NBA playoff picture: Latest standings, bracket outlook ahead of playoffs
We are now in the heart-pounding final two weeks of the NBA season, with teams fiercely battling for those precious postseason spots. The intensity of the playoff race is palpable, with every remaining game a potential game-changer, holding the power to either make or break a team's chances for a shot at the NBA title.
Several teams have already secured their spots in the postsason, but the battle for playoff positioning is far from over. The Oklahoma City Thunder have claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but the battle for the No. 2 spot is a neck-and-neck race between the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets, with the Los Angeles Lakers hot on their heels in the No. 4 position.
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Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks all have claimed a playoff spot.
The top six teams from each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, but the real drama unfolds with seeds No. 7 seed through No. 10. These teams will engage in a nail-biting play-in tournament, where every game is a battle for a chance to enter the NBA playoffs.
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When is the NBA play-in tournament?
The play-in tournament will begin on April 15 and end on April 18, where seeds 7 through 10 will play in a tournament-like format for a chance to move on to the NBA playoffs.
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In the first games of the play-in tournament, the No. 7 seeds will host the No. 8 seeds. The winner of this game will secure a spot as the No. 7 seed in their respective conference, while the team that loses will have one more opportunity to compete.
In the second games of the play-in tournament, the No. 9 seeds will host the No. 10 seeds, with the winning team moving to the final game, while the losing team is eliminated and will enter the NBA draft lottery.
In the final games of the play-in Tournament, the losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games. The victors will advance to the NBA playoffs as the No. 8 seed, while the losing team will be eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
Playoff picture: Who has clinched a spot?
The top six teams in each conference will earn a playoff spot. The winners of the play-in tournament will move on to the first round of the playoffs, which begins on Saturday, April 19.
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Here are the teams that have clinched a playoff spot:
Western Conference:
Eastern Conference
NBA playoff bracket: Match-ups for current standings
Standings as of April 4
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 seed via play-in tournament
No. 2 seed Houston Rockets vs. 7 seed play-in tournament
No. 3 seed Denver Nuggets vs. 6 seed Memphis Grizzles
No. 4 seed Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5 seed Golden State Warriors
NBA standings
Here are the NBA standings as of Friday afternoon, April 4.
Eastern Conference
1. Cleveland Cavaliers: 61-15 (D)
2. Boston Celtics: 56-20 (D)
3. New York Knicks: 48-28
4. Indiana Pacers: 45-31
5. Milwaukee Bucks: 42-34
6. Detroit Pistons: 42-34
7. Orlando Magic: 38-40
8. Atlanta Hawks: 36-40
9. Miami Heat: 35-42
10. Chicago Bulls: 34-42
11. Toronto Raptors: 28-49
12. Brooklyn Nets: 25-52 (e)
13. Philadelphia 76ers: 23-54 (e)
14. Charlotte Hornets: 19-57 (e)
15. Washington Wizards: 17-60 (e)
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder: 64-12 *
2. Houston Rockets: 50-27
3. Denver Nuggets: 47-30
4. Los Angeles Lakers: 46-30
5. Golden State Warriors: 45-31
6. Memphis Grizzlies: 45-32
7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 45-32
8. Los Angeles Clippers: 44-32
9. Dallas Mavericks: 38-39
10. Sacramento Kings: 36-40
11. Phoenix Suns: 35-41
12. Portland Trail Blazers: 33-43
13. San Antonio Spurs: 32-44
14. New Orleans Pelicans: 21-55 (e)
15. Utah Jazz: 16-61 (e)
*-Clinched conference; (e) - eliminated; (D) clinched division
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2025 NBA playoff picture: Standings, play-in bracket and more
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