Latest NBA Playoff Picture 2025 Play-In Bracket, Seeding Scenarios for Last Day

The 2025 NBA playoff picture is nearly in full focus with one day remaining in the regular season.

Fifteen of the 20 spots between the two conferences have been clinched. The remaining five slots—all in the Western Conference—will be determined after Sunday's games are complete.

Here are the updated matchups and seeding scenarios based on the standings after Friday's games.

Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament

Game 1: No. 8 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 7 Orlando Magic (April 15, start time TBD)*

Game 2: No. 10 Miami Heat vs. No. 9 Chicago Bulls (April 16, start time TBD)*

Winner of Game 2 vs. loser of Game 1 (April 18, start time TBD)

Western Conference Play-In Tournament

Game 1: No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies vs. No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves (April 15, start time TBD)

Game 2: No. 10 Dallas Mavericks vs. No. 9 Sacramento Kings (April 16, start time TBD)

Winner of Game 2 vs. loser of Game 1 (April 18, start time TBD)

*Indicates matchup is official

Eastern Conference Playoff Standings

1. Cleveland (64-17)
2. Boston (60-21)
3. New York (50-31)
4. Indiana (49-32)
5. Milwaukee (47-34)
6. Detroit (44-37)
7. Orlando (41-40)
8. Atlanta (39-42)
9. Chicago (38-43)
10. Miami (37-44)

Western Conference Playoff Standings

1. Oklahoma City (67-14)
2. Houston (52-29)
3. Los Angeles Lakers (49-31)
4. Denver (49-32)
5. LA Clippers (49-32)
6. Golden State (48-33)
7. Minnesota (48-33)
8. Memphis (47-34)
9. Sacramento (39-42)
10. Dallas (39-42)

The Eastern Conference has no drama at all with all 10 teams locked into their seeds. They can rest all of their key players on Sunday if they choose to do so.

The picture is much more chaotic in the West, where the only things set in stone are the top three seeds and the Sacramento Kings playing the Dallas Mavericks in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game.

Friday's win over the Houston Rockets gave the Los Angeles Lakers the No. 3 seed. The Oklahoma City Thunder have had home-court advantage in the Western Conference playoffs wrapped up since March 21. The Rockets earned the No. 2 spot on Tuesday.

That leaves the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves and Memphis Grizzlies left to determine where and when their postseasons will begin.

Despite a chaotic week for the franchise, the Nuggets can at least take comfort in knowing they have the simplest path to the playoffs. A win over a Rockets team with nothing to play for will give Denver the No. 4 seed.

The most important game on the Sunday schedule is between the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors at Chase Center. A Clippers win ensures they are at least the No. 5 seed, with a chance to move up to four if Denver loses.

A Warriors win would guarantee them the sixth seed and keep them out of the play-in tournament. The Clippers could fall into the play-in tournament as the No. 7 seed with a loss and a Minnesota Timberwolves win.

No team has more variance for where they could end up than the Timberwolves. They could move all the way up No. 4 and home-court advantage in the first round with a win over the Utah Jazz and losses by the Nuggets and Clippers.

The Wolves could also get the fifth seed with a win and Clippers loss to Golden State. They could also drop down to the eighth spot with a loss and a Memphis Grizzlies win against the Dallas Mavericks.

Memphis is stuck as a play-in team no matter Sunday's results, but it could at least earn home-court advantage as the No. 7 seed. Getting there would require the Grizzlies to beat Dallas and Minnesota losing to Utah.

Homecourt advantage in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 play-in game between the Kings and Mavs is the simplest scenario in all of this mess. Sacramento controls its destiny as a result of owning the head-to-head tiebreaker if the two teams finish with the same record.

The Mavs would need to beat Memphis and have the Kings lose to Phoenix Suns to host the play-in matchup on Wednesday.