With just two days of games remaining in the NBA’s 2023-24 regular season, we know all 20 teams that will be participating in the postseason, but the majority of seeds are still up for grabs. Nine teams have clinched a top-six seed.
On Friday, chaos struck the top of the Western Conference with Denver’s shocking loss to the Spurs, which landed the Nuggets in a three-way tie with the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves for the West’s top seed. Each team has one game remaining. If it ends in a three-way tie, OKC would get the No. 1 seed followed by Minnesota at No. 2 and Denver at No. 3. The two-way tiebreakers are listed below.
Also on Friday, the Pelicans took a big step toward securing the No. 6 seed with their win over the Warriors, who missed an opportunity to jump into the No. 8 seed after Sacramento lost to Phoenix.
It is now the Lakers, who defeated Memphis on Friday, who control their destiny to secure the No. 8 seed, which means they would get two chances to win one play-in game and earn a playoff berth.
In the East, the Cleveland Cavaliers became the most recent team to clinch a playoff berth with their win over the Pacers, who are now in a three-way tie with the Magic and 76ers for the 5-7 seeds, with Miami within one game and what could amount to a four-way tie for 5-8.
If Orlando, Indiana and Philadelphia finish in a three-way tie, the Magic would get the No. 5 seed as a division winner, with the Pacers taking No. 6 and Philadelphia No. 7 by virtue of Indiana’s 2-1 head-to-head advantage over the Sixers.
If the Magic, Pacers and Sixers all lose their final game, and the Heat win their final game, we would have the aforementioned four-way tie. If that happens, Miami would get the No. 5 seed as a division winner. It would then become a three-way tie, which is settled by combined winning percentage among all teams involved.
By that criteria, the Sixers would get the No. 6 seed with a 4-2 record against Indiana and Orlando. The Pacers would get No. 7 (3-3) and the Magic would get No. 8 (2-4).
Also, the Knicks have secured no worse than the No. 4 seed and remain alive to pass Milwaukee for the No. 2 seed if they win their final game vs. Chicago and the Bucks lose to Orlando.
If the Bucks, Knicks and Cavs end up in a three-way tie, the order would go Cavs at No. 2 as a division winner, followed by the Bucks at No. 3 and the Knicks at No. 4 by virtue of Milwaukee’s 3-1 head-to-head advantage over New York.
As a reminder, the NBA’s Play-In Tournament will determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences. Four teams in each conference (the 7-10 seeds) will enter the Play-In Tournament, while the top six seeds will automatically qualify for playoff spots. The seventh- and eighth-placed teams will face each other for the No. 7 seed. The ninth- and 10th-placed teams will face each other in another game, and then the loser of the No. 7/No. 8 game will face the winner of the No. 9/No. 10 game for the No. 8 seed.
For the remainder of the season, this will be your one-stop shop playoff picture. We’ve got you covered on everything from the current standings to tiebreaker scenarios and magic numbers for both play-in spots and top-six seeds.
Here’s where we stand entering play on Saturday, April 13.
Playoff bracket if the season ended today…
West
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Suns/Lakers/Kings/Warriors
(2) Timberwolves vs. (7) Suns/Lakers
(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Pelicans
(4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks
East
(1) Celtics vs. (8) 76ers/Heat/Bulls/Hawks
(2) Bucks vs. (7) 76ers/Heat
(3) Knicks vs. (6) Pacers
(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Magic
WESTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
- Clinched: Top-three seed
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: Thunder clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: Wolves currently own via division record
- Clinched: Top-three seed
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: Wolves clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: Wolves currently own via division record
- Clinched: Top-three seed
- Magic number: No. 1 seed (2)
- Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: Thunder clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: Wolves clinched
6. New Orleans Pelicans (49-32)
- Magic Number: Playoff spot (1)
- Tiebreaker vs. Suns: Suns have clinched
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
- Tiebreaker vs. New Orleans: Suns clinched
8. Los Angeles Lakers (46-35)
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Warriors clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Suns: Lakers clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: Kings clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Kings lead via division record
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Kings have clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Kings: Kings lead via division record
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: Warriors clinched
EASTERN CONFERENCE STANDINGS
1. Boston Celtics (63-18)
- Clinched: NBA’s best record
2. Milwaukee Bucks (49-32)
- Clinched: Playoff spot
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Bucks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: Bucks lead via division leader
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Tied 1-1 with two to play
- Clinched: Top-4 seed
- Tiebreaker vs. Bucks: Bucks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: Knicks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Magic clinched
- Clinched: Playoff spot
- Magic Number: Playoff spot (1)
- Tiebreaker vs. Bucks: Bucks lead via division leader
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Knicks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Magic currently own via division leader
5. Orlando Magic (46-35)
- Magic Number: Playoff spot (1)
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: Magic currently own via division leader
- Tiebreaker vs. Pacers: Magic clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: 76ers clinched
6. Indiana Pacers (46-35)
- Magic Number: Playoff spot (1)
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Magic clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: Pacers clinched
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
- Tiebreaker vs. Pacers: Pacers clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Miami leads via conference record
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: 76ers clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Pacers: Tied 1-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: Miami leads via conference record
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