Predictions for 2025 NBA Playoff Bracket Picture, Play-In Games and Final Seedings

The 2024-25 NBA season is in the final stretch, and the standings continue to move.

The latest shift came Tuesday night, when the Golden State Warriors rode 52 points from Stephen Curry—and 27 more from deadline addition Jimmy Butler—to a critical 134-125 takedown of the Memphis Grizzlies. With the win, Golden State climbed to the No. 5 seed in Western Conference and claimed the head-to-head tiebreaker over Memphis.

The Warriors have no breathing room, though, since nearly ever portion of the Association remains crowded. We'll lay out the congestion here with updated standings before predicting how the postseason bracket will take shape and how the play-in games will go.

Updated NBA Standings

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Eastern Conference

1. y-Cleveland Cavaliers: 60-15

2. x-Boston Celtics: 56-19

3. x-New York Knicks: 48-27

4. x-Indiana Pacers: 44-31

5. Detroit Pistons: 42-33

6. Milwaukee Bucks: 41-34

7. Orlando Magic: 37-40

8. Atlanta Hawks: 36-39

9. Miami Heat: 34-41

10. pb-Chicago Bulls: 34-42

11. Toronto Raptors: 28-48

12. e-Brooklyn Nets: 25-51

13. e-Philadelphia 76ers: 23-53

14. e-Charlotte Hornets: 19-56

15. e-Washington Wizards: 16-59

Western Conference

1. z-Oklahoma City Thunder: 63-12

2. Houston Rockets: 49-27

3. Denver Nuggets: 47-29

4. Los Angeles Lakers: 46-29

5. Golden State Warriors: 44-31

6. Memphis Grizzlies: 44-32

7. Minnesota Timberwolves: 44-32

8. Los Angeles Clippers: 43-32

9. Dallas Mavericks: 37-39

10. Sacramento Kings: 36-39

11. Phoenix Suns: 35-41

12. Portland Trail Blazers: 33-43

13. San Antonio Spurs: 31-44

14. e-New Orleans Pelicans: 21-54

15. e-Utah Jazz: 16-60

*z-clinched conference; y-clinched division; x-clinched playoff berth; pb-clinched play-in berth; e-eliminated from playoff contention

Projected Playoff Bracket

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Western Conference

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 Play-In Winner

No. 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 Play-In Winner

No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves

No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Golden State Warriors

Eastern Conference

No. 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 Play-In Winner

No. 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 Play-In Winner

No. 3 New York Knicks vs. No. 6 Milwaukee Bucks

No. 4 Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 Detroit Pistons

Play-In Tournament

Western Conference

No. 7 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies

No. 9 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks

Eastern Conference

No. 7 Orlando Magic vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks

No. 9 Miami Heat vs. No. 10 Chicago Bulls

Play-In Predictions

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Grizzlies fans might want to look away. Or maybe they're use to the misery by now.

It's hard to say exactly when the Grizzlies' season went awry, but it's been red-alert time on Beale Street for a while. Memphis, now 0-3 since firing former coach Taylor Jenkins, was seeded second as recently as Feb. 27. It's been a freefall ever since, and it's suddenly very possible this skid will take the team right into the play-in tournament.

In fact, our projected bracket even has the Grizzlies opening on the road against the Clippers in the 7-8 game. And it's frankly tough to find a reason to go against L.A. in this matchup, as the team has eight wins and single-digit losses to the Thunder and Cavaliers to show for its last 10 trips to the hardwood.

The saving grace for the Grizzlies is that they'd get two cracks at escaping the play-in, and they'd have to like their chances in a home game against either the Kings or Mavericks. Our crystal ball likes Sacramento in the 9-10 matchup, but the beam won't stay lit for long, as it also likes Memphis to salvage the No. 8 seed.

Out East, it feels like a coin-flip between the Magic and Hawks for the No. 7 seed. The teams have split their first two meetings and hold nearly identical records.

If forced to play the role of prognosticator, though, we'll give the edge to Orlando. That defense is legitimately elite, and it can afford to be more generous than normal when either of Paolo Banchero or Franz Wagner get in a groove.

In the 9-10 game, we have the Heat handling the mid-rebuild Bulls. Miami is always a tough out this time of year, and the Heat are suddenly playing their best ball of the season. Between their trajectory and coach Erik Spoelstra's track record, they should have enough to conquer a winner-take-all road tilt with the Hawks to claim the No. 8 seed, too.