2025 NBA playoff picture: Final standings, bracket, first-round matchups

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The NBA regular season, after nearly six full months, is a wrap.

The final weekend of the 2024-25 campaign culminated Sunday with all 30 teams playing across 15 games, providing the first official look at the playoff field. The missing pieces of the bracket will be determined later this week, when the winners in the Play-In Tournament will become the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference.

Seeding in the East was mostly ironed out headed into the final day of the season, but it was a far different story out West. Entering Sunday, just one game separated seeds 4 through 7 — which meant the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves all were fighting to avoid the Play-In.

Making this wild day in the West even spicier, two of those teams — the Warriors and Clippers — played each other.

Here are the final NBA standings of the 2024-25 NBA season and the current structure of the playoff bracket:

Latest NBA playoff standings​

The top six teams in each conference automatically make the playoffs. Teams in positions 7-10 qualify for the Play-In Tournament.

Eastern Conference​

Seed	Team	Record	Games back
1.	Cleveland Cavaliers - c	64-18	--
2.	Boston Celtics - x	61-21	3
3.	New York Knicks - x	51-31	13
4.	Indiana Pacers - x	50-32	14
5.	Milwaukee Bucks - x	48-34	16
6.	Detroit Pistons - x	44-38	20
7.	Orlando Magic - pi	41-41	23
8.	Atlanta Hawks - pi	40-42	24
9.	Chicago Bulls - pi	39-43	25
10.	Miami Heat - pi	37-45	27
11.	Toronto Raptors - o	30-52	34
12.	Brooklyn Nets - o	26-56	38
13.	Philadelphia 76ers - o	24-58	40
14.	Charlotte Hornets - o	19-63	45
15.	Washington Wizards - o	18-64	46

(c): Team has clinched conference. (x): Team has clinched playoff spot. (pi): Team has clinched play-in spot. (o): Team eliminated from playoff contention.

Western Conference​

Seed	Team	Record	Games back
1.	Oklahoma City Thunder - c	68-14	--
2.	Houston Rockets - x	52-30	16
3.	Los Angeles Lakers - x	50-32	18
4.	Denver Nuggets - x	50-32	18
5.	Los Angeles Clippers - x	50-32	18
6.	Minnesota Timberwolves - x	49-33	19
7.	Golden State Warriors - pi	48-34	20
8.	Memphis Grizzlies - pi	48-34	20
9.	Sacramento Kings - pi	40-42	28
10.	Dallas Mavericks - pi	39-443	29
11.	Phoenix Suns - o	36-46	32
12.	Portland Trail Blazers - o	36-46	32
13.	San Antonio Spurs - o	34-48	34
14.	New Orleans Pelicans - o	21-61	47
15.	Utah Jazz - o	17-65	51

(c): Team has clinched conference. (x): Team has clinched playoff spot. (pi): Team has clinched play-in spot. (o): Team eliminated from playoff contention.

NBA Eastern Conference playoff bracket​

Although the full playoff field won't be officially determined until the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament, we now know which teams are locked into seeds Nos. 1 through 6. Here are the current postseason matchups in the Eastern Conference.

• No. 1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 8 seed (winner of the Play-In Tournament)
• No. 2 seed Boston Celtics vs. No. 7 seed (first runner-up of the Play-In Tournament)
• No. 3 seed New York Knicks vs. No. 6 seed Detroit Pistons
• No. 4 seed Indiana Pacers vs. No. 5 seed Milwaukee Bucks

NBA Western Conference playoff bracket​

Although the full playoff field won't be officially determined until the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament, we now know which teams are locked into seeds Nos. 1 through 6. Here are the current postseason matchups in the Western Conference.

• No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 seed (winner of the Play-In Tournament)
• No. 2 seed Houston Rockets vs. No. 7 seed (first runner-up of the Play-In Tournament)
• No. 3 seed Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 6 seed Minnesota Timberwolves
• No. 4 seed Denver Nuggets vs. No. 5 seed Los Angeles Clippers

What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?​

The NBA Play-In Tournament was implemented for the 2021 playoffs and allows each conference to expand its potential playoff field from eight teams to 10. The seventh- through 10th-ranked teams in each conference at the end of the regular season compete in a three-day tournament to decide the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the first round of the playoffs.

In one set of games, the seventh-place team for each conference hosts the eighth-place finisher. The winners in each conference get the No. 7 seed in their brackets.

On the other side of the respective brackets, the ninth-ranked team in each conference hosts the 10th-place team. The winners of those games play the losers of the seventh place vs. eighth place matchups to determine the No. 8 seed in their respective conferences.

This year, the play-in tournament begins April 15 and concludes April 18. The first round of the NBA playoffs begins April 19.

NBA Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament matchup​

Here is the finalized bracket of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament:

• Seventh-place Orlando Magic vs. eighth-place Atlanta Hawks
  • Winner faces No. 2 seed Boston Celtics
  • Loser will play in second round of Play-In Tournament
• Ninth-place Chicago Bulls vs. 10th-place Miami Heat
  • Winner plays in second round of Play-In Tournament
  • Loser eliminated

NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament matchup​

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Here is the finalized bracket of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament:

• Seventh-place Golden State Warriors vs. eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies
  • Winner faces No. 2 seed Houston Rockets
  • Loser will play in second round of Play-In Tournament
• Ninth-place Sacramento Kings vs. 10th-place Dallas Mavericks
  • Winner plays in second round of Play-In Tournament
  • Loser eliminated

When do the 2025 NBA Playoffs start?​

The first round of the NBA playoffs begins Saturday, April 19.

Game 1 of the 2025 NBA Finals is scheduled for Thursday, June 5.

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoff bracket, picture, standings, first-round matchups

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