will head to the playoffs, while team Nos. 7-10 in the standings will enter the play-in tournament (April 16-19). Two teams in each conference will then emerge to fill out the eight-team field, with the first round of the playoffs starting April 20.

The Boston Celtics are the top seed in the Eastern Conference and as finishers with the best overall record, they’ll be guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the postseason. The New York Knicks leapfrogged the struggling Milwaukee Bucks to grab the No. 2 seed, with the Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out the East’s top four teams.

The Orlando Magic (No. 5 seed) and the Indiana Pacers (no. 6 seed) also finalized their playoff spots. The East’s play-in tournament teams will the Philadelphia 76ers, Miami Heat, Chicago Bulls, and the Atlanta Hawks.

Meanwhile, the race for who’ll clinch top spot in the Western Conference (as well as the No. 6 playoff spot) is set to go down to the wire. There’s also the matter of the seeding for the West’s play-in tournament — which involves teams like the Los Angeles Lakers and the Golden State Warriors.

Get the updates ahead of the playoffs here as the road to the NBA Finals kicks into full gear.

Sport What to watch for in the Western Conference

The race for the top seed

The NBA said Saturday that there has never been the same scenario as the one that exists this year: the Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves all entering Sunday with identical records, and all having a shot at the top spot in the standings.

Amazingly, no team controls its own destiny.

The Thunder face the Mavericks in a game in which Dallas has nothing to play for and is likely to rest players. If the Thunder win and Denver beats Memphis — which should happen, but it could become an interesting game if Denver chooses to rest players — Oklahoma City will clinch the No. 1 seed. If Denver loses and Minnesota wins its game against the Phoenix Suns, Minnesota has the head-to-head tiebreak with OKC, and therefore it would be Minnesota-Oklahoma City-Denver atop the West.

If all three teams win, it will be Oklahoma City-Minnesota-Denver.

The race to avoid the play-in

This one is very simple. The New Orleans Pelicans currently sit one win ahead of Phoenix, but the Suns control the tiebreaker. So, if New Orleans wins at home against the Los Angeles Lakers on Sunday, or if the Suns lose in Minnesota, the Pelicans will be the sixth seed.

If, however, New Orleans loses AND Phoenix wins, the Suns will be the sixth seed, and New Orleans will go into the play-in. Neither team can finish lower than seventh.

The race to avoid the 9-10 game

The Lakers are in the same position as their opponent Sunday. If Los Angeles can beat New Orleans, it will be the eighth seed, and will either remain in New Orleans to play the Pelicans again Tuesday, or will fly to Phoenix to play the Suns.

If the Lakers lose, however, the door opens for the Sacramento Kings, who will be a heavy favorite against the Portland Trail Blazers on Sunday and would become the eighth seed with a win. The Lakers losing also would make them heading to San Francisco to play the Golden State Warriors on Wednesday the most likely scenario, as the Warriors are playing the Utah Jazz on Sunday in another game they should win.

Golden State can finish eighth, but it would need both the Lakers and Kings to lose.

— Tim Bontemps

JUMP TO: East teams | West teams

Eastern Conference bracket

Play-in tournament:

No. 8 Miami Heat at No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers (April 17)
No. 10 Atlanta Hawks at No. 9 Chicago Bulls (April 17)
Winner 9/10 at loser 7/8 (April 19)

First round:

No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 seed (76ers/Heat/Bulls/Hawks)
No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 seed (76ers/Heat)
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic

Eliminated teams: Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons

Western Conference projected bracket, entering Sunday:

Play-in tournament:

No. 8 Lakers at No. 7 Suns (April 16)
No. 10 Warriors at No. 9 Kings (April 16)
Winner 9/10 at loser 7/8 (April 19)

First round:

No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 seed (Suns/Lakers/Kings/Warriors)
No. 2 Timberwolves vs. No. 7 seed (Suns/Lakers)
No. 3 Nuggets vs. No. 6 Pelicans
No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Mavericks

Playoff spot, seed still to be determined: Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets

Playoff spot and specific seed: LA Clippers (No. 4 seed), Dallas Mavericks (No. 5 seed)

At least a play-in spot, not yet playoffs: New Orleans Pelicans, Phoenix Suns

Only a play-in spot: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Los Angeles Lakers

Eliminated: Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs

Playoff/clinching scenarios for teams in the West:

For the No. 1/No. 2/No. 3 seeds:

– If Oklahoma City and Minnesota win and Denver loses: Wolves are No. 1, Thunder are No. 2, Nuggets are No. 3

– If Oklahoma City and Denver win and Minnesota loses: Thunder are No. 1, Nuggets are No. 2, Wolves are No. 3

– If Denver and Minnesota win and Oklahoma City loses: Wolves are No. 1, Nuggets are No. 2, Thunder are No. 3

For the No. 6/No. 7 seeds:

– If New Orleans wins: Pelicans are No. 6, Suns are No. 7 (into play-in)

– If Phoenix wins and New Orleans loses: Suns are No. 6, Pelicans are No. 7 (into play-in)

– If New Orleans and Phoenix lose: Pelicans are No. 6, Phoenix are No. 7 (into play-in)

For the No. 8 seed: The Lakers will remain eighth if they beat the Pelicans; the Kings can clinch if they beat the Trail Blazers and the Lakers lose; the Warriors can clinch if they beat the Jazz, and both the Lakers and Kings lose.

For the No. 9 seed: The Kings will remain ninth if they win; the Lakers will drop here if they lose, and either the Kings or Warriors win; the Warriors can clinch if they win, and if either the Lakers or Warriors lose.

For the No. 10 seed: The Warriors will remain 10th if both the Lakers and Kings win; the Lakers will drop here if they lose, and both the Kings and Warriors win; the Kings will drop here if they lose, and the Warriors win.

Sport EASTERN CONFERENCE

Sport Boston Celtics

What they’ve clinched: Best overall record, No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division title
Next opponent: Winner of No. 8 seed in the East play-in tournament (Heat-76ers loser vs. Hawks-Bulls winner)

Boston became the first team to clinch a postseason spot in 2024 and have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. And as holders of the overall best record, they’re guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Celtics have made the playoffs the previous nine seasons, losing to the Miami Heat in the conference finals last season. The last time they were the top overall seed in the East was after the 2016-17 season, when they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.

Sport New York Knicks

What they’ve clinched: No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference
Next opponent: Winner of the East’s 7/8 play-in tournament game (76ers or Heat)

The Knicks have secured the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, and will now wait who’ll emerge from the 7/8 playoff for their first round opponent.

The Knicks advanced the conference semifinals last season, where they lost to the Miami Heat. It marked just the second playoff appearance for New York in the past 10 seasons, which included a seven-year stretch without postseason play.

Sport Milwaukee Bucks

What they’ve clinched: No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Central Division title
Next opponent: No. 6 seed Orlando Magic

The Bucks have claimed the No. 3 seed, and will next face No. 6 seed Orlando in the first round of the playoffs.

Milwaukee has made the playoffs the previous seven seasons. The Bucks were the top seed last year but suffered a first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat. In 2022, they were also the top seed in the East, but they lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.

Sport Cleveland Cavaliers

What they’ve clinched: No. 4 in the Eastern Conference
First round opponent: No. 5 seed Indiana Pacers

The Cavs are also into the postseason with a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and will take on the No. 5 seed Pacers in the first round of the playoffs.

Cleveland made the playoffs last season, losing in the first round to the New York Knicks. It marked the Cavs’ return to the postseason after missing the previous four editions, and their first appearance since winning the 2016-17 NBA Finals, led by LeBron James.

Sport Indiana Pacers

What they’ve clinched: No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference
Next opponent: No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers

The Pacers have qualified for at the playoffs in the Eastern Conference as the No. 5 seed, and will face the Cavs in the first round.

Indy is back in the postseason for the first time since 2020, breaking a three-season stretch. Prior to that, the team was bounced in the first round of the playoffs in five consecutive seasons.

Sport Orlando Magic

What they’ve clinched: No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference; Southeast Division
Next opponent: No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks

The Magic will play past the regular season for the first time since 2020, clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’ll next take on the Bucks in the first round.

Orlando will next eye a playoff berth, having only appeared twice since the 2012-13 season. The team last advanced past the first round in 2010 when it reached the conference finals.

Sport Philadelphia 76ers

What they’ve clinched: No. 7 seed for the play-in tournament; cannot directly clinch a playoff berth

The 76ers have qualified for the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, and will host the Miami Heat on April 17. The winner will advance to the playoffs and take on the No. 2 seed Knicks in the first round.

Philadelphia has made the playoffs each of the previous six seasons, but has not advanced beyond the second round since reaching the NBA Finals in 2001.

Sport Miami Heat

What they’ve clinched: No. 8 seed for the play-in tournament; cannot directly clinch a playoff berth

The Heat have qualified for the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference, and will visit the Philadelphia 76ers on April 17. The winner will advance to the playoffs and take on the No. 2 seed Knicks in the first round.

Last season, Miami became the first team to reach the NBA Finals as a play-in team. After losing first to the Atlanta Hawks, they secured the No. 8 seed by beating the Chicago Bulls. The Heat then beat the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, and the Boston Celtics to win the East before losing in the finals to the Denver Nuggets.

Sport Chicago Bulls

What they’ve clinched: No. 9 seed for the play-in tournament; cannot directly clinch a playoff berth

The Bulls will be playing in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will host the Atlanta Hawks for the 9/10 game. The winner will advance to play the loser of the 7/8 game (either the 76ers or the Heat) for a chance to clinch the No. 8 playoff spot — and a first-round date with the No. 1 seed Celtics.

This is the second straight season that the Bulls will be in the play-in tournament. Last year, they beat the Toronto Raptors in the elimination match before losing to the Miami Heat in No. 8 seed game.

Sport Atlanta Hawks

What they’ve clinched: No. 10 seed for the play-in tournament; cannot directly clinch a playoff berth

The Hawks will be playing in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will visit the Chicago Bulls for the 9/10 game. TThe winner will advance to play the loser of the 7/8 game (either the 76ers or the Heat) for a chance to clinch the No. 8 playoff spot — and a first-round date with the No. 1 seed Celtics.

This is the third straight season that the Hawks will be in the play-in tournament. They’ve advanced out of it but then been bounced in the first round of the playoffs — by the Miami Heat in 2022 and by the Boston Celtics in 2023. In 2021, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks to the conference finals.

Sport WESTERN CONFERENCE

Sport Oklahoma City Thunder

What they’ve clinched: At least a playoff spot

The Thunder remain in contention for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but they’ve at least clinched a playoff spot.

The team has not been in the playoffs since the 2019-20 season — a three-season hiatus — after previously missing the postseason just twice since moving to OKC in 2008.

Sport Minnesota Timberwolves

What they’ve clinched: At least a playoff spot

The Timberwolves have locked in a spot in the Western Conference playoffs as they remain in a tough battle for the No. 1 seed.

Minnesota has advanced from the play-in tournament the last two seasons, only to bow out in the first round of the playoffs. Last year, it was to the eventual champions Denver Nuggets.

Sport Denver Nuggets

What they’ve clinched: At least a playoff spot

The defending NBA Finals champions have clinched a playoff spot amid a tight race for the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference.

The Nuggets will be making their sixth straight appearance in the playoffs — capped by last season’s run that saw them beat the Miami Heat for the franchise’s first ever NBA Finals trophy.

Sport LA Clippers

What they’ve clinched: No. 4 seed in the Western Conference; Pacific Division title

The Clippers have clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will host the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

The team was bounced from the first round of the playoffs last season by the Phoenix Suns. The year before, they finished ninth in the West but lost the elimination match to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Sport Dallas Mavericks

What they’ve clinched: No. 5 seed in the Western Conference; Southwest Division

The Mavericks will return to the postseason, having booked the fifth seed in the playoffs in the Western Conference. They’ll face the LA Clippers in the first round.

Dallas missed out altogether last year after having previously made the playoffs in three straight seasons, which included two eliminations by the Clippers.

Sport New Orleans Pelicans

What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot

The Pelicans have clinched a play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference, although they can still nab a playoff berth.

Last season, New Orleans lost the 9-10 elimination match in the play-in tournament to Oklahoma City. The year prior, they made the playoffs via the play-in, but lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns.

Sport Phoenix Suns

What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot

The Suns have clinched at least a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament to continue their streak of postseason appearances.

Phoenix has reached the conference semifinals the last two seasons, but lost to the Denver Nuggets (2023) and the Dallas Mavericks (2022). In 2021, they reached the NBA Finals but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Sport Los Angeles Lakers

What they’ve clinched: A play-in spot; cannot clinch a playoff berth

The Lakers’ path to the playoffs will have to go through the Western Conference play-in tournament as they can no longer finish in the top six.

LeBron James and crew made it to the conference finals last season before being swept by eventual NBA Finals champions Denver Nuggets.

Sport Sacramento Kings

What they’ve clinched: A play-in spot; cannot clinch a playoff berth

After having been in the mix for a playoff spot for most of the season, the Kings will now have to settle for a spot in the play-in tournament in the Western Conference.

Sacramento made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006, but lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.

Sport Golden State Warriors

What they’ve clinched: A play-in spot; cannot clinch a playoff berth

No shot for a top six spot for the Warriors, who will have to first navigate the Western Conference play-in tournament.

Last season, Golden State reached the conference semifinals before losing to the Lakers. In 2022, the Warriors won the NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. In 2021, they finished eighth in the standings but lost two straight play-in games (to the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies) to end that season.