2025 NBA The playoffs are still a ways off, but it’s never too early to take a look at the playoff picture.
Seeds 7-10 will compete in the NBA Play-in Championship to advance to the first round of the NBA Playoffs. Here’s what the playoffs would look like if the season ended today*:
Eastern Conference seeding
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Boston Celtics
- New York Knicks
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Indiana Pacers
- Detroit Pistons
- atlanta hawks
- Orlando Magic
- Miami Heat
- Chicago Bulls
Eastern Conference bracket
- (1) Cleveland vs. (8) Winner of the game
- (2) Celtics vs. (7) Winner of the play
- (3) Knicks vs. (6) Pistons
- (4) Bucks vs. (5) Pacers
Western Conference seeding
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Houston Rockets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Los Angeles Clippers
- Sacramento Kings
- Dallas Mavericks
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Phoenix Suns
Western Conference bracket
- (1) Thunder vs. (8) Winner of the play
- (2) Rockets vs. (7) Winner of the game
- (3) Grizzlies vs. (6) Clippers
- (4) Nuggets vs. (5) Lakers
NBA Championship Bracket
Eastern Conference
- (7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Orlando Magic
- (9) Miami Heat vs. (10) Chicago Bulls
Western Conference
- (7) Sacramento Kings vs. (8) Dallas Mavericks
- (9) Minnesota Timberwolves vs. (10) Phoenix Suns
*As of 1/23/2025
How many teams make it to the playoffs in the NBA?
Sixteen teams participate in the NBA Playoffs, eight teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences. The top six positions in each conference advance based on regular season record. The bottom two seeds in each conference are determined by the NBA Play-In Championship.
2025 NBA Playoffs schedule and key dates
- April 15-18: NBA Play-In Championship (ESPN, TNT)
- April 19: First round of NBA playoffs begins (ABC, ESPN, TNT, NBA TV)
- May 5-6: NBA Conference Semifinals begin (ABC, ESPN, TNT)
- May TBD: NBA Conference Finals begin (ABC, ESPN, TNT)
- June 5: NBA Finals begin (ABC)
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