NBA Playoff Picture 2019: Standings and Outlook as Postseason Approaches

The Milwaukee Bucks and Golden State Warriors have homecourt advantage throughout their conference playoff runs.

Both are the No. 1 seeds in their respective conferences, and if those two teams can win their first three playoff series, the Bucks will have homecourt advantage in the NBA Finals.

The NBA regular season will conclude Wednesday night, and all but one of the 16 playoff teams have been determined. The standings have indicated that the eight Western Conference postseason teams have been known for quite a while, but the No. 8 spot in the East is still up for grabs.

The Detroit Pistons, who were in sixth place a week ago, are holding on to the No. 8 spot with a 39-41 record, while the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets are a game behind with 38-42 records.

The Pistons have dropped their last four games, but they close with a winnable home game against the Memphis Grizzlies and a road game with the last-place New York Knicks. The Heat have also dropped four in a row, and they close with a home game against the Philadelphia 76ers and a road game against the playoff-bound Brooklyn Nets. 

The Hornets, who looked like extreme outsiders a week ago, have won three games in a row. They close with a road game against the Cleveland Cavaliers and a home game against the Orlando Magic. 

NBA Standings

Eastern Conference Standings, with current playoff opponent

1. z-Milwaukee Bucks (60-21), vs. Detroit

2. y-Toronto Raptors (57-24), vs. Orlando

3. x-Philadelphia 76ers (50-30), vs. Brooklyn

4. x-Boston Celtics (48-33), vs. Indiana

5. x-Indiana Pacers (47-34), vs. Boston

6. x-Brooklyn Nets (41-40), vs. Philadelphia

7. y-Orlando Magic (41-40), vs. Toronto

8. Detroit Pistons (39-40), vs. Milwaukee

9. Charlotte Hornets (38-42)

10. Miami Heat (38-42)

Western Conference Standings, with current playoff opponent

1. y-Golden State Warriors (56-24), vs. Clippers

2. y-Denver Nuggets (53-27), vs. San Antonio

3. y-Houston Rockets (53-28), vs. Oklahoma City

4. x-Portland Trail Blazers (51-29), vs. Utah

5. x-Utah Jazz (49-31), vs. Portland

6. x-Oklahoma City Thunder (47-33), vs. Houston

7. x-San Antonio Spurs (47-34), vs. Denver

8. x-Los Angeles Clippers (47-34), vs. Golden State

X = clinched a playoff spot, y = clinched division, z = clinched conference title.
Current first-round opponents listed after commas and based on April 9 standings.

In addition to the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, seeding will be determined after 11 games on each of the final two days of the season.

Brooklyn and Orlando are battling for the sixth seed, and both teams are 41-40 with one game remaining.

The Nets have the tiebreaker, so the Magic would have to win its last game against the Hornets while Brooklyn would have to lose its finale against the Heat for those two teams to change positions.

In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets are trying to hold off the Houston Rockets.

However, the Rockets have the tiebreaker, so if they win their last game against the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Nuggets lose one of their last two, Houston will move into second place. Denver closes with games against the Utah Jazz and Minnesota Timberwolves.

The Portland Trail Blazers are fairly secure in the No. 4 position, but they could get to No. 3 or fall to No. 5.

If Portland beats the Los Angeles Lakers and Sacramento Kings while the Rockets lose to the Thunder, the Blazers rise to the third seed; if Portland loses both games and the Utah Jazz win theirs against the Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers, Utah would move into the No. 4 spot.

The Thunder, San Antonio Spurs and Clippers are all within a half-game of each other. The Thunder have two tough games left against the Rockets and the Bucks. The Spurs have the tiebreaker over the Thunder, so if they win their last game against the Mavericks and the Thunder split their last two games, San Antonio will get the sixth seed. 

The only way the Clippers can bypass the Spurs is if they win their season finale and San Antonio loses to Dallas.