NBA Playoff Picture 2024: Updated Standings, Predictions After Lakers' Win vs. Pacers

The Los Angeles Lakers picked up a crucial win over the Indiana Pacers 150-145 Sunday night to help them hold their spot in the Western Conference standings.

The Lakers still sit a few games back from earning a top-six seed to avoid the play-in tournament, but a convincing win over the Pacers could help spark a late push as the season nears an end.

Here is a look at where the Lakers and other teams stand in the playoff picture after Sunday's matchup:

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Western Conference

1. Denver Nuggets, 50-21
2. Oklahoma City Thunder, 49-21 (0.5 GB)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves, 49-22 (1 GB)
4. Los Angeles Clippers, 44-26 (5.5 GB)
5. New Orleans Pelicans, 44-27 (6 GB)
6. Phoenix Suns, 42-29 (8 GB)
7. Sacramento Kings, 41-29 (8.5 GB)
8. Dallas Mavericks, 41-29 (8.5 GB)
9. Los Angeles Lakers, 39-32 (11 GB)
10. Golden State Warriors, 36-34 (13.5 GB)

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Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics, 57-14
2. Milwaukee Bucks, 46-25 (11 GB)
3. Cleveland Cavaliers, 43-28 (14 GB)
4. New York Knicks, 42-28 (14.5 GB)
5. Orlando Magic, 42-29 (15 GB)
6. Indiana Pacers, 40-32 (17.5 GB)
7. Miami Heat, 39-32 (18 GB)
8. Philadelphia 76ers, 39-32 (18 GB)
9. Chicago Bulls, 34-37 (23 GB)
10. Atlanta Hawks, 31-39 (25.5 GB)

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Western Conference Prediction: Thunder handle business in first round

The Oklahoma Thunder are one of the youngest teams in the league and certainly lack playoff experience, as their last trip to the postseason was in the 2019-20 season when Chris Paul, Steven Adams and a young Shai Gilgeous-Alexander lost in the first round to the Houston Rockets.

Four seasons later, Gilgeous-Alexander is an MVP candidate and Oklahoma City has an impressive roster that has led them to one of the top spots in the West as the season nears an end.

The Thunder have been pegged as a team that could be upset by a Play-In team like the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors or Dallas Mavericks because of their age and lack of experience, but Oklahoma City could turn some heads in the first round.

Gilgeous-Alexander has been the model of consistency this season, going for 30+ points seemingly every night. Jalen Williams is a reliable second option and Chet Holmgren's size and ability to space the floor make the Thunder a matchup nightmare.

On defense, Holmgren clogs the paint with his 7'1" frame and makes any shot close to the basket a tough one, averaging 2.4 blocks per game. Things don't get easier on the perimeter, as Gilgeous-Alexander leads the league in steals with 2.1 per game. Williams also gets 1.1 steals per game and Lu Dort has proved to be one of the toughest perimeter defenders in the league.

The Thunder have the third-best offensive rating and fifth-best defensive rating in the league, per NBA.com, and those numbers show the makings of a playoff-ready team.

There is a good chance Oklahoma City will be taking on a proven team like the Lakers or Warriors, but the Thunder will be looking to show why they earned one of the top seeds in the West.

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Eastern Conference Prediction: Celtics, Bucks get tough first-round matchups

The Boston Celtics are on the cusp of clinching the top seed in the East and will get it barring any late-season collapse. The Milwaukee Bucks are likely looking at the No. 2 seed with a 53.8 percent chance, per Basketball Reference.

The seeding position in the East could make for some interesting matchups in the first round.

For the Philadelphia 76ers, being without reigning MVP Joel Embiid has put them in eighth place in the East, so there is a likely chance they will have to earn their way into the playoffs through the Play-In tournament. The Miami Heat, currently in seventh place in the East, are another team likely facing a Play-In tournament appearance.

Both of those teams should ultimately take care of business in their respective Play-In games, but things get much more difficult in the actual playoffs.

The Celtics and Heat have a rivalry that dates back to LeBron James and Dwyane Wade vs. Paul Pierce and Kevin Garnett. The new era of Jayson Tatum vs. Jimmy Butler has been just as interesting, with the two teams playing each other in three of the last four Eastern Conference Finals. If the two teams meet in the first round, things won't be easy for either side.

The Bucks and 76ers would be just as exciting as the Celtics vs. Heat. Assuming Embiid is back on the floor by the playoffs (he is set to return before then), a series between Milwaukee and Philadelphia could determine who reaches the Eastern Conference Finals.

Flipping the scenario to the 76ers getting the No. 8 seed and the Heat getting the No. 7 seed through the Play-In tournament, things are just as interesting. Embiid and Philadelphia would be looking for revenge after getting bounced from the playoffs by the Celtics a year ago, and Milwaukee would be seeking redemption after its upset loss in the first round to Miami last season.

Either way, expect to see star-studded, heavy-weight matchups in the first round this year.