With eight days remaining in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the league’s playoff picture is taking shape and races for seeding are heating up. Just about every team and fan is paying attention to the standings at this point, and we’re going to be bringing you the most updated picture of where everything stands, every day, from now until the close of play on Sunday, April 13.
The Thunder have already clinched the West’s No. 1 seed and home-court advantage through at least the first three rounds of the playoffs. But the rest of the West sees intriguing races for pretty much every other seed. The Rockets clinched a playoff spot and secured the Southwest Division title by beating the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. After that, the Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Grizzlies and Timberwolves are all separated by just a few games.
Thanks to their win at the Crypto.com Arena on Thursday, the Warriors climbed within one game of the No. 4 Lakers. Memphis also won Thursday and leapfrogged the Clippers and Timberwolves for the No. 6 spot out West.
Things are less jumbled in the East. The Cavaliers maintain a five-game lead over the No. 2 Celtics and can clinch the No. 1 seed with a win Friday, coupled with a Boston loss. The Knicks seem likely to secure the No. 3 seed in the East as they hold a three-game lead over the playoff-bound Pacers in the No. 4 spot.
After Thursday’s win, the No. 5 Bucks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over the Pistons. But Detroit can clinch a playoff spot with a win on Friday in Toronto.
In the East, we know the 10 teams that are going to make the postseason. The Hawks and Magic are still fighting, while the Bulls and Heat are locked in as two of the East’s four play-in teams in 2025. In the West, the Suns are trying to get the last postseason spot, but their chances took a hit recently with Kevin Durant’s injury, and the Trailblazers are not too far behind.
Warriors’ two timelines are converging at the perfect time to create a terrifying title threat
Sam Quinn
Entering play on Friday, April 4, here is the 2024-25 NBA playoff picture.
Who’s clinched?
- The Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed in the West, while the Rockets have also clinched a playoff spot.
- The Cavaliers, Celtics, Knicks and Pacers have clinched playoff spots in the East.
NBA playoff picture
If the season ended today…
East first-round matchups
1. Cavaliers vs. 8. Magic/Hawks/Heat/Bulls
2. Celtics vs. 7. Magic/Hawks
3. Knicks vs. 6. Bucks
4. Pacers vs. 5. Pistons
West first-round matchups
1. Thunder vs. 8. Timberwolves/Clippers/Mavericks/Kings
2. Rockets vs. 7. Timberwolves/Clippers
3. Lakers vs. 6. Grizzlies
4. Nuggets vs. 5. Warriors
NBA standings
Playoff chances are based on SportsLine simulations.
Eastern Conference standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland – x | 61 | 15 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Boston – x | 56 | 20 | 5.0 | 100% |
| 3 | New York – x | 48 | 28 | 13.0 | 100% |
| 4 | Indiana – x | 45 | 31 | 16.0 | 98.0% |
| 5 | Milwaukee | 42 | 34 | 19.0 | 88.5% |
| 6 | Detroit | 42 | 34 | 19.0 | 88.6% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Orlando | 38 | 40 | 24.0 | 60.9% |
| 8 | Atlanta | 36 | 40 | 25.0 | 73.4% |
| 9 | Miami | 35 | 42 | 26.5 | 60.6% |
| 10 | Chicago | 34 | 42 | 27.0 | 3.1% |
Western Conference standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City – x | 64 | 12 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Houston – x | 50 | 27 | 14.5 | 100% |
| 3 | Denver | 46 | 29 | 17.5 | 100% |
| 4 | L.A. Lakers | 47 | 30 | 18.0 | 78.4% |
| 5 | Golden St. | 44 | 31 | 19.0 | 65.0% |
| 6 | Memphis | 44 | 32 | 19.5 | 99.8% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Minnesota | 44 | 32 | 19.5 | 78.9% |
| 8 | L.A. Clippers | 44 | 32 | 20.0 | 85.7% |
| 9 | Dallas | 38 | 39 | 26.5 | 61.3% |
| 10 | Sacramento | 36 | 40 | 28.0 | 24.8% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Phoenix | 35 | 41 | 29.0 | 3.1% |
x = clinched playoff spot
As a reminder: the top six teams in each conference automatically get spots in the 16-team playoff field. The final four playoff spots will be determined by the Play-In Tournament, which will feature Nos. 7-10 in each conference. The seventh-place team hosts the eight-place team to earn the No. 7 seed. The loser of that game will face the winner of a game between the ninth- and 10th-place teams for the No. 8 seed.
