The 2023-24 NBA regular season is coming to a close, and it promises to be an exciting day as teams battle for postseason positions. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets are in a three-way tie for the top spot with identical 56-25 records. This is the first time in NBA history that three teams have finished the season with the same record and have a chance to claim the number one seed.
The race for seeding in the Eastern Conference is also tight, particularly for the second through fourth seeds. If the Milwaukee Bucks defeat the Orlando Magic, they will secure the number two seed and home-court advantage in the first two rounds of the playoffs. However, things get complicated for the Bucks if they lose.
The Philadelphia 76ers hold the key to determining the schedule for the Play-In Tournament in the East. The date of the 7th vs. 8th matchup is still uncertain, adding another layer of intrigue to Sunday’s games.
Let’s take a closer look at the current standings in each conference:
Eastern Conference:
– Celtics (63-18)
– Bucks (49-32)
– Knicks (49-32)
– Cavaliers (48-33)
– Magic (46-35)
– Pacers (46-35)
– 76ers (46-35)
– Heat (45-36)
– Bulls* (39-42)
– Hawks* (36-45)
Western Conference:
– Thunder (56-25)
– Timberwolves (56-25)
– Nuggets (56-25)
– Clippers (51-30)
– Mavericks (50-31)
– Pelicans (49-32)
– Suns (48-33)
– Lakers* (46-35)
– Kings* (45-36)
– Warriors* (45-36)
In terms of playoff matchups, here’s how things stand entering Sunday’s games:
Eastern Conference:
– (1) Celtics vs. (8) Play-In winner
– (2) Bucks vs. (7) Heat/76ers winner
– (3) Knicks vs. (6) Pacers
– (4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Magic
Western Conference:
– (1) Thunder vs. (8) Play-In winner
– (2) Timberwolves vs. (7) Suns/Lakers winner
– (3) Nuggets vs. (6) Pelicans
– (4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks
Sunday’s schedule is packed with exciting matchups, including Hawks vs. Pacers, Wizards vs. Celtics, Raptors vs. Heat, Bulls vs. Knicks, and many more.
Now, let’s dive into the scenarios that could affect the race for the number one seed in the Western Conference:
– If all three teams (Denver, Oklahoma City, and Minnesota) win or lose, Oklahoma City will claim the top seed, with Minnesota in second and Denver in third.
– If Denver wins and the other two teams lose, they will secure the top seed, with Minnesota in second and Oklahoma City in third.
– If Minnesota wins and Denver loses, they will take the top seed, with Oklahoma City in second.
Turning our attention to the Eastern Conference, here’s what could happen in the chase for the second through fourth seeds:
– If Milwaukee wins, they will be the second seed, followed by the Knicks in third and Cleveland in fourth.
– If Milwaukee loses and New York wins while Cleveland loses, New York will be the second seed, Milwaukee will be third, and Cleveland will be fourth.
– If Milwaukee loses and both Cleveland and New York win, New York will be the second seed, Cleveland will be third, and Milwaukee will be fourth.
– If Milwaukee loses and both Cleveland and New York lose, Milwaukee will be the second seed, New York will be third, and Cleveland will be fourth.
Now, let’s look at the scenarios for the fifth through eighth seeds in the Eastern Conference:
– If all teams (Orlando, Indiana, Philadelphia, and Miami) win or lose, Orlando will secure the fifth seed, followed by Indiana, Philadelphia, and Miami.
– If Orlando wins and Indiana loses while Philadelphia and Miami win, Orlando will be the fifth seed, Philadelphia will be sixth, Indiana will be seventh, and Miami will be eighth.
– If Orlando loses and Miami wins, Orlando will be the eighth seed unless Indiana also loses, in which case Orlando will be seventh.
– If Indiana wins and Orlando loses, Indiana will move up to the fifth seed.
– If Philadelphia wins and Indiana loses, Philadelphia will be no worse than the seventh seed. If Orlando also loses, Philadelphia will move up to sixth.
It’s clear that Sunday’s games will have a significant impact on playoff seeding in both conferences. The race for the number one seed in the Western Conference is wide open, while teams in the Eastern Conference are jockeying for position in the Play-In Tournament and the first round of the playoffs.
Stay tuned to The Athletic’s NBA Play-In Tournament and playoff bracket blog for live updates and analysis as the action unfolds.