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2024 NBA Playoffs: Bracket, standings, latest playoff picture as season enters final month

Jack McKessy, USA TODAY
·5 min read

As March comes to a close, the NBA regular season nears its conclusion. Only about a dozen games remain for each of the 30 teams, and there is still plenty on the line down the stretch.

That's true for every team but the Boston Celtics, who have already clinched the Eastern Conference regular season title with their 57-15 record. Outside of the Celtics, the East has four teams still jockeying for the No. 2 seed, all within four games of each other in the standings. The last guaranteed playoff spot – the No. 6 seed – is also up for grabs between three teams within 1.5 games of each other.

In the Western Conference, the Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves are still the only teams that have clinched postseason berths. They're also the three teams vying for the top seed and home-court advantage in the West, all separated by just 1.5 games.

Here's how the playoff picture currently looks with just a few weeks left to play in the regular season.

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NBA playoff standings

Current after March 26 games. The top 6 teams in each conference automatically make the playoffs. Teams in positions 7-10 qualify for the play-in tournament.

Eastern Conference

Seed

Team

Record

Games back

1.

Boston Celtics - c

57-16

--

2.

Milwaukee Bucks - x

46-27

11

3.

New York Knicks - x

44-28

12.5

4.

Cleveland Cavaliers - x

44-29

13.0

5.

Orlando Magic - x

42-30

14.5

6.

Indiana Pacers - x

41-33

16.5

7.

Miami Heat - x

39-33

17.5

8.

Philadelphia 76ers - x

39-34

18.0

9.

Chicago Bulls

35-38

22.0

10.

Atlanta Hawks

33-39

23.0

11.

Brooklyn Nets

28-45

29.0

12.

Toronto Raptors

23-50

34.0

13.

Charlotte Hornets - o

18-54

38.5

14.

Washington Wizards - o

14-59

43.0

15.

Detroit Pistons - o

12-61

45.0

Western Conference

Seed

Team

Record

Games back

1.

Denver Nuggets - x

51-22

--

2.

Minnesota Timberwolves - x

50-22

0.5

3.

Oklahoma City Thunder - x

50-22

0.5

4.

Los Angeles Clippers

45-27

5.5

5.

New Orleans Pelicans

45-28

6.0

6.

Dallas Mavericks

43-29

7.5

7.

Phoenix Suns

43-30

8

8.

Sacramento Kings

42-30

8.5

9.

Los Angeles Lakers

41-32

10

10.

Golden State Warriors

38-34

12.5

11.

Houston Rockets

37-35

13.5

12.

Utah Jazz

29-44

22

13.

Memphis Grizzlies - o

24-49

27

14.

Portland Trail Blazers - o

19-54

32

15.

San Antonio Spurs - o

17-56

34

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NBA Eastern Conference playoff bracket

Here's how the first round of the playoffs would shake out in the East if the season ended after Monday.

  • No. 1 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 seed (Winner of the Play-In Tournament)

  • No. 2 seed Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 7 seed (Winner of the Play-In Tournament)

  • No. 3 seed New York Knicks vs. No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers

  • No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 seed Orlando Magic

NBA Western Conference playoff bracket

Here's how the matchups look with the current standings in the Western Conference.

  • No. 1 seed Denver Nuggets vs. No. 8 seed (Winner of the Play-In Tournament)

  • No. 2 seed Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 7 seed (Winner of the Play-In Tournament)

  • No. 3 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 6 seed Dallas Mavericks

  • No. 4 seed Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 seed New Orleans Pelicans

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What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?

The NBA Play-In Tournament, with its current system implemented for the 2021 playoffs, allowed each conference to expand its potential playoff field from eight teams to 10. The seventh- through 10th-ranked teams in each conference at the end of the regular season play in a four-day tournament to decide the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the first round of the playoffs.

In one set of games, the seventh-place team for each conference hosts the eighth-place finisher. The winners in each conference gets the No. 7 seed in their brackets.

In another set of games, the ninth-ranked team in each conference hosts the 10th-place team. The winners of those games play the losers of the seventh place vs. eighth place matchups to determine the No. 8 seed in their respective conferences.

This year, the play-in tournament begins April 16 and concludes April 19. The first round of the NBA playoffs begin April 20.

NBA Eastern Conference play-in tournament matchup

Here's how things currently look for the play-in in the East:

  • Seventh-place Miami Heat vs. eighth-place Philadelphia 76ers

  • Ninth-place Chicago Bulls vs. 10th-place Atlanta Hawks

NBA Western Conference play-in tournament matchup

Here's how things currently look for the play-in in the West:

  • Seventh-place Phoenix Suns vs. eighth-place Sacramento Kings

  • Ninth-place Los Angeles Lakers vs. 10th-place Golden State Warriors

When do the 2024 NBA Playoffs start?

The first round of the NBA playoffs begins April 20. Depending on how quickly first-round matchups are decided, the conference semifinals begin either May 4-5 or May 6-7. The conference finals are scheduled to begin May 21-22 but could move to May 19-20 pending conference semifinal results.

The NBA Finals begin June 6.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 NBA playoff picture: Bracket, standings and play-in updates