The NBA regular season ends on Sunday, and there’s a ton at stake heading into the weekend. The Boston Celtics are the only team locked into a position as they’ll be the top seed in the Eastern Conference.
Everything else is still up for grabs, including seven teams that can either guarantee themselves a playoff spot by finishing among the top six-seeds or be forced to play in the preliminary play-in tournament.
This is the fourth season the Play-In Tournament’s been around, and for those who need a refresher, this is how it works according to the NBA’s official website:
- Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losers will get another chance to earn a playoff spot.
- Each conference’s No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winners will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The losers are eliminated.
- The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups. The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs for its conference. The losing teams are eliminated.
The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks are guaranteed to play in the Play-In Tournament in the East while the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are Play-In bound in the West.
Meanwhile, as of Thursday evening, two of the Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat will end up in the Play-In Tournament. Things are so convoluted that the Cavs, Magic and Pacers can each finish as high as the No. 3 seed, while the 76ers could finish No. 4. Cleveland could even finish as high as No. 2.
In the West, the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns and are fighting for the 6-seed and a guaranteed playoff spot. The Pelicans hold a one-game lead over the Suns after Thursday night’s games and a three-game lead over the Kings who are locked into the Play-In Tournament.
History tells us seeding is vital when it comes to the Play-In Tournament. Every single seven seed has advanced since its inception in 2021, while an eight and nine seed’s each made it three times.
A 10-seed has never advanced in the Play-In Tournament, putting the Hawks and Lakers in a precarious situation. The Warriors are tied with the Lakers in the standings and ahead by way of the head-to-head tiebreaker, so L.A. could be forced to win two road games to grab the final playoff spot.
