The NBA playoffs are almost here, and while the Eastern Conference and Western Conference brackets are finalized, where do things stand with the play-in tournament teams?
Eastern Conference All Set for the Playoffs
Thanks to the Indiana Pacers’ loss to the Orlando Magic and the Milwaukee Bucks’ win over the Detroit Pistons on Friday (April 11) night, all 10 seeds in the East — including the play-in positions — were officially locked early:
East 1st-Round Matchups
- No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Play-In Winner
- No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7/8 Play-In Winner
- No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Detroit Pistons
- No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
East Play-In Games
- No. 7 Orlando Magic vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks
- No. 9 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 10 Miami Heat
The Cavaliers have quietly had one of the best seasons in franchise history, while the Celtics look like a legitimate NBA Finals favorite. The Knicks have locked up a top-three seed behind the strength of Jalen Brunson’s All-NBA campaign. Meanwhile, the Pacers-Bucks series is shaping up to be the most competitive first-round matchup, with both teams separated by just one win.
Western Conference Resolves After Chaotic Final Weekend
From the No. 3 to No. 8 seeds, nothing was set. Five teams—the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies were separated by just one game heading into the final weekend. Every result carried massive implications.
Now that the weekend has passed, here is how things stand in the West:
West 1st-Round Matchups
- No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Play-In Winner
- No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7/8 Play-In Winner
- No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves
- No. 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers
West Play-In Games
- No. 7 Golden State Warriors vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies
- No. 9 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks
The Thunder look like the team to beat out West, while the conference as a whole runs deep, with the Lakers and Nuggets looking to return to glory and the Rockets looking to make a statement.
When Does the NBA Play-In Tournament Start?
The NBA play-in tournament tips off on April 15, when the No. 7 seeds play the No. 8 seeds in each conference in a game that decides the playoff bracket’s seventh seed. They will go on to play the No. 2 seeds in their respective conferences.
On April 16, the No. 9 seeds face off with the No. 10 seeds in a winner-stays-in game, with the loser being eliminated. The winner of each game gets one last chance for playoff glory, facing off against the loser of the No. 7/8 matchup the previous day.
The loser of that No. 7/8 matchup plays the winner of the No. 9/10 matchup two days later on April 18. The winner takes the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs and faces off with the No. 1 seed in their respective conference.
