With the NBA regular season winding down to its final 10 days in 2024-25, the playoff landscape is becoming clearer, and teams are fiercely competing for better seeding. Fans and teams alike are closely watching the standings as we provide daily updates until the end of the regular season on Sunday, April 13.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have already secured the top seed and home-court advantage for at least the first three playoff rounds. However, the race for other seeds in the West is tight. The Houston Rockets are currently in the second seed, closely followed by the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, and Minnesota Timberwolves, all within a few games of each other. The Timberwolves recently had a significant victory against the Nuggets in double overtime. The Warriors also achieved a notable win.
The Eastern Conference picture is less congested. The Cleveland Cavaliers, after reaching 60 wins, lead the conference over the second-place Boston Celtics. The New York Knicks are likely to secure the third seed, and the Indiana Pacers have clinched a playoff spot this week and currently hold the fourth seed.
In the East, the ten postseason teams are set. The Atlanta Hawks, Orlando Magic, Chicago Bulls, and Miami Heat are expected to compete in the play-in tournament for the East in 2025. In the West, the Phoenix Suns are vying for the final postseason spot, but their chances have been impacted by Kevin Durant`s recent injury.
As of Wednesday, April 2nd, here is the 2024-25 NBA playoff picture:
Teams That Have Clinched Playoff Berths
- Oklahoma City Thunder: Clinched No. 1 seed in the West.
- Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Indiana Pacers: Clinched playoff spots in the East.
Projected NBA Playoff Matchups
Based on current standings:
Eastern Conference First Round Matchups
- Cavaliers vs. 8th Seed (Magic/Hawks/Heat/Bulls)
- Celtics vs. 7th Seed (Magic/Hawks)
- Knicks vs. 6th Seed (Bucks)
- Pacers vs. 5th Seed (Pistons)
Western Conference First Round Matchups
- Thunder vs. 8th Seed (Timberwolves/Clippers/Mavericks/Kings)
- Rockets vs. 7th Seed (Timberwolves/Clippers)
- Nuggets vs. 6th Seed (Grizzlies)
- Lakers vs. 5th Seed (Warriors)
NBA Conference Standings
Playoff probabilities are sourced from SportsLine simulations.
Eastern Conference Standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland – x | 60 | 15 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Boston – x | 56 | 19 | 4.0 | 100% |
| 3 | New York – x | 48 | 27 | 12.0 | 100% |
| 4 | Indiana – x | 44 | 31 | 16.0 | 98.0% |
| 5 | Detroit | 42 | 33 | 18.0 | 88.6% |
| 6 | Milwaukee | 41 | 34 | 19.0 | 88.5% |
| — | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 | Orlando | 37 | 40 | 24.0 | 73.4% |
| 8 | Atlanta | 36 | 39 | 24.0 | 60.9% |
| 9 | Miami | 34 | 41 | 26.0 | 31.5% |
| 10 | Chicago | 34 | 42 | 26.5 | 30.8% |
Western Conference Standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff Chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City – x | 63 | 12 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Houston | 49 | 27 | 14.5 | 100% |
| 3 | Denver | 47 | 29 | 16.5 | 100% |
| 4 | L.A. Lakers | 46 | 29 | 17.0 | 93.4% |
| 5 | Golden St. | 44 | 31 | 19.0 | 90.5% |
| 6 | Memphis | 44 | 32 | 19.5 | 85.7% |
| — | — | — | — | — | |
| 7 | Minnesota | 44 | 32 | 19.5 | 82.1% |
| 8 | L.A. Clippers | 43 | 32 | 20.0 | 78.9% |
| 9 | Dallas | 37 | 39 | 26.5 | 28.3% |
| 10 | Sacramento | 36 | 39 | 27.0 | 22.5% |
| — | — | — | — | — | |
| 11 | Phoenix | 35 | 41 | 28.5 | 3.5% |
x = clinched playoff spot
Reminder: The top six teams from each conference automatically qualify for the 16-team playoffs. The remaining four spots are decided through the Play-In Tournament involving teams ranked 7th to 10th in each conference. The 7th-ranked team hosts the 8th-ranked team, with the winner securing the 7th seed. The loser then plays against the winner of the game between the 9th and 10th ranked teams for the 8th seed.
The Eastern Conference`s top six teams are quite established as the regular season nears its end. In the Western Conference, the Minnesota Timberwolves and Los Angeles Clippers are aiming to overtake the Golden State Warriors and Houston Rockets in the standings.
Key Dates for the 2025 NBA Playoffs
- April 13: Regular Season Final Day
- April 15-18: Play-In Tournament
- April 19: Playoffs Start
- May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
- June 5: NBA Finals Begin
Jasper Hawthorne