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ESPN
Apr 6, 2024, 01:18 AM ET
The 2024 NBA playoffs will soon be here and teams are beginning to book their postseason spots before the regular season ends April 14.
The top six teams from each conference will be assured playoff spots, 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.
Get the updates ahead of the playoffs here as the road to the NBA Finals kicks into full gear.
JUMP TO: East teams | West teams
East postseason picture
Clinched a playoff spot: Boston Celtics (No. 1 seed)
At least a play-in spot, not yet playoffs: Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers
Only a play-in spot: Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks
Eliminated: Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons
West postseason picture
Clinched a playoff spot: Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder
At least a play-in spot, not yet playoffs: LA Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers
In contention: Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets
Eliminated: Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs
Eastern Conference projected bracket, as of today:
Play-in tournament:
No. 8 76ers at No. 7 Heat (April 16)
No. 10 Hawks at No. 9 Bulls (April 17)
Winner 9/10 at loser 7/8 (April 19)
First round:
No. 1 Celtics vs. No. 8 seed (Heat/76ers/Bulls/Hawks)
No. 2 Bucks vs. No. 7 seed (Heat/76ers)
No. 3 Cavaliers vs. No. 6 Pacers
No. 4 Magic vs. No. 5 Knicks
Western Conference projected bracket, as of today:
Play-in tournament:
No. 8 Kings at No. 7 Pelicans (April 16)
No. 10 Warriors at No. 9 Lakers (April 17)
Winner 9/10 at loser 7/8 (April 19)
First round:
No. 1 Timberwolves vs. No. 8 seed (Pelicans/Kings/Lakers/Warriors)
No. 2 Nuggets vs. No. 7 seed (Pelicans/Kings)
No. 3 Thunder vs. No. 6 Suns
No. 4 Clippers vs. No. 5 Mavericks
EASTERN CONFERENCE
Boston Celtics
What they’ve clinched: Best overall record, No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division title
Boston became the first team to clinch a postseason spot in 2024. Even if the Celtics were to lose every remaining game in the regular season, they’d be guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference 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.
Milwaukee Bucks
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Bucks have locked up at least an Eastern Conference play-in tournament spot even if they were to lose all their remaining regular season games.
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.
Cleveland Cavaliers
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Cavs are also into the postseason (at least the Eastern Conference play-in tournament) even if they were to drop their remaining regular-season games.
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.
Orlando Magic
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Magic will play past the regular season for the first time since 2020, clinching at least a place in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament.
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.
New York Knicks
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Knicks have secured a place in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament as they work toward another playoff appearance.
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.
Indiana Pacers
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Pacers have qualified for at least the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference
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.
Miami Heat
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Heat have qualified for at least the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.
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.
Philadelphia 76ers
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The 76ers have qualified for at least the play-in tournament in the Eastern Conference.
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.
Chicago Bulls
What they’ve clinched: A play-in spot; cannot clinch a playoff berth
The Bulls will be playing in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. They cannot directly qualify for the playoffs.
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.
Atlanta Hawks
What they’ve clinched: A play-in spot; cannot clinch a playoff berth
The Hawks will be playing in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament. They cannot directly qualify for the playoffs.
This is the third straight season that the Hawks will be in the play-in tournament. Both times, they’ve been bounced in the first round — by the Miami Heat in 2022 and by the Boston Celtics in 2023.
WESTERN CONFERENCE
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 top 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.
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.
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.
LA Clippers
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Clippers have clinched at least a play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference.
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.
Dallas Mavericks
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Mavericks will return to the postseason, having at least clinched a play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference.
Dallas missed out altogether last year after having previously made the playoffs in three straight seasons.
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.
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 are in the thick of things to also 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.
Sacramento Kings
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Kings have clinched play-in tournament spot in the Western Conference but remain in pursuit for playoff berth.
Sacramento made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006, but lost to the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
Los Angeles Lakers
What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot
The Lakers have clinched at least a place in the Western Conference play-in tournament, although their chances of an outright playoff spot look tough.
LeBron James and his teammates made it to the conference finals last season before being swept by eventual NBA Finals champions Denver Nuggets.
