The NBA Play-In Tournament is back, as four teams in each conference will battle for the final playoff spots before the postseason begins. This year, heading into the final week of the regular season, one conference has a lot to figure out in the standings, while the other has just seeding left to figure out.
In the Western Conference, there are three teams still battling for the final two spots. The Kings, Mavericks, and Suns are the squads in play for the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds out West, as two of the three will face off in a loser-go-home battle. Meanwhile, six teams could still find themselves as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed.
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As for the Eastern Conference, the standings are much simpler, as four teams just need to jockey for positioning in the Play-In Tournament. However, teams in the East know whether they are in the playoffs, in the play-in, or out of the postseason altogether.
Here's a look at where things currently sit in the NBA play-in standings.
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NBA play-in standings
Western Conference
The Western Conference standings were still very muddy coming into the final days of the regular season, but they're now set. The Clippers and Timberwolves claimed playoff spots, while the Warriors and Grizzlies fell into the play-in tournament.
Sacramento and Dallas will also compete for the final playoff spot.
Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
5. | Clippers | 50-32 | -- |
6. | Timberwolves | 49-33 | 1.0 |
7. | Warriors | 48-34 | 2.0 |
8. | Grizzlies | 48-34 | 2.0 |
9. | Kings | 40-42 | 10.0 |
10. | Mavericks | 39-43 | 11.0 |
Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference play-in standings have been more simple, as all four teams participating in the tournament have been decided for days. The Magic, Hawks, Bulls, and Heat will play in the tournament next week, and the seedings are set after the final day of the regular season.
Orlando and Chicago will both host play-in games.
Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
7. | Magic | 41-41 | -- |
8. | Hawks | 40-42 | 1.0 |
9. | Bulls | 39-43 | 2.0 |
10. | Heat | 37-45 | 4.0 |
NBA play-in clinching scenarios
Here are the playoff and play-in clinching scenarios for Sunday, April 13.
Complete Western Conference Playoff and Play-In scenarios for tomorrow's games -- see how the outcome of each game affects seeding ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/sC1JzF1Ikk
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 12, 2025
NBA play-in bracket
Here is the official NBA play-in bracket.
Western Conference
(7) Warriors vs. (8) Grizzlies
(9) Kings vs. (10) Mavericks
Eastern Conference
(7) Magic vs. (8) Hawks
(9) Bulls vs. (10) Heat
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
The NBA Play-In tournament will feature four teams from each conference battling for the final two playoff spots in their standings.
First, the No. 7 seeds will play the No. 8 seeds, with the winners moving on to face the No. 2 seed in each conference. Then, the No. 9 seeds and No. 10 seeds will play, with the loser being eliminated from playoff contention.
In the final game of the play-in, the losers of the first games will play the winners of the second games to decide who will earn the No. 8 seed in each conference. Meanwhile, the losers of those games will be headed to the offseason.