Cleveland Cavaliers- ESPN

ESPN

Apr 6, 2025, 11:31 PM ET

With the 2024-25 NBA regular season wrapping on April 13, the playoff picture will soon start to get clearer as teams book their postseason spots.

The top six teams from each conference will be assured playoff spots, while team Nos. 7-10 in the standings will enter the play-in tournament (April 15-18). The winner of the game between the No. 7 and No. 8 seed will advance to face the No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The winner between the No. 9 and No. 10 seed will then face the loser of the 7-8 for the chance to then face the No. 1 seed.

- Play-in tournament: Schedule, standings, format

The other two playoff series in each conference will see the No. 3 seed take on the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed face the No. 5 seed.

The first round of the playoffs starts April 19, with the winners of each best-of-seven series advancing to the conference semifinals.

Check back as more teams clinch playoff and play-in spots.

JUMP TO:
East: Playoff race | Whose in?
West: Playoff race | Whose in?

EASTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE

In the Eastern Conference, the six playoff teams and four play-in teams are set but there's still seeding to figure out.

The Cleveland Cavaliers have a sizable lead over the defending champion Boston Celtics for the top seed. The Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and New York Knicks have also clinched playoff berths.

The Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, Miami Heat, and Orlando Magic are all locked into the play-in tournament and cannot finish higher than sixth.

Eliminated teams: Brooklyn Nets, Charlotte Hornets, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors, Washington Wizards

WHAT HAVE EAST TEAMS CLINCHED?

The following teams will advance to the postseason. Where's what they've clinched:

Cleveland Cavaliers

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot; won Central Division

The Cavs were the first team to clinch a playoff spot and are on target to secure the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference for the first time since their title-winning season in 2015-16.

Cleveland's remarkable season has been highlighted by two separate winning streaks of at least 15 games, and the team has has eclipsed the 60-win mark for the third time in franchise history.

The Cavs reached the playoffs last season as the No. 4 seed, needing seven games to eliminate the Magic in the first round. They were then ousted by the Celtics in the conference semifinals in five games.

Boston Celtics

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot; won Atlantic Division

The defending NBA Finals champions are looking for their record-extending 19th title, although they likely will finish as the No. 2 seed in the East this season.

The Celtics finished as the top seed in the East last season on their way to defeating the Mavericks in the NBA Finals. Boston has now made the playoffs for 11 consecutive seasons (the league's longest active streak), and it reached at least the conference finals in four of the past five campaigns.

New York Knicks

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot

The Knicks will now make three straight playoff appearances for the first time since 2010-13 but have not reached the conference finals since 2000. The team has advanced to the conference semifinals each of the previous two seasons, with last year's exit coming at the hands of the Pacers in seven games.

Indiana Pacers

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot

After making it to the conference finals last season, the Pacers are back in the playoffs. The Pacers are now aiming to finish among the top four teams, which they last did in 2020.

Milwaukee Bucks

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot

The Bucks will look to avoid another early exit -- two consecutive first-round losses -- after guaranteeing a spot in the playoffs. But the team remains a model of postseason consistency with nine straight appearances (including the 2022 championship).

Detroit Pistons

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot

The Pistons were 14-68 last season, which is the worst record for a team to make playoffs the following season in NBA history. Their last playoff appearance was in 2019, where they were swept by the Bucks in the first round.

Orlando Magic

What they've clinched: A play-in spot, cannot finish among top six

The Magic made the playoffs last season but face an uphill battle this time around as their path will go through the play-in tournament.

Last season's playoff appearance (their first since 2020) saw Orlando exit in the first round in seven games against the Cavaliers.

Atlanta Hawks

What they've clinched: A play-in spot, cannot finish among top six

The Hawks are back in the play-in tournament for the fourth straight season. They failed to advance last year but did reach the playoffs the previous times, losing in the first round on both occasions.

Miami Heat

What they've clinched: A play-in spot; cannot finish among top six

If the Heat are going to make it to the playoffs for the fifth straight time, it will be through the play-in tournament. They've done so the past two postseasons, including reaching the NBA Finals in 2023 as a No. 8 seed.

Chicago Bulls

What they've clinched: A play-in spot; cannot finish among top six

The Bulls are locked into the play-in tournament for the third consecutive season. They won the 9-seed vs. 10-seed matchup and then lost the game for the No. 8 seed in each of the previous two. Their last playoff appearance came in 2022, when they lost to the Bucks in the first round. That marked the last time Chicago had reached the playoffs since 2017.

WESTERN CONFERENCE PLAYOFF RACE

In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder have clinched the top spot for the second straight season but the rest of the field remains fluid. The Houston Rockets are also in but the battle for playoff positioning looks to be going down to the wire. The teams currently in the 3-8 spots are all separated by three games or less.

Teams in playoff/play-in contention: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, LA Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies, Minnesota Timberwolves, Sacramento Kings, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns

Eliminated teams: New Orleans Pelicans, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Utah Jazz

WHAT HAVE WEST TEAMS CLINCHED?

The following teams will advance to the postseason. Here's that they've clinched:

Oklahoma City Thunder

What they've clinched: No. 1 West seed; won Northwest Division

OKC has clinched the No. 1 West seed for the sixth time in franchise history (dating back to the Seattle SuperSonics era) and the first instance in consecutive seasons. Even more impressive is the Thunder's 28-1 record against East teams this season -- the best cross-conference record in NBA history.

Last season, they were eliminated in the West's conference semifinals by the Mavericks, who eventually reached the NBA Finals.

Houston Rockets

What they've clinched: At least a playoff spot; won Southwest Division

Under second-year coach Ime Udoka, Houston has clinched a playoff spot for the first time since 2020. It's been a turnaround season for the Rockets, who are among several teams bunched toward the top of the West fighting for the No. 2 spot behind the Thunder.