NBA Playoff Picture 2025: Standings, Bracket Predictions After Cavaliers vs. Bucks
The Cleveland Cavaliers added yet another win over an Eastern Conference contender on Sunday night with a triumph over the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Cavs, who are the only team so far to clinch a playoff berth, hold an eight-game lead over the Boston Celtics going into Monday.
Boston and Cleveland feel like they will be on a collision course for the Eastern Conference Finals. The Celtics have 5.5 games between themselves and the New York Knicks and the No. 2 seed should be theirs.
Milwaukee's loss pulled it closer to the chasing contenders for the No. 4 seed in the East. The Bucks only have a half-game edge on the Indiana Pacers and a 1.5-game lead over the Detroit Pistons.
The Western Conference playoff race got more fascinating over the weekend because of LeBron James' injury. The Los Angeles Lakers are locked in a four-way battle for the No. 2 seed and might lose a few spots while James is out.
Eastern Conference Standings
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Play-In Positions
7. Atlanta (30-34)
8. Orlando (30-35)
9. Miami (29-34)
10. Chicago (26-38)
11. Philadelphia (22-41)
12. Brooklyn (21-42)
13. Toronto (21-43)
Cleveland and Boston seem locked into the first two positions in the East.
The New York Knicks need a herculean effort to make up the 5.5-game difference to the Celtics for the No. 2 seed.
New York does have a four-game buffer back to the Bucks in fourth, which is what it should be focused on.
Milwaukee, Indiana and Detroit could fight for the No. 4 seed until the final day of the NBA regular season.
Milwaukee and Indiana face each other on Tuesday and Saturday. Detroit would love if one of those teams swept the games this week so that it can gains position in the standings.
The Pistons have two games this week against the Washington Wizards that can help them move up from sixth. They face a tough challenge at the end of the week, though, against Oklahoma City.
The race for the No. 7 seed is down to three teams. Atlanta has the schedule edge this week with three home games, with the first two coming against Philadelphia and Charlotte.
Atlanta has an opportunity to widen the gap for the No. 7 seed over the next few weeks with five of seven games at home and five games versus the Hornets, 76ers and Nets.
Prediction
Western Conference Standings
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Play-In Race
7. Minnesota (37-29)
8. Los Angeles Clippers (34-29)
9. Sacramento (33-29)
10. Dallas (32-33)
11. Phoenix (30-34)
12. Portland (28-36)
13. San Antonio (26-36)
Oklahoma City delivered yet another statement win on Sunday with a runaway triumph over Denver at home.
The Thunder are the only team that doesn't have to worry about seeding in the Western Conference playoff picture.
The rest of the contenders, though, will be in a fight for positioning from now until the final day of the regular season.
LeBron James' injury comes at a less-than-ideal time for the Lakers, who visit Milwaukee and Denver on Thursday and Friday.
The Lakers also play the Nuggets and Bucks at home next week, so life could be rough for them if they can't get by with just Luka Doncic powering the team.
Denver has to see the two head-to-head meetings with the Lakers as opportunities to gain a foothold in the race for the No. 2 seed.
The Nuggets play OKC again on Monday before they go home for three games and then visit Golden State and the Lakers.
Denver could put itself in a much better position two weeks from now, which would be welcome in a conference where little separation has been gained from second on down.
Phoenix's win over Dallas on Sunday afternoon closed the gap to 1.5 games in the hunt for the No. 10 seed.
Dallas is at a significant disadvantage without Kyrie Irving and Anthony Davis and you'd assume the injuries eventually catch up to the Mavs.
Phoenix gets to test its playoff mettle on the road in Memphis and Houston this week before it plays six of its next seven games at home.
Prediction
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