The defending champion Denver Nuggets (50-21) are looking to win back-to-back titles as the No. 2 seed in the West. Last year’s runner-up, the Miami Heat (38-32), can reach their third Finals in the last five seasons this June.
Young teams like the Oklahoma City Thunder led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Orlando Magic are dominating while former champions in LeBron James’ Los Angeles Lakers and Steph Curry’s Golden State Warriors have taken a backseat, but they still remain threats.
The NBA playoffs begin on April 20. The NBA Finals could end as early as June 14 in a series sweep, but there’s a chance they’ll finish as late as June 27 in a potential seven-game series.
The top eight seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences will qualify. The playoff bracket matches up the No. 1 seed vs. the No. 8 seed, No. 2 vs. No. 7, No. 3 vs. No. 6, and No. 4 vs. No. 5.
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The winner of the No. 1 vs. No. 8 matchup will take on the victor of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 series while the No. 2 vs. No. 7 and No. 3 vs. No. 6 winners will square off in the semifinals.
Ensuing winners advance to the conference finals to decide the championship qualifiers in each conference.
The NBA shared the most recentEasternandWesternConference standings on X on Saturday.
The East:– Celtics win their 9th in a row– Knicks move to the 4th seedFor more, download the NBA App📲https://t.co/oRfhdB8ZfOpic.twitter.com/TqZdK6hzPN
Each team has played in at least 69 games and as many as 71. The bottom-three teams in both conferences have been eliminated from playoff and play-in contention.
The Boston Celtics are the first NBA team to clinch a playoff spot so far. They’re also on the verge of clinching home court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs. The eighth-seeded Dallas Mavericks are still mathematically in the hunt for the West’s No. 1 seed while the East’s race is down to only the Celtics and the Milwaukee Bucks.
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