NBA Playoff Picture 2025: Updated Bracket, Standings After Celtics Clinch Spot

The Boston Celtics are going to the playoffs for the 11th straight season.

Boston clinched a spot in the postseason with Friday's 103-91 win over the Miami Heat.

While the Celtics will surely celebrate their postseason berth, they have been looking up at the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference standings for much of the season. Here is a look at where Boston fits in the current standings and playoff bracket after clinching a trip to the playoffs:

Eastern Conference Standings

1. Cleveland Cavaliers, 55-10

2. Boston Celtics, 48-19

3. New York Knicks, 42-23

4. Milwaukee Bucks, 37-28

5. Indiana Pacers, 37-28

6. Detroit Pistons, 37-30

7. Atlanta Hawks, 32-35

8. Orlando Magic, 31-36

9. Miami Heat, 29-37

10. Chicago Bulls, 28-38

Western Conference Standings

1. Oklahoma City Thunder, 54-12

2. Memphis Grizzlies, 42-24

3. Denver Nuggets, 42-24

4. Los Angeles Lakers, 40-24

5. Houston Rockets, 41-25

6. Golden State Warriors, 38-28

7. Minnesota Timberwolves, 38-29

8. Los Angeles Clippers, 37-30

9. Sacramento Kings, 33-32

10. Dallas Mavericks, 33-34

Reaching the playoffs would be considered a successful season for many franchises, but that is the bare minimum in Boston.

After all, it surpassed the Los Angeles Lakers for the most championships in NBA history with an 18th title last season. What's more, it has also been to six of the last eight Eastern Conference Finals during a recent stretch of dominance.

Last season was the first time in that eight-year stretch the Celtics broke through and won the championship, which marked a first title for Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown after the pair of stars had come so close in recent seasons.

The Celtics responded to the championship by bringing back the same core with Tatum, Brown, Kristaps Porziņģis, Derrick White, Jrue Holiday, Payton Pritchard and Al Horford. That meant anything less than a second straight title would likely be seen as a disappointment, and reaching the playoffs is the first step in that process.

The regular season hasn't been perfect as Porziņģis dealt with injuries and the Cavaliers created plenty of separation in the race for the No. 1 seed, but nobody in the league understands better than Boston that it is all about the playoffs.

And now the team can focus on those playoffs after clinching its spot.