The 2024 NBA playoff bracket is set. While the top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a best-of-seven series, teams seeded No. 7-10 must get through the play-in tournament to secure a full series.
In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics secured the No. 1 seed with the NBA’s best record (64-18). With a win over the Chicago Bulls coupled with a loss by the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, the New York Knicks finished the year as the No. 2 seed — with the Bucks falling to No. 3 after Sunday’s results. Milwaukee will face the 6-seed Indiana Pacers in the first round, while the 4-seed Cleveland Cavaliers will face off with the 5-seed Orlando Magic.
The Knicks will face the winner of Wednesday’s game between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers. Boston will play either the 76ers, Heat, Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks.
The Western Conference saw its standings shuffled up as a result of Sunday’s games, as well. The Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25) secured the No. 1 seed, while the defending champion Denver Nuggets jumped to the 2-seed following Minnesota’s loss to Phoenix. Phoenix’s victory over the Wolves — coupled with the Lakers beating the Pelicans — sets up a 3/6 showdown between the two squads (Minnesota is the 3-seed).
The 4-seed LA Clippers will battle the 5-seed Dallas Mavericks. The play-in tournament will see the 7-seed Pelicans take on the 8-seed Lakers for an opportunity to challenge the Nuggets. The loser of the Pelicans/Lakers game will play host to the winner of the 9-seed Sacramento Kings versus 10-seed Golden State Warriors contest. The winner of that final play-in game will head to Oklahoma City to take on the Thunder.
The playoffs begin Tuesday night with the Western Conference play-in games.
