2025 NBA Playoff Bracket Picture, Standings, Play-in and Predictions for Lakers, More

The Western Conference playoff race underwent a small alteration on Thursday night.

The Minnesota Timberwolves knocked off the Memphis Grizzlies, a result that shifted the Golden State Warriors back up into sixth place.

Memphis and Minnesota would face each other in the play-in round if the regular season ended now. The Warriors are ahead of both teams on tiebreakers.

The Los Angeles Lakers are currently aligned with the Warriors in what could be a first-round matchup for the ages between LeBron James and Luka Doncic versus Stephen Curry and Jimmy Butler.

No changes took place in the Eastern Conference standings after Thursday's games. The Detroit Pistons won to narrow the gap to the Milwaukee Bucks to two games in the race for the No. 5 seed.

Eastern Conference

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1. Cleveland (63-17)
2. Boston (59-21)
3. New York (50-30)
4. Indiana (49-31)
5. Milwaukee (46-34)
6. Detroit (44-36)
7. Orlando (40-40)
8. Atlanta (38-42)
9. Chicago (37-43)
10. Miami (36-44)

Detroit's win over New York confirmed the stakes for the Pistons' weekend set of games with the Bucks.

The Pistons must beat the Bucks on Friday and Sunday to leapfrog into the No. 5 seed.

Any other set of results, whether it be two Bucks wins or a split, gives Milwaukee the No. 5 seed.

The No. 5 seed will visit either the Indiana Pacers or Knicks. Indiana is now one game back of the Knicks for the No. 3 seed.

New York should hold on to the No. 3 seed because it faces a Cleveland Cavaliers team with nothing to play for and the Brooklyn Nets in its final two regular-season games.

Bracket Prediction

Play-In: No. 10 Miami vs. No. 9 Chicago

Play-In: No. 8 Atlanta vs. No. 7 Orlando

No. 8 Atlanta vs. No. 1 Cleveland

No. 7 Orlando vs. No. 2 Boston

No. 6 Detroit vs. No. 3 New York

No. 5 Milwaukee vs. No. 4 Indiana

Western Conference

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1. Oklahoma City (66-14)
2. Houston (52-28)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (49-31)
4. Denver (48-32)
5. LA Clippers (48-32)
6. Golden State (47-33)
7. Memphis (47-33)
8. Minnesota (47-33)
9. Sacramento (39-41)
10. Dallas (38-42)

Minnesota's win over Memphis did not allow the Wolves to jump over the Grizzlies or Warriors.

In fact, the Wolves are stuck in eighth place in the West, which would force them on the road in the play-in round against Memphis.

The Warriors need to win out against the Portland Trailblazers and Houston Rockets to secure a spot on the top six.

Minnesota has the best path to the top six if the Warriors slip up since it faces Brooklyn and the Utah Jazz. Memphis concludes the regular season against the Denver Nuggets and Dallas Mavericks.

Minnesota needs to win out and have both Golden State and Memphis lose once to get into the top six.

The best team out of the Golden State-Minnesota-Memphis triumvirate will likely face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first round.

The Lakers are in the clear by a game over Denver and the LA Clippers for the No. 3 seed in the West.

The Lakers need to beat Houston on Friday to lock in the No. 3 seed. The assumption is they will knock off Portland on Sunday.

Bracket Prediction

Play-In: No. 10 Dallas vs. No. 9 Sacramento

Play-In: No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 7 Minnesota

No. 8 Memphis vs. No. 1 Oklahoma City

No. 7 Minnesota vs. No. 2 Houston

No. 6 Golden State vs. No. 3 Los Angeles Lakers

No. 5 LA Clippers vs. No. 4 Denver