NBA Playoff Picture 2024: Updated Bracket, Standings and Seed Predictions

The 2024 NBA playoff race has started to crystallize.

Both conferences are down to 11 teams with a chance to reach the postseason. The Eastern Conference is essentially set, with the Brooklyn Nets needing a miracle to eclipse the Atlanta Hawks for the final play-in spot.

The Golden State Warriors and red-hot Houston Rockets are battling it out for the last spot in the West.

Here is a look at how both conferences look following Sunday's slate of action:

Eastern Conference

1. Boston Celtics
2. Milwaukee Bucks
3. Cleveland Cavaliers
4. New York Knicks
5. Orlando Magic
6. Indiana Pacers
7. Miami Heat
8. Philadelphia 76ers
9. Chicago Bulls
10. Atlanta Hawks
11. Brooklyn Nets
12. Toronto Raptors
13. Charlotte Hornets
14. Washington Wizards
15. Detroit Pistons

Play-In Matchups

• Miami Heat vs. Philadelphia 76ers
• Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks

First-Round Matchups

• No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. TBD
• No. 4 New York Knicks vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
• No. 3 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
• No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks vs. TBD

Western Conference

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Denver Nuggets
3. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Los Angeles Clippers
5. Dallas Mavericks
6. New Orleans Pelicans
7. Sacramento Kings
8. Phoenix Suns
9. Los Angeles Lakers 
10. Golden State Warriors
11. Houston Rockets
12. Utah Jazz
13. Memphis Grizzlies
14. Portland Trail Blazers
15. San Antonio Spurs

Play-In Matchups

• Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns
• Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors

First-Round Matchups

• No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. TBD
• No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
• No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 New Orleans Pelicans
• No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. TBD

The top of the two conferences could not be more opposed. The Boston Celtics have had the top seed in the East locked up seemingly the entire season and carry an 11-game lead over the No. 2 seed Milwaukee Bucks.

Meanwhile, the Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder and Denver Nuggets are all neck-and-neck for the top spot out West. The defending champion Nuggets have long been open about the fact that they want to be healthy over competing for home-court advantage in the playoffs.

"For me, it's not a top one or two priority to be very honest," Nuggets coach Michael Malone told reporters in February. "I don't want to win that battle and lose the bigger war. When our starting unit plays, I think our record is like 24-8. So that to me is most important, is going into the playoffs having our starting five healthy and ready for the load that's going to be placed upon them."

One could even argue the Nuggets may be better off with the No. 3 seed than Nos. 1 or 2. The top two seeds in the Western Conference will face off against play-in winners, which at the moment include teams led by Kevin Durant (Phoenix Suns), LeBron James (Los Angeles Lakers) and Stephen Curry (Golden State Warriors). There is a 75 percent chance the reward for winning in the regular season will be seven games against one of the 10 greatest players of all time.

It won't be a cakewalk in the Eastern Conference, either, with the Miami Heat one year removed from an NBA Finals berth from a play-in seed and the Philadelphia 76ers expecting Joel Embiid back ahead of the playoffs.