The thrill of the NBA playoffs is almost here.
On April 15, the league's Play-In Tournament will begin, followed by the first round's start just four days later. But there was plenty to be decided in the NBA's playoff bracket in the final days of the regular season.
In the Western Conference, a significant collection of teams were fighting to avoid the Play-In Tournament. The Eastern Conference's top-six playoff squads have been set for some time, but seeding wasn't yet finalized.
As the 2024-25 NBA season came to a close, The Sporting News had you covered with updates on the standings, playoff race, and clinching scenarios below. Here's how the playoff seedings shaped up.
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NBA playoff bracket 2025
NBA standings 2025
Eastern Conference playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Cavaliers* | 64-18 | — |
| 2. | Celtics* | 61-21 | 3.0 |
| 3. | Knicks* | 51-31 | 13.0 |
| 4. | Pacers* | 50-32 | 14.0 |
| 5. | Bucks* | 48-34 | 16.0 |
| 6. | Pistons* | 44-38 | 20.0 |
| 7. | Magic** | 41-41 | 23.0 |
| 8. | Hawks** | 40-42 | 24.0 |
| 9. | Bulls** | 39-43 | 25.0 |
| 10. | Heat** | 37-45 | 27.0 |
*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Raptors, Nets, 76ers, Hornets, Wizards
MORE: Everything to know about NBA tiebreaking scenarios
Western Conference playoff picture
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Thunder* | 68-14 | — |
| 2. | Rockets* | 52-30 | 16.0 |
| 3. | Lakers* | 50-32 | 18.0 |
| 4. | Nuggets* | 50-32 | 18.0 |
| 5. | Clippers* | 50-32 | 18.0 |
| 6. | Timberwolves* | 49-33 | 19.0 |
| 7. | Warriors** | 48-34 | 20.0 |
| 8. | Grizzlies** | 48-34 | 20.0 |
| 9. | Kings** | 40-42 | 28.0 |
| 10. | Mavericks** | 39-43 | 29.0 |
| — | |||
| — | |||
*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Suns, Trail Blazers, Spurs, Pelicans, Jazz
2025 NBA playoff matchups
Here are the official 2025 playoff matchups:
Eastern Conference Playoffs
- (1) Cavaliers vs. (8) Play-In Winner
- (4) Pacers vs. (5) Bucks
- (3) Knicks vs. (6) Pistons
- (2) Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament
- (7) Magic vs. (8) Hawks
- (9) Bulls vs. (10) Heat
Western Conference Playoffs
- (1) Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
- (4) Nuggets vs. (5) Clippers
- (3) Lakers vs. (6) Timberwolves
- (2) Rockets vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Western Conference Play-In Tournament
- (7) Warriors vs. (8) Grizzlies
- (9) Kings vs. (10) Mavericks