2024 NBA Playoffs: Bracket, standings, latest playoff picture as March turns into madness
March Madness is here, but there's still a month left of the NBA regular season. With about 15 games left to play for each of the 30 teams, plenty remains on the line for most of them.
One notable exception is the Boston Celtics, who became the first team to clinch a spot in the playoffs with their win over the Phoenix Suns on Thursday night. Boston is 53-14 entering their game Monday night and are running away with the Eastern Conference's top seed.
The race in the Western Conference is much tighter. Three teams are within one game of each other at the top of the standings, and each one is fighting to guarantee a home-court advantage on their side of the playoff bracket.
With just under one month left to play in the NBA's regular season, here's how the playoff picture looks.
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NBA playoff standings
Current after March 20 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 - y | 55-14 | -- |
2. | Milwaukee Bucks - x | 44-25 | 11 |
3. | 43-26 | 12 | |
4. | New York Knicks - x | 41-27 | 13.5 |
5. | Orlando Magic - x | 41-28 | 14 |
6. | 39-31 | 16.5 | |
7. | 38-31 | 17 | |
8. | 38-31 | 17 | |
9. | 34-35 | 21 | |
10. | 30-38 | 24.5 | |
11. | 26-43 | 29 | |
12. | 23-46 | 32 | |
13. | 17-52 | 38 | |
14. | Detroit Pistons - o | 12-57 | 43 |
15. | 11-58 | 44 |
Western Conference
Seed | Team | Record | Games back |
1. | 48-20 | -- | |
2. | Denver Nuggets - x | 48-21 | 0.5 |
3. | 47-22 | 1.5 | |
4. | 43-25 | 5 | |
5. | 42-26 | 6 | |
6. | 40-28 | 8 | |
7. | 40-29 | 8.5 | |
8. | 40-29 | 8.5 | |
9. | 37-32 | 11.5 | |
10. | 36-32 | 12 | |
11. | 33-35 | 15 | |
12. | 29-40 | 19.5 | |
13. | 23-47 | 26 | |
14. | 19-50 | 29.5 | |
15. | 15-54 | 33.5 |
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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 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 6 seed Indiana Pacers
No. 4 seed New York Knicks 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 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 seed (Winner of the Play-In Tournament)
No. 2 seed Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 seed (Winner of the Play-In Tournament)
No. 3 seed Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 seed Sacramento Kings
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 tenth-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 tenth-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. tenth-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 Dallas Mavericks vs. eighth-place Phoenix Suns
Ninth-place Los Angeles Lakers vs. tenth-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.
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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 NBA playoff picture: Bracket, standings and play-in updates
