The NBA Playoffs: What’s the Current Picture?

THREE POINTER:

• The NBA playoffs are near, with postseason starting on April 16.
• Seeding, home-court advantage, and Play-In Tournament avoidance are still to be decided.
• Current standings, tiebreaker scenarios, and magic numbers are all part of the playoff picture.

Countdown to the NBA Playoffs

The NBA playoffs are just around the corner, with only three weeks remaining in the regular season. The postseason is set to kick off on April 16 with the Play-In Tournament, and the playoffs will officially start on April 20. While the teams qualifying for the postseason are almost predictable, there’s still plenty to be decided in the regular season’s final weeks.

The Race for Seeding and Home-Court Advantage

Seeding, home-court advantage, and the chance to avoid the Play-In Tournament are all up for grabs. The Mavericks recently moved into the West’s No. 6 seed after defeating the Kings, who now fall into the Play-In Tournament at No. 7. The Lakers also managed to strengthen their Play-In position by overcoming a 19-point deficit to defeat the Bucks.

Understanding the Play-In Tournament

The NBA’s Play-In Tournament will determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences. Four teams in each conference (the 7-10 seeds) will enter the Play-In Tournament, while the top six seeds will automatically qualify for playoff spots. The seventh- and eighth-placed teams will face each other for the No. 7 seed. The ninth- and 10th-placed teams will face each other in another game, and then the loser of the No. 7/No. 8 game will face the winner of the No. 9/No. 10 game for the No. 8 seed.

Current Standings and Playoff Bracket

If the season ended today, the playoff bracket would look like this:

West

• (1) Nuggets vs. (8) Kings/Suns/Lakers/Warriors
• (2) Thunder vs. (7) Kings/Suns
• (3) Timberwolves vs. (6) Mavericks
• (4) Pelicans vs. (5) Clippers

East

• (1) Celtics vs. (8) Heat/76ers/Bulls/Hawks
• (2) Bucks vs. (7) Heat/76ers
• (3) Cavaliers vs. (6) Pacers
• (4) Knicks vs. (5) Magic

Tiebreaker Scenarios and Magic Numbers

Each team’s standing is also influenced by tiebreaker scenarios and magic numbers. For example, the Denver Nuggets have clinched a Play-In spot and their magic number for a playoff spot is 2. The Oklahoma City Thunder, on the other hand, have clinched a Play-In spot with a magic number of 3 for a playoff spot.

The Eastern Conference standings show the Boston Celtics clinching the No. 1 seed and the Milwaukee Bucks securing a Play-In spot with a magic number of 4 for a playoff spot. The Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks have also clinched Play-In spots.

The Road to the NBA Playoffs

As the regular season draws to a close, every game counts. Teams are battling for their playoff lives, and the pressure is on. Stay tuned for more updates as we navigate the road to the NBA playoffs.

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