NBA Playoff Picture Intensifies as Regular Season Nears End

NEW YORK, April 10, 2025 — As the 2024-25 NBA regular season approaches its conclusion, the playoff race has reached a fever pitch, particularly in the Western Conference where seeding remains highly contested. With four days left in the regular season, the tension is palpable as teams jostle for playoff positioning before the brackets are finalized on Sunday night.

The Los Angeles Lakers secured a playoff berth following their victory over the Dallas Mavericks on Wednesday, but the fates of several teams still hang in the balance. The Oklahoma City Thunder and Houston Rockets have clinched their positions, while the Lakers, Denver Nuggets, and Golden State Warriors remain in a tightly packed race for the remaining top seeds.

Currently, teams like the Clippers, Grizzlies, and Timberwolves are all fighting for playoff spots, with just 1.5 games separating them as of Thursday’s games. Golden State is particularly in a precarious position after suffering a significant defeat to the San Antonio Spurs earlier this week.

In the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers have locked in the top seed following their recent win, while the Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, and Detroit Pistons round out the playoff field. Each team has secured their postseason position, but their respective ranks could be subject to change with critical matchups remaining this week.

“We’ve got a lot to play for in these final days,” said Lakers coach Darvin Ham. “Every win counts right now as we aim to solidify our spot and make a strong push into the playoffs.”

The current playoff matchups, if the season ended today, show an intriguing mix of young stars and veteran teams battling for supremacy. In the East, the first-round pairings currently envision the Cavaliers taking on the winner of the play-in tournament. The same applies to several Western teams, with the Thunder likely facing eighth-seeded challengers still vying for position.

In the playoff simulations, the Cavaliers boast a 100% chance of making the postseason, whereas several teams sit on the cusp, including the Hawks, Bulls, and Heat, who will participate in the upcoming play-in tournament alongside several Western teams.

The stakes couldn’t be higher with only a handful of games left, and the excitement around unforeseen outcomes looms large. Each game’s result could dramatically reshape the playoff landscape, especially as teams maneuver to gain advantageous positions.

The tiebreaker rules for the playoffs remain crucial to note, particularly in the competitive Western Conference where multiple teams have nearly identical records. In the event of ties, the winning team of their regular season matchups takes precedence, followed by division and conference records.

As the bracket fills out over the coming days, fans and teams alike are bracing for thrilling matchups and the chess game of playoff strategy as the 2024-25 NBA season draws to an exhilarating close.