The 2024 NBA Playoffs Seeding is Set
With the 2024 NBA Season coming to a close today, the NBA postseason matchups have been finalized.
An ultra-competitive Western Conference, where the bottom 4 seeds ultimately were decided through these last games, was finally solidified after months of seed movement and interchangeability.
All 10 playoff seeds in the West finished 10 games or more over .500. The final standings are as such:
Thunder (57-25)
Nuggets (57-25)
Timberwolves (56-26)
Clippers (51-31)
Mavericks (50-32)
Suns (49-33)
Pelicans (49-33)
Lakers (47-35)
Kings (46-36)
Warriors (46-36)
After a tough loss to the Spurs earlier this week, the Nuggets fell from the #1 seed to the #2 seed. The Thunder have now become the 7th different #1 Seed in the past seven years.
The Mavericks, after hovering around the 6th seed and in danger of a play-in seed, had a late-season surge that pushed them to the #5 seed, where they will face the Clippers. The Suns narrowly escaped a play-in berth with a clutch win over the Kings yesterday and a win over the Timberwolves today.
Rounding out the bottom of the West are the red-hot Pelicans, who are playing fantastic basketball and are getting reinforcements with Brandon Ingram returning. The Lakers, after spending the year battling with the Warriors in the 9th and 10th seeds, won all the necessary games and moved up to the 8th seed. The Kings were the 5th, 6th, and 7th seed for a good portion of the season, but some late-season struggles and injury issues factored into their slide into the 9th seed. They’ll host the #10 seed Golden State Warriors, who are playing good basketball, at the Golden 1 Center April 16th.
Confirmed non play-in matchups are:
(3) Timberwolves vs. (6) Suns
(4) Clippers vs. (5) Mavericks
The Eastern Conference was less volatile and fluid, and more top-dominated. The Celtics not only had the best record in the East but the NBA’s best overall record as well at 64-18. They were the undisputed #1 seed all season, and are the current favorites to win the NBA Finals at +165.
The standings are:
Celtics (64-18)
Knicks (50-32)
Bucks (49-33)
Cavaliers (48-34)
Magic (47-35)
Pacers (47-35)
76ers (47-35)
Heat (46-36)
Bulls (39-43)
Hawks (36-46)
The Knicks claimed the second seed this week with their win over the Bulls. Winners of five straight games, the Knicks finished with their highest seed since the 2012-2013 season, where they also finished as the second seed.
Enduring a tumultuous second half infused with inconsistencies, the Bucks held onto a top-three seed and finished as the #3 seed. Right behind them were the Cavaliers, who endured second-half struggles as well but ultimately held it together through some gritty wins.
The Magic, the surprise of the 2023-2024 season, finished as the 5th seed, led by strong defensive play and Paolo Banchero. The Pacers, the opposite of the Magic, were led by the league’s most efficient offense and star guard Tyrese Haliburton.
Rounding out the bottom are the 76ers, who were dealt an unfortunate Joel Embiid injury that pushed them down in the standings, but now have him back, the Heat, who are always hovering around the bottom of the playoff seeding but always seem to pick it up come playoff time, and the Bulls and Hawks - the only two playoff teams under .500.
The confirmed non play-in matchups are:
(3) Bucks vs. (6) Pacers
(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Magic
