Three days remain in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, and there is still plenty of for grabs in terms of playoff seeding — especially in the league’s wild West — as every team has two games remaining on its regular-season schedule. The Thunder, Rockets and Lakers have clinched playoff berths in the West, but the three other guaranteed spots remain undecided and there are five teams (the Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies) separated by one games. The Western Conference playoff picture will come down to the wire with the bracket being set Sunday night.
The Lakers guaranteed their playoff spot with a win over the Mavs in Luka Dončić’s emotional return to Dallas on Wednesday night. The Warriors, meanwhile, are now in control of their destiny for a playoff spot again. The Dubs surprisingly lost to the Spurs on Wednesday night, but were helped by the Timberwolves’ win over the Grizzlies on Thursday. Golden State plays the Blazers on Friday and the Clippers on Sunday. The Warriors, Grizzlies and Wolves all enter the season’s final weekend with identical 47-33 records. The Nuggets and Clippers are both 48-32.
The Cavaliers clinched the East’s top seed on Tuesday night with their 63rd win of the season. And we know the other five teams with guaranteed playoff spots in the East: the Celtics (who will be the No. 2 seed), Knicks, Pacers, Bucks and Pistons. The reigning champion Celtics remain the favorites to win the East (-155 at FanDuel) despite missing out on the top seed. Four teams (the Magic, Hawks, Bulls and Heat) are also locked into playing in the East’s Play-In Tournament next week.
The Bucks and Pistons play on Friday and Sunday in two games that will determine who gets the No. 5 seed in the East. Detroit would need to win twice to jump Milwaukee in the standings.
In return to Dallas, Luka Dončić’s 45-point bombshell was salt in an ever-deepening Mavericks wound
Brad Botkin
Entering play on Friday, April 10, here is the 2024-25 NBA playoff picture.
Who’s clinched?
- The Thunder have clinched the No. 1 seed, and the Rockets have clinched the No. 2 seed in the West.
- The Cavaliers have clinched the No. 1 seed, and the Celtics have clinched the No. 2 seed in the East.
- The Lakers have clinched a playoff spot in the West.
- The Knicks, Pacers and Pistons have clinched playoff spots in the East.
- The Magic, Hawks, Bulls and Heat are locked into the East’s Play-In Tournament.
- The Kings and Mavericks are locked into the West’s Play-In Tournament.
NBA playoff picture, current bracket
If the season ended today…
East first-round matchups
1. Cavaliers vs. 8. Magic/Hawks/Bulls/Heat
2. Celtics vs. 7. Magic/Hawks
3. Knicks vs. 6. Pistons
4. Pacers vs. 5. Bucks
West first-round matchups
1. Thunder vs. 8. Grizzlies/Wolves/Kings/Mavericks
2. Rockets vs. 7. Grizzlies/Wolves
3. Lakers vs. 6. Warriors
4. Nuggets vs. 5. Clippers
NBA standings
Playoff chances are based on SportsLine simulations.
Eastern Conference standings
Western Conference standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City – x | 66 | 14 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Houston – x | 52 | 28 | 13.0 | 100% |
| 3 | L.A. Lakers – x | 49 | 31 | 17.0 | 100% |
| 4 | Denver | 48 | 32 | 18.0 | 96.6% |
| 5 | L.A. Clippers | 48 | 32 | 18.0 | 92.9% |
| 6 | Golden St. | 47 | 33 | 19.0 | 91.7% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Memphis | 47 | 33 | 19.0 | 88.1% |
| 8 | Minnesota | 47 | 33 | 19.0 | 86.7% |
| 9 | Sacramento | 39 | 41 | 27.0 | 26.4% |
| 10 | Dallas | 38 | 42 | 28.0 | 17.9% |
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.
Tiebreakers
Here’s how NBA playoff tiebreakers work:
In the event of a two-way tie, the team that won the season series gets the higher seed. If they split the season series and one of the teams won its division, the division winner gets the higher seed. If that doesn’t resolve the tie, then the tiebreakers are, in order: division record (if the teams are in the same division), conference record, record against top-10 in-conference teams, record against top-10 teams in both conferences, point differential.
In the event that more than two teams are tied, the tiebreakers are, in order: division winner, record against tied teams, division record (if all tied teams are in the same division), conference record, record against top-10 in-conference teams, record against top-10 teams in both conferences, point differential.
And here’s a breakdown of who currently holds some of the key tiebreakers:
- The Lakers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Nuggets, Clippers, Warriors, Timberwolves and Grizzlies.
- The Nuggets hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Warriors.
- The Clippers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Warriors and Grizzlies.
- The Grizzlies hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Timberwolves.
- The Warriors hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Timberwolves and Grizzlies.
- The Timberwolves hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Nuggets and Clippers.
- The Knicks hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against the Pacers.
