NBA Unveils Seeding Scenarios for 2025 Playoff Bracket Entering April 10 Schedule
Just four days remain in the NBA regular season, with just five of the 20 spots between the playoffs and play-in tournament across both conferences still up for grabs.
Only five seeds are locked into place, including the No. 1 and 2 spots in the Eastern and Western Conferences.
The biggest game for seeding purposes on Thursday is between the New York Knicks and Detroit Pistons at Little Caesars Arena. A Knicks victory locks in seeds three through six in the East.
The Knicks are in the driver's seat for the No. 3 seed with two chances to clinch tonight. A win ensures they get that spot, but they could also get it with a loss if the Indiana Pacers lose to the Cleveland Cavaliers.
Indiana can also clinch the fourth seed with a loss as long as the Milwaukee Bucks are defeated by the New Orleans Pelicans.
That's about the extent of the drama remaining in the Eastern Conference. The Cavs and Boston Celtics are the top two seeds. The Knicks, Pacers, Bucks and Pistons are locked into a top-six seed, but they are still sorting out the order.
The East play-in tournament field is also set, with the Orlando Magic, Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat in the four spots. Orlando is locked in as the No. 7 seed, but the other three teams are separated by two games in the loss column.
Over in the Western Conference, there are still five teams that haven't officially clinched a berth in the playoffs or play-in tournament. The group includes the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Memphis Grizzlies, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The teams are going to make the field one way or another—it's just a question of whether it's in the playoffs or play-in. Those five teams are all separated by one game in the loss column.
After clinching a playoff berth with their victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, the Los Angeles Lakers are on the cusp of being the No. 3 seed in the West. They are off on Thursday, so the earliest they can secure that spot is Friday with a win over the Houston Rockets.
