The NBA postseason is rapidly approaching, as there are just a few weeks left in the regular season. Therefore, the playoff picture is taking shape, as teams are getting a better of idea of where they fall in the season’s standings.
For pretty much the entirety of this season, the Cavaliers and Thunder have led the Eastern and Western conferences, respectively, and they should be the top two seeds when the playoffs begin.
However, the defending-champion Celtics are among Cleveland’s toughest competition in the East, with the Knicks leading a group of teams hoping to pull off the upset over the top two teams in the conference. In the West, the Thunder are running away with the top seed, but Oklahoma City might be tested by the young Rockets, veteran Nuggets, or revamped Lakers.
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Additionally, the Play-In Tournament is back, as eight teams will vie for the final four spots in the playoffs. Among the teams who could play during that stretch are the Heat, Clippers and Mavericks, all of whom have had up-and-down seasons.
With the playoffs in sight, here’s a look at the current NBA standings and bracket projection.
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NBA standings 2025
The tables below will be updated with the latest NBA standings on a daily basis until the playoffs begin (current through April 4 games).
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 1. | Cavaliers – X | 62-15 | — |
| 2. | Celtics – X | 57-20 | 5.0 |
| 3. | Knicks – X | 48-28 | 13.5 |
| 4. | Pacers – X | 46-31 | 16.0 |
| 5. | Pistons – X | 43-34 | 19.0 |
| 6. | Bucks | 42-34 | 19.5 |
| 7. | Magic | 38-40 | 24.5 |
| 8. | Hawks | 36-40 | 25.5 |
| 9. | Bulls | 35-42 | 27.0 |
| 10. | Heat | 35-42 | 27.0 |
| 11. | Raptors – E | 28-50 | 34.5 |
| 12. | Nets – E | 25-52 | 37.0 |
| 13. | 76ers – E | 23-54 | 39.0 |
| 14. | Hornets – E | 19-58 | 43.0 |
| 15. | Wizards – E | 17-60 | 45.0 |
X = clinched playoff spot
E = eliminated
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 1. | Thunder – X | 64-13 | — |
| 2. | Rockets – X | 51-27 | 13.5 |
| 3. | Lakers | 47-30 | 17.0 |
| 4. | Nuggets | 47-31 | 17.5 |
| 5. | Warriors | 46-31 | 18.0 |
| 6. | Timberwolves | 45-32 | 19.0 |
| 7. | Clippers | 45-32 | 19.0 |
| 8. | Grizzlies | 45-32 | 19.0 |
| 9. | Mavericks | 38-40 | 26.5 |
| 10. | Kings | 37-40 | 27.0 |
| 11. | Suns | 35-42 | 29.0 |
| 12. | Trail Blazers | 34-44 | 30.5 |
| 13. | Spurs | 32-45 | 32.0 |
| 14. | Pelicans – E | 21-56 | 43.0 |
| 15. | Jazz -E | 16-62 | 48.5 |
X = clinched playoff spot
E = eliminated
NBA Playoff bracket 2025
Here’s a look at how the NBA playoff bracket would look based on the current standings.
Eastern Conference
(1) Cavaliers vs. (8) Play-in Winner
(2) Celtics vs. (7) Play-in Winner
(3) Knicks vs. (6) Bucks
(4) Pacers vs. (5) Pistons
Western Conference
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Play-in Winner
(2) Rockets vs. (7) Play-in Winner
(3) Lakers vs. (6) Timberwolves
(4) Nuggets vs. (5) Warriors
NBA Play-In Tournament bracket 2025
This is what the NBA Play-In Tournament would look like based on the current standings.
Eastern Conference
(7) Magic vs. (8) Hawks
(9) Bulls vs. (10) Heat
Western Conference
(7) Clippers vs. (8) Grizzlies
(9) Mavericks vs. (10) Kings
NBA clinching scenarios today
The Pistons clinched a playoff berth with a win over the Raptors on Friday. Check back for clinching scenarios for Saturday’s NBA games.
When do the NBA Playoffs start
- Play-In Tournament: April 15-18
- NBA Playoffs: April 19
The 2024-25 regular season will end on Sunday, April 13, and the Play-In Tournament will then begin two days later on Tuesday, April 15. From there, the Play-In Tournament will take place over the next four days, with the playoffs set to begin on Saturday, April 19.
How will the 2025 NBA Playoffs work?
The following showcases how the NBA Playoffs will unfold:
- Once the regular season ends, the top six seeds in each conference will automatically make the playoffs, while the teams ranked Nos. 7-10 will participate in the NBA Play-In Tournament over the course of four days.
- In each conference, the teams ranked Nos. 7 and 8 will play, with the winner moving on to play the No. 2 seed in each conference.
- Additionally, the teams ranked Nos. 9 and 10 will play in a different game, with the loser being eliminated from playoff contention.
- Finally, the loser of the 7-8 game and the winner of the 9-10 game will play, with the winner earning the final seed in each conference and moving on to play each conference’s No. 1 seed.
- From there, the playoffs will follow the usual bracket format, with each series being a best-of-7 format.
