Everything you need to know about the NBA playoffs is right here, including information on the series structure and club seeding.
This week marked the start of the 2024 NBA postseason, and two clubs have already been ousted from the bracket. The Lakers and 76ers, the No. 7 seeds in their respective conferences, have advanced to the playoffs, while the Hawks and Warriors have had their seasons end in the Play-In Tournament. The Bulls were the most recent team to win the postseason; they defeated the Hawks on Wednesday and will now play the Heat on Friday for the No. 8 seed in the East. The Hawks’ season came to an end when their probable Most Improved Player, Coby White, scored a game-high 42 points.
The West’s top seed is up for grabs in Friday’s Play-In game between the Kings, who defeated the Warriors, and the Zion Williamson-less Pelicans. The Heat-Bulls game on Friday is also marred by a noteworthy injury: Miami standout Jimmy Butler is having knee problems.
Six of the eight first-round playoff matches are determined now that the Lakers and 76ers have advanced. It will be the Nuggets-Lakers, Timberwolves-Suns, Clippers-Mavericks, and Knicks-76ers in the West and Bucks-Pacers, Cavaliers, and Magic in the East.
How many NBA clubs are competing this year?
There are 16 teams in all that compete in the playoffs, eight from each of the NBA’s two conferences (East and West).
The regular season win-loss record of each team in each conference determines their ranking. The six teams from each conference who have the most wins advance straight to the postseason.
A play-in tournament is then held to determine the final four slots, with the seventh through tenth-placed teams in each conference competing.
What is the tournament for play-ins?
A play-in tournament has determined the remaining two playoff slots in each conference since 2021.
The teams seeded seventh through tenth in each conference compete against one another in a format that combines single- and double-elimination.
The seventh-seeded team will receive the seventh seed in their conference after winning their matchup versus the eighth-seeded team.
The losing team is eliminated after the ninth-place team plays the tenth-place club.
For the eighth seed, the loser of the first game advances to face the winner of the second.
Here is the entire playoff bracket with all of the seeding determined. The whole playoff schedule is available here.
2024 NBA playoff bracket
West
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Pelicans/Kings
(2) Nuggets vs. (7) Lakers
(3) Timberwolves vs. (6) Suns
(4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks
East
(1) Celtics vs. (8) Heat/Bulls
(2) Knicks vs. (7) 76ers
(3) Bucks vs. (6) Pacers
(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Magic
Final Eastern Conference standings
- Boston Celtics – 64-18
- New York Knicks – 50-32
- Milwaukee Bucks – 49-33
- Cleveland Cavaliers – 48-34
- Orlando Magic – 47-35
- Indiana Pacers – 47-35
- Philadelphia 76ers – 47-35
- Miami Heat – 46-36
- Chicago Bulls – 39-43
- Atlanta Hawks – 36-46
Final Western Conference standings
- Oklahoma City Thunder – 57-25
- Denver Nuggets – 57-25
- Minnesota Timberwolves – 56-26
- Los Angeles Clippers – 51-31
- Dallas Mavericks – 50-32
- Phoenix Suns – 49-33
- New Orleans Pelicans – 49-33
- Los Angeles Lakers – 47-35
- Sacramento Kings – 46-36
- Golden State Warriors – 46-36
Play-In Tournament schedule, scores
(All times Eastern)
Tuesday, April 16
No. 8 Lakers 110, No. 7 Pelicans 106
No. 9 Kings 118, No. 10 Warriors 94
Wednesday, April 17
No. 7 76ers 105, No. 8 Heat 104
No. 9 Bulls 131, No. 10 Hawks 116
Friday, April 19
Heat vs. Bulls, 7 p.m. ESPN/fubo
Pelicans vs. Kings, 9:30 p.m., TNT
2024 NBA playoffs schedule: First weekend Saturday, April 20
Game 1: Cavaliers vs. Magic, 1 p.m., ESPN/ fubo
Game 1: Timber wlolves vs. Suns, 3:30, ESPN/ fubo
Game 1: Knicks vs. 76ers, 6pm, ESPN/fubo
Game 1: Nuggets vs. Lakers, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Sunday, April 21
Game 1: Celtics vs. East No. 8, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 1: Clippers vs. Mavericks, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
Game 1: Bucks vs. Pacers, 7 p.m., TNT
Game 1: Thunder vs. West No. 8, 9:30 p.m., TNT
