The thrill of the NBA playoffs is almost here.
On April 15, the league’s Play-In Tournament will begin, followed by the first round’s start just four days later. But there’s still plenty to be decided in the NBA’s playoff bracket in the final days of the regular season.
In the Western Conference, a significant collection of teams are fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament. The Eastern Conference’s top-six playoff squads are set, but seeding isn’t yet finalized.
As the 2024-25 NBA season comes to a close, The Sporting News has you covered with updates on the standings, playoff race, and clinching scenarios below.
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NBA standings 2025
Eastern Conference playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cavaliers* | 64-18 | — |
| 2. | Celtics* | 61-21 | 3.0 |
| 3. | Knicks* | 51-31 | 13.0 |
| 4. | Pacers* | 50-32 | 14.0 |
| 5. | Bucks* | 48-34 | 16.0 |
| 6. | Pistons* | 44-38 | 20.0 |
| 7. | Magic** | 41-41 | 23.0 |
| 8. | Hawks** | 40-42 | 24.0 |
| 9. | Bulls** | 39-43 | 25.0 |
| 10. | Heat** | 37-45 | 27.0 |
*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Raptors, Nets, 76ers, Hornets, Wizards
MORE: Everything to know about NBA tiebreaking scenarios
Western Conference playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thunder* | 67-14 | — |
| 2. | Rockets* | 52-29 | 15.0 |
| 3. | Lakers* | 50-31 | 17.0 |
| 4. | Nuggets | 49-32 | 18.0 |
| 5. | Clippers | 49-32 | 18.0 |
| 6. | Warriors | 48-33 | 19.0 |
| 7. | Timberwolves | 48-33 | 19.0 |
| 8. | Grizzlies | 47-34 | 20.0 |
| 9. | Kings** | 40-42 | 27.5 |
| 10. | Mavericks** | 39-42 | 28.0 |
| — | |||
| — | |||
*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Pelicans, Jazz
2025 NBA playoff matchups
Here are the projected playoff matchups as the bracket stands now:
Eastern Conference Playoffs
- (1) Cavaliers vs. (8) Play-In Winner
- (4) Pacers vs. (5) Bucks
- (3) Knicks vs. (6) Pistons
- (2) Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament
- (7) Magic vs. (8) Hawks
- (9) Bulls vs. (10) Heat
Western Conference Playoffs
- (1) Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
- (4) Nuggets vs. (5) Clippers
- (3) Lakers vs. (6) Warriors
- (2) Rockets vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Western Conference Play-In Tournament
- (7) Timberwolves vs. (8) Grizzlies
- (9) Kings vs. (10) Mavericks
NBA clinching scenarios
Here are the playoff clinching scenarios as of Saturday, April 12. These are a little complicated, especially in the Western Conference, but the below graphics are the easiest way to understand the various scenarios.
On the final day of the regular season tomorrow, four teams will compete for the final three automatic playoff spots in the top six of the Western Conference.
Here is how the @nuggets, @LAClippers, @warriors and @Timberwolves can clinch a playoff spot tomorrow ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/scQ0wGuqu4
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 12, 2025
Complete Western Conference Playoff and Play-In scenarios for tomorrow’s games — see how the outcome of each game affects seeding ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/sC1JzF1Ikk
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 12, 2025