Updated NBA Playoff Picture 2025 Play-In Brackets After Heat, Mavericks Win

The playoff dreams are still alive and well for the Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks.

Not so much for the Chicago Bulls and Sacramento Kings.

Miami defeated the Bulls 109-90 in Wednesday's Eastern Conference play-in tournament game, which ended Chicago's season. It also means the Heat are one win away from clinching the No. 8 seed in the East and will face the Atlanta Hawks on Friday.

As for the Western Conference, the Mavericks beat the Kings 120-106. Sacramento's season is over, while Dallas advanced to Friday's contest against the Memphis Grizzlies that will determine the No. 8 seed.

Those games will mark the end of the play-in tournament after the Golden State Warriors earned the No. 7 seed in the West with a win over Memphis and the Orlando Magic secured the No. 7 seed in the East with a win over Atlanta on Tuesday.

Here is a look at the updated picture with just two play-in tournament games remaining.

Eastern Conference

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Miami Heat at Atlanta Hawks

• Friday, April 18
• 7 p.m. ET
• TNT

If momentum from the first play-in tournament games carry over into Friday, the Hawks are in trouble.

After all, they were steamrolled in a 25-point loss to the Magic. It was an ugly showing that included Trae Young getting ejected with two technical fouls and a defense that had no answer for Orlando's balanced attack.

It was the exact opposite for the Heat against the Bulls.

They quickly silenced the Chicago crowd by jumping out to a double-digit lead in the first quarter and never looked back. Tyler Herro was unstoppable for extended stretches, and Andrew Wiggins' outside shooting helped the visitors extend their lead.

Perhaps it will be a different story against Atlanta in what figures to be something of a toss-up game. The two teams split their four contests in the regular season with the home team winning each time.

This one will be in Atlanta, which might be the boost it needs to overcome an ugly showing against Orlando.

It will need Young to remain on the floor and take over at times, especially if the Heat are as dialed in as they were against the Bulls.

Western Conference

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Dallas Mavericks at Memphis Grizzlies

• Friday, April 18
• 9:30 p.m. ET
• ESPN

The biggest question mark for the final play-in tournament game in the Western Conference is the status of Ja Morant.

The Memphis guard suffered an ankle injury during Tuesday's loss to the Warriors and was in clear pain on the bench. While he ended up returning in the fourth quarter and providing a spark in the team's comeback efforts, he was still limping at times.

"I'm playing," Morant told reporters after the loss when discussing the next game. "That's basically the answer I'm giving. It ain't nothing different."

Still, there is a difference between just playing and being fully effective.

If Morant isn't close to 100 percent, it will put even more of the onus on the combination of Desmond Bane and Jaren Jackson Jr.

Both are capable of carrying the offense for extended stretches, which might be enough against the Mavericks in Friday's matchup. But playing without a fully healthy Morant would make an already uphill battle against the top-seeded Oklahoma City Thunder in the next round all the more difficult.

Friday's game will provide plenty of answers as to how Morant is holding up with the season on the line.