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The 2024 NBA playoff bracket is now set. What are the matchups? – ESPN
LeBron James scores 28 points to go along with 17 assists and 10 rebounds as the Lakers clinch the No. 8 seed with a win vs. the Pelicans. (1:57)
The 2024 NBA playoffs bracket is set with the first round series tipping off on Saturday.
The top six teams from each conference head to the playoffs, while the No. 7 and No. 8 spots were determined by the play-in tournament.
The Boston Celtics are the top seed in the Eastern Conference. As the finishers with the best overall record, they’ll be guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the postseason. The New York Knicks leapfrogged the struggling Milwaukee Bucks to grab the No. 2 seed, with the Cleveland Cavaliers rounding out the East’s top four teams.
The Orlando Magic (No. 5 seed) and the Indiana Pacers (No. 6 seed) also finalized their playoff spots. The East’s play-in tournament began with the Philadelphia 76ers beating the Miami Heat, 105-104, to clinch the No. 7 seed. Then, the Heat clinched the No. 8 seed after seeing off the Chicago Bulls in the play-in.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed after ending Sunday in a three-way tie with the Denver Nuggets and the Minnesota Timberwolves. The Nuggets will begin defending their NBA Finals championship as the No. 2 seed, while the Wolves are set for the No. 3 seed.
The LA Clippers and Dallas Mavericks will face off in the No. 4 vs. No. 5 matchup, with the Phoenix Suns clinching the No. 6 spot Sunday with a win over Minnesota.
LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers defeated the New Orleans Pelicans, 110-106, to claim the No. 7 seed. However, New Orleans clinched the No. 8 seed by defeating Sacramento Kings in the play-in game.
Get the updates ahead of the playoffs here as the road to the NBA Finals kicks into full gear.
JUMP TO: East teams | West teams
Eastern Conference bracket
First round series (best of 7):
No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
Play-in tournament results (April 17-19)
No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers def. No. 8 Miami Heat, 105-104
No. 9 Chicago Bulls def. No. 10 Atlanta Hawks, 131-116
Heat def. Bulls, 112-91 (No. 8 seed game)
Eliminated teams: Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, Detroit Pistons, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls
Western Conference bracket
First round series (best of 7):
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
Play-in tournament results (April 16-19)
No. 8 Los Angeles Lakers def. No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans, 110-106
No. 9 Sacramento Kings def. No. 10 Golden State Warriors, 118-94
Pelicans def. Kings, 105-98 (No. 8 seed game)
Eliminated teams: Houston Rockets, Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, San Antonio Spurs, Golden State Warriors, Sacramento Kings
What they’ve clinched: Best overall record, No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division title
Next opponent: No. 8 seed Miami Heat
Boston became the first team to secure a postseason spot in 2024 and has clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. And as holders of the overall best record, they’re guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.
The Celtics have made the playoffs the previous nine seasons, losing to the Miami Heat in the conference finals last season. The last time they were the top overall seed in the East was after the 2016-17 season, when they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.
What they’ve clinched: No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference
Next opponent: No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers
The Knicks have secured the second-best record in the Eastern Conference, and will now face the Sixers in the first round of the playoffs.
The Knicks advanced the conference semifinals last season, when they lost to the Miami Heat. It marked just the second playoff appearance for New York in the past 10 seasons, which included a seven-year stretch without postseason play.
What they’ve clinched: No. 3 seed in the Eastern Conference, Central Division title
Next opponent: No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers
The Bucks have claimed the No. 3 seed and will next face No. 6 seed Indiana in the first round.
Milwaukee has made the playoffs the previous seven seasons. The Bucks were the top seed last year but suffered a first-round exit at the hands of the Miami Heat. In 2022, they were also the top seed in the East but lost to the Boston Celtics in the conference finals.
What they’ve clinched: No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference
First round opponent: No. 5 seed Orlando Magic
The Cavs are also in the postseason with a playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, and will take on the No. 5 seed Magic in the first round.
Cleveland made the playoffs last season, losing in the first round to the New York Knicks. It marked the Cavs’ return to the postseason after missing the previous four editions and their first appearance since winning the 2016-17 NBA Finals, led by LeBron James.
What they’ve clinched: No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference; Southeast Division
Next opponent: No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers
The Magic will play past the regular season for the first time since 2020, clinching a spot in the Eastern Conference playoffs. They’ll next take on the Cavs in the first round.
Orlando has appeared in the playoffs only twice since the 2012-13 season. The team last advanced past the first round in 2010 when it reached the conference finals.
What they’ve clinched: No. 6 seed in the Eastern Conference
Next opponent: No. 3 seed Milwaukee Bucks
The Pacers have qualified for the playoffs in the Eastern Conference as the No. 5 seed and will face the Cavs in the first round.
Indy is back in the postseason for the first time since 2020, breaking a three-season stretch. Prior to that, the team was bounced in the first round of the playoffs in five consecutive seasons.
What they clinched: No. 7 seed for the playoffs; beat the Miami Heat in the 7/8 play-in game
Next opponent: vs. No. 2 seed New York Knicks
The 76ers are into the playoffs after beating Miami on Wednesday, 105-104, in the 7/8 play-in game. They now take on the No. 2 seed Knicks in the first round.
Philadelphia has made the playoffs each of the previous six seasons but has not advanced beyond the second round since reaching the NBA Finals in 2001.
What they clinched: No. 8 seed for the playoffs; lost to the Philadelphia 76ers in the 7/8 play-in game; beat the Chicago Bulls in the play-in elimination game
Next opponent: vs. No. 1 seed Boston Celtics
The Heat lost to the 76ers in the 7/8 play-in tournament game, 105-104, on Wednesday but then Bulls on Friday, 112-91, for the final playoff spot in the East. They’ll now take on the No. 1 seed Celtics in the first round.
Last season, Miami became the first team to reach the NBA Finals as a play-in team. After losing to the Atlanta Hawks, they secured the No. 8 seed by beating the Bulls. The Heat then beat the Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks and Celtics to win the East before losing in the Finals to the Denver Nuggets.
What they clinched: No. 9 seed for the play-in tournament; beat the Atlanta Hawks in the 9/10 game
Next opponent: Eliminated (lost to the Miami Heat in the play-in elimination game)
The Bulls beat the Atlanta Hawks in 9/10 play-in game, 131-116, but lost to the Miami Heat to wrap up their season.
This had been the second straight season that the Bulls were in the play-in tournament. Last year, they beat the Toronto Raptors in the elimination match before losing to the Heat in the No. 8-seed game.
What they clinched: No. 10 seed for the play-in tournament
Next opponent: Eliminated (lost to the Chicago Bulls in 9/10 play-in game)
The Hawks’ season is over after losing to the Chicago Bulls in Wednesday’s 9/10 game, 131-116.
This was the third straight season that the Hawks reached the play-in tournament, but the first in which they didn’t advance. They were bounced in the first round of the playoffs by the Miami Heat in 2022 and by the Boston Celtics in 2023. In 2021, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks to the conference finals.
What they clinched: No. 1 seed in the Western Conference; Northwest Division
Next opponent: No. 8 seed in the West play-in tournament (Kings-Pelicans winner)
The Thunder clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference on the regular season’s final day. They now await the winner of Friday’s play-in game between the Kings and Pelicans.
Prior to this season, the Thunder had not been in the playoffs since the 2019-20 season after previously missing it just twice since moving to OKC in 2008.
What they clinched: No. 2 seed in the Western Conference
Next opponent: No. 7 seed Los Angeles Lakers
The defending NBA Finals champions have clinched the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. Their first round opponent will be the Lakers, who advanced from the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed.
The Nuggets will be making their sixth straight appearance in the playoffs, capped by last season’s run that saw them beat the Miami Heat for the franchise’s first-ever NBA Finals trophy.
What they clinched: No. 3 seed in the Western Conference
Next opponent: No. 6 seed Phoenix Suns
The Timberwolves are into the Western Conference playoffs as the No. 3 seed and will take on the Suns in the first round.
Minnesota has advanced from the play-in tournament the past two seasons, only to bow out in the first round of the playoffs. Last year, it was to the eventual champion, the Denver Nuggets.
What they clinched: No. 4 seed in the Western Conference; Pacific Division title
Next opponent: No. 5 seed Dallas Mavericks
The Clippers have clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will host the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.
The team was bounced from the first round of the playoffs last season by the Phoenix Suns. The year before, they finished ninth in the West but lost the elimination match to the New Orleans Pelicans.
What they clinched: No. 5 seed in the Western Conference; Southwest Division
Next opponent: No. 4 seed LA Clippers
The Mavericks return to the postseason, having booked the fifth seed in the playoffs in the Western Conference. They’ll face the LA Clippers in the first round.
Dallas missed out altogether last year after having previously made the playoffs in three straight seasons, which included two eliminations by the Clippers.
What they clinched: No. 6 seed in the Western Conference
Next opponent: No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves
The Suns clinched at a spot in the playoffs on the final day of the regular season to continue their streak of postseason appearances. Their reward? A matchup with the Timberwolves.
Phoenix has reached the conference semifinals the past two seasons, but it lost to the Nuggets (2023) and the Dallas Mavericks (2022). In 2021, the Suns reached the NBA Finals but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks.
What they clinched: No. 8 seed for the play-in tournament; No. 7 seed for the playoffs after beating the New Orleans Pelicans
Next opponent: No. 2 seed Denver Nuggets
The Lakers’ path in playoffs will now go through Denver after beating the Pelicans, 110-106, on Wednesday in the 7/8 play-in game.
LeBron James and crew made it to the conference finals last season before being swept by the eventual champion Nuggets.
What they clinched: No. 8 seed for the playoffs; lost to the Los Angeles Lakers in the 7/8 play-in game; beat the Sacramento Kings in the play-in elimination game
Next opponent: vs. No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder
The Pelicans lost the Los Angeles Lakers in the 7/8 play-in game, 110-106, on Wednesday but got into the playoffs by beating the Kings on Friday. That sets up a first round series against No. 1 seed OKC.
Last season, New Orleans lost the 9/10 elimination match in the play-in tournament to Oklahoma City. The year prior, they made the playoffs via the play-in but lost in the first round to the Phoenix Suns.
What they clinched: No. 9 seed for the play-in tournament; beat the Golden State Warriors to advance in play-in
Next opponent: Eliminated (lost to the New Orleans Pelicans in the play-in elimination game)
After having been in the mix for a playoff spot for most of the season, the Kings will instead be going home early. They beat the Golden State Warriors, 118-94, in the 9/10 play-in game and but then lost to New Orleans.
Sacramento made the playoffs last season for the first time since 2006, but lost to the Warriors in the first round.
What they clinched: No. 10 seed for the play-in tournament
Next opponent: Eliminated (lost to the Sacramento Kings in 9/10 play-in game)
The Warriors’ season is a wrap after losing to the Kings in the 9/10 play-in game, 118-94, on Wednesday.
Last season, Golden State reached the conference semifinals before losing to the Lakers. In 2022, the Warriors won the NBA Finals over the Boston Celtics. In 2021, they finished eighth in the standings but lost two straight play-in games (to the Lakers and the Memphis Grizzlies) to end that season.