With nine days remaining in the 2024-25 NBA regular season, the league’s playoff picture is taking shape and races for seeding are heating up. Just about every team and fan is paying attention to the standings at this point, and we’re going to be bringing you the most updated picture of where everything stands, every day, from now until the close of play on Sunday, April 13.
The Thunder have already clinched the West’s No. 1 seed and home-court advantage through at least the first three rounds of the playoffs. But the rest of the West sees intriguing races for pretty much every other seed. The Rockets clinched a playoff spot and secured the Southwest Division title by beating the Utah Jazz on Wednesday. Houston currently controls the No. 2 seed in the West, with the Lakers, Nuggets, Warriors, Clippers, Grizzlies and Timberwolves all separated by just a few games.
Denver’s loss to the Spurs on Wednesday dropped it to the No. 4 spot, just one loss behind the No. 3 Lakers, who will host the Warriors on Thursday.
Things are less jumbled in the East. The Cavaliers, who recently picked up their 60th win of the season, maintain a five-game lead over the No. 2 Celtics. The Knicks, who fell to the Cavs on Wednesday, seem likely to secure the No. 3 seed in the East as they hold a three-game lead over the playoff-bound Pacers in the No. 4 spot.
In the East, we know the 10 teams that are going to make the postseason. The Hawks, Magic, Bulls and Heat seem destined to be the East’s play-in teams in 2025. In the West, the Suns are trying to get the last postseason spot, but their chances took a hit recently with Kevin Durant’s injury and the Grizzlies have also dropped four straight.
NBA Power Rankings: Thunder chasing historic win total, Suns, Grizzlies plummet at worst time, Knicks rising
Colin Ward-Henninger
Entering play on Thursday, April 3, here is the 2024-25 NBA playoff picture.
Who’s clinched?
- The Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed in the West, while the Rockets have also clinched a playoff spot.
- The Cavaliers, Celtics, Knicks and Pacers have clinched playoff spots in the East.
NBA playoff picture
If the season ended today…
East first-round matchups
1. Cavaliers vs. 8. Magic/Hawks/Heat/Bulls
2. Celtics vs. 7. Magic/Hawks
3. Knicks vs. 6. Bucks
4. Pacers vs. 5. Pistons
West first-round matchups
1. Thunder vs. 8. Timberwolves/Clippers/Mavericks/Kings
2. Rockets vs. 7. Timberwolves/Clippers
3. Lakers vs. 6. Grizzlies
4. Nuggets vs. 5. Warriors
NBA standings
Playoff chances are based on SportsLine simulations.
Eastern Conference standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Cleveland – x | 61 | 15 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Boston – x | 56 | 20 | 5.0 | 100% |
| 3 | New York – x | 48 | 28 | 13.0 | 100% |
| 4 | Indiana – x | 45 | 31 | 16.0 | 100% |
| 5 | Detroit | 42 | 34 | 19.0 | 90.7% |
| 6 | Milwaukee | 41 | 34 | 19.5 | 90.1% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | Orlando | 37 | 40 | 24.5 | 70.4% |
| 8 | Atlanta | 36 | 40 | 25.0 | 76.9% |
| 9 | Miami | 35 | 41 | 26.0 | 49.6% |
| 10 | Chicago | 34 | 42 | 27.0 | 22.2% |
Western Conference standings
| Rank | Team | W | L | GB | Playoff chances |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City – x | 64 | 12 | — | 100% |
| 2 | Houston – x | 50 | 27 | 14.5 | 100% |
| 3 | L.A. Lakers | 46 | 29 | 17.5 | 99.2% |
| 4 | Denver | 47 | 30 | 17.5 | 100.0% |
| 5 | Golden St. | 44 | 31 | 19.5 | 89.6% |
| 6 | Minnesota | 44 | 32 | 20.0 | 93.7% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 7 | L.A. Clippers | 44 | 32 | 20.0 | 92.5% |
| 8 | Memphis | 44 | 32 | 20.0 | 76.8% |
| 9 | Dallas | 38 | 39 | 26.5 | 19.3% |
| 10 | Sacramento | 36 | 40 | 28.0 | 24.8% |
| — | — | — | — | — | — |
| 11 | Phoenix | 35 | 41 | 29.0 | 3.1% |
x = clinched playoff spot
As a reminder: the top six teams in each conference automatically get spots in the 16-team playoff field. The final four playoff spots will be determined by the Play-In Tournament, which will feature Nos. 7-10 in each conference. The seventh-place team hosts the eight-place team to earn the No. 7 seed. The loser of that game will face the winner of a game between the ninth- and 10th-place teams for the No. 8 seed.
2025 NBA playoffs: Key dates
- April 13: Final day of regular season
- April 15-18: Play-In Tournament
- April 19: Playoffs begin
- May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
- June 5: NBA Finals begin
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