The NBA regular season has hit its final weekend, with six teams from each conference looking to avoid the play-in games and eight more from each conference set to be sent that way.
Oklahoma City and Cleveland have been the two dominant teams through the regular season, with the defending champion Boston Celtics lurking second in the Eastern Conference.
The Lakers have looked dangerous since acquiring Luka Doncic. When Los Angeles beat Dallas on Doncic’s return to Dallas, the Lakers assured that they would miss the play-in game. The rest of the Western Conference is scrambling to make the regular six-team field, while the Eastern Conference is largely set.
Here’s what the final week of the regular season looks like.
When do the NBA playoffs begin?
The play-in, for teams that finish seventh through 10th in their conferences, begins Tuesday, April 15. The other playing dates for the play-in are Wednesday, April 16, and Friday, April 18.
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The format is that on Tuesday, the No. 7 and No. 8 teams play, with the winner claiming a seventh seed. On Wednesday, the No. 9 and No. 10 teams play, with the winner taking on the loser of the 7/8 game on Friday.
The playoffs proper begin on Saturday, April 19.
Western Conference playoff picture
The top six teams make the playoffs, which begin April 19, while the next four are in a play-in series that begins April 15.
Oklahoma City has clinched the best record in the league and will be the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference. The Houston Rockets have clinched the Southwest Division and are the second seed.
What’s at stake are spots four through seven, with all but seventh avoiding the play-in. The Denver Nuggets and LA Clippers are tied for fourth, a half-game ahead of Memphis and a game ahead of seventh-place Golden State. Golden State is the only team not controlling its destiny as it looks for the sixth.
Western Conference standings
Potential playoff scenarios for Western Conference
Play-in
Playoffs
- 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8 seed
- 4 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 LA Clippers
- 3 Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6 Golden State Warriors
- 2 Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 seed
Eastern Conference playoff picture
The Eastern Conference playoffs are mostly set spots one through 10. The seeds of the final three teams in the play-in could theoretically change, but the six teams in the playoffs and their seedings are set, and the four teams in the play-in have been decided.
Eastern Conference standings
- Cleveland Cavaliers, 63-16; clinched Eastern Conference
- Boston Celtics, 59-21; clinched Atlantic Division
- New York Knicks, 50-29; clinched playoff berth
- Indiana Pacers, 48-31; clinched playoff berth
- Milwaukee Bucks, 45-34; clinched playoff berth
- Detroit Pistons, 43-36; clinched playoff berth
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Potential playoff scenarios for Eastern Conference
Play-in
- 9 Chicago Bulls vs. 10 Miami Heat to advance in play-in
- 7 Orlando Magics vs. 8 Atlanta Hawks for 7th seed
- Chicago Bulls/Miami Heat winner vs. Orlando Magic/Atlanta Hawks loser for 8th seed
Playoff
- 1 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8
- 4 Indiana Pacers vs. 5 Milwaukee Bucks
- 3 New York Knicks vs. 6 Detroit Pistons
- 2 Boston Celtics vs. No. 7
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
Tuesday, April 15
- Eastern Conference play-in, No. 7 vs. No. 8, TBA Tuesday, TNT
- Western Conference play-in, No. 7 vs. No. 8, TBA Tuesday, TNT
Wednesday, April 16
- Eastern Conference play-in, No. 9 vs. No. 10, TBA Wednesday, TNT
- Western Conference play-in, No. 9 vs. No. 10, TBA Wednesday, TNT
Friday, April 18
- Eastern Conference No. 8 play-in, TBA Friday, TNT
- Western Conference No. 8 play-in, TBA Friday, TNT
Odds to win NBA title
- Oklahoma City Thunder +170
- Boston Celtics +190
- Cleveland Cavaliers +550
- Golden State Warriors +1400
- Los Angeles Lakers +1400
- Denver Nuggets +3000
- New York Knicks +3000
- LA Clippers +5000
- Minnesota Timberwolves +6600
- Houston Rockets +8000
- Indiana Pacers +10000
- Detroit Pistons +20000
- Milwaukee Bucks +25000
- Memphis Grizzlies +25000
- Chicago Bulls +50000
- Dallas Mavericks +75000
- Orlando Magic +75000
- Sacramento Kings +75000
- Atlanta Hawks +100000
- Miami Heat +100000
Bret Bloomquist can be reached at [email protected]; @Bretbloomquist on X.
