With the 2024-25 NBA regular season nearing its end, the picture for the playoffs is becoming clearer as teams secure their places in the postseason.
In each conference, the top six teams will automatically qualify for the playoffs. Teams ranked 7th through 10th will participate in the play-in tournament, scheduled from April 15-18. From the play-in tournament, two teams per conference will advance to complete the final playoff bracket. The first round of the playoffs is set to begin on April 19.
Eastern Conference
In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers have established a significant lead over the Boston Celtics, the reigning champions, for the top seed. Currently, these are the only two teams from the East that have officially clinched playoff berths.
Teams Clinched in the East:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks*
- Milwaukee Bucks*
- Indiana Pacers*
- Detroit Pistons*
* Clinched at least a play-in tournament spot, but not yet a guaranteed playoff spot.
Western Conference
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have secured the top seed for the second consecutive year. The race for the second seed remains competitive, with the Denver Nuggets, Houston Rockets, Los Angeles Lakers, and Memphis Grizzlies closely positioned within two games of each other.
Teams Clinched in the West:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (1st seed)
Teams Eliminated in the West:
- Utah Jazz
- New Orleans Pelicans
Eastern Conference Teams in Detail
Cleveland Cavaliers
Qualification: Playoff spot secured; Central Division Champions
The Cavaliers are the first team to secure a playoff spot and are aiming for the top seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since their championship season in 2015-16.
Cleveland’s strong season includes two winning streaks of 15 or more games, marking their start as one of the best in NBA history.
Last season, the Cavs were the 4th seed, overcoming the Magic in the first round in seven games, but were then defeated by the Celtics in the conference semifinals in five games.
Boston Celtics
Qualification: Playoff spot secured
The reigning NBA Finals champions are in pursuit of their 19th title, which would extend their record. They are likely to secure the 2nd seed in the East this season.
Last season, Boston was the top seed in the East and went on to win the NBA Finals against the Mavericks. The Celtics have made the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons, the longest current streak in the league, and have reached at least the conference finals in four of the last five seasons.
New York Knicks
Qualification: Play-in spot secured
The Knicks have reached the conference semifinals in the past two seasons, with their last exit being against the Pacers in seven games last year. The Knicks have not advanced to the conference finals since 2000.
Milwaukee Bucks
Qualification: Play-in spot secured
After securing a postseason spot, the Bucks aim to avoid another early playoff exit, following two consecutive first-round losses. With stars Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, they hope for better health to make a deep playoff run.
Indiana Pacers
Qualification: Play-in spot secured
Returning to the postseason after reaching the conference finals last season, the Pacers, with a favorable remaining schedule in the East, will aim to maintain a top-six seed to guarantee a direct playoff spot.
Detroit Pistons
Qualification: Play-in spot secured
After a franchise-worst 14-68 record last season, the Pistons are heading to the postseason. Their last play-in appearance was in 2019, where they were swept by the Bucks in the first round.
Western Conference Teams in Detail
Oklahoma City Thunder
Qualification: No. 1 West seed; Northwest Division Champions
The Thunder have clinched the top seed in the West for the sixth time in franchise history (including the Seattle SuperSonics era) and for the first time in consecutive seasons. Their performance against Eastern Conference teams this season is particularly notable (24-1).
Last season, they were eliminated in the conference semifinals by the Mavericks, who went on to reach the NBA Finals.
