The 2024-25 NBA regular season comes to a close Sunday, and while the Eastern Conference playoff field is locked in, several key matchups out West will determine final seeding and postseason fates.
The top three seeds in the Western Conference — the Oklahoma City Thunder, Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers — are set. However, four teams remain in contention for the final three spots in the top six. The team that finishes seventh will be sent to the Play-In Tournament, where the Memphis Grizzlies await.
In the East, all matchups are finalized. The top-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers and No. 2 Boston Celtics earned first-round homecourt advantage. The third-seeded New York Knicks will host the No. 6 Detroit Pistons, while the No. 4 Indiana Pacers face the fifth-seeded Milwaukee Bucks.
The Play-In Tournament will see the No. 7 Orlando Magic host the No. 8 Atlanta Hawks, and the No. 9 Miami Heat take on the No. 10 Chicago Bulls.
Out West, the standings remain in flux entering Sunday’s 15-game NBA slate. The Minnesota Timberwolves are at the center of the seeding shuffle and control their path to a top-six finish with a win over the lowly Utah Jazz (17-64).
A loss would drop Minnesota into a Play-In matchup with the Grizzlies.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers will also factor heavily into Sunday’s outcomes — they meet in a critical head-to-head contest. The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, must also take care of business to avoid falling into the Play-In scenario.
Below is a breakdown of the playoff scenarios should the Timberwolves defeat the Jazz:
Scenario 1: Timberwolves, Clippers and Nuggets all win
- (3) Lakers vs. (6) Timberwolves
- (4) Nuggets vs. (5) Clippers
- Play-In: (7) Warriors vs. (8) Grizzlies
Scenario 2: Timberwolves, Warriors and Nuggets win
- (3) Lakers vs. (6) Warriors
- (4) Nuggets vs. (5) Timberwolves
- Play-In: (7) Clippers vs. (8) Grizzlies
Scenario 3: Timberwolves and Clippers win; Nuggets lose
- (3) Lakers vs. (6) Nuggets
- (4) Clippers vs. (5) Timberwolves
- Play-In: (7) Warriors vs. (8) Grizzlies
Scenario 4: Timberwolves and Warriors win; Nuggets lose
- (3) Lakers vs. (6) Warriors
- (4) Timberwolves vs. (5) Clippers
- Play-In: (7) Nuggets vs. (8) Grizzlies
Playoff Seeding as of Saturday Night
Eastern Conference
- Cavaliers
- Celtics
- Knicks
- Pacers
- Bucks
- Pistons
- Magic
- Hawks
- Bulls
- Heat
Western Conference
- Thunder
- Rockets
- Lakers
4-6. TBD (Clippers, Nuggets, Timberwolves, Warriors)
7-8. TBD (Grizzlies, Timberwolves, Clippers, Nuggets, Warriors) - Mavericks
- Kings
(Note: Dallas and Sacramento will meet in the West’s 9-10 Play-In game; home court TBD)
In short, Sunday promises to be one of the most consequential closing days in recent NBA memory, particularly in the Western Conference, where multiple seeds and matchups remain undecided.
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