Indeed, the postseason is taking shape nicely with 12 teams – those who’ve finished in the top 6 of the Eastern and Western Conferences – securing their place in the Playoffs. Those teams are:
Eastern Conference
- Miami Heat
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
- Chicago Bulls
Western Conference
- Phoenix Suns
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Golden State Warriors
- Dallas Mavericks
- Utah Jazz
- Denver Nuggets
Meanwhile, the following teams have finished between 7th and 10th in their respective Conferences, meaning they will head into the Play-In Tournament:
Eastern Conference
7. Brooklyn Nets
8. Cleveland Cavaliers
9. Atlanta Hawks
10. Charlotte Hornets
Western Conference
7. Minnesota Timberwolves
8. Los Angeles Clippers
9. New Orleans Pelicans
10. San Antonio Spurs
The 5 remaining teams in each Conference, which include the New York Knicks and the Los Angeles Lakers, have already been eliminated from postseason contention. That means for the 2nd time in 4 years with the Lakers, LeBron James won’t be making it to the Playoffs.
With the final games of the regular season complete, the postseason wastes no time in getting going, with the Play-In Tournament beginning on Tuesday, 12 April. A new addition to the calendar last season – to help make up for the campaign being shortened due to the pandemic – the Play-In Tournament proved a popular experiment and has retained its place in the schedule this season.
The competition gives the teams a chance to reach the Playoffs, effectively serving as a “mini-playoff” for the qualified teams. The 7th and 8th-placed finishers will get 2 chances to advance, while those who finish 9th and 10th will need to win twice in order to reach the promised land. The 7th and 8th-placed finishers from each Conference will meet in “Seven-Eight Games,” with the winners heading straight to the Playoffs as the No. 7 seed in their respective Conference. The 9th and 10th-placed finishers face off in “Nine-Ten Games,” with the winners facing the “Seven-Eight Game” losers in a final “Play-In Game” for the No. 8 seed places in their respective Conference.
This year, the Play-In Tournament will pit the Minnesota Timberwolves against the Los Angeles Clippers and the Cleveland Cavaliers against the Brooklyn Nets. The Nine-Ten Games will see the Charlotte Hornets travel to the Atlanta Hawks and the New Orleans Pelicans host the San Antonio Spurs. Here is the Play-In Tournament schedule so far:
Tuesday, 12 April
Game 1 (Eastern Conference Seven-Eight Game): Cleveland Cavaliers vs. Brooklyn Nets
Game 2 (Western Conference Seven-Eight Game): Los Angeles Clippers vs. Minnesota Timberwolves
Winners advance to NBA Playoffs as No. 7 seed
Wednesday, 13 April
Game 3 (Eastern Conference Nine-Ten Game): Charlotte Hornets vs. Atlanta Hawks
Game 4 (Western Conference Nine-Ten Game): San Antonio Spurs vs. New Orleans Pelicans
Friday, 15 April
Game 5 (Play-In Game): Winner of Game 3 vs. Loser of Game 1
Game 6 (Play-In Game): Winner of Game 4 vs. Loser of Game 2
Winners advance to NBA Playoffs as No. 8 seed
Once all 8 Playoff seeds are confirmed, the teams are separated into brackets and then paired off in respective quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals – all of them a best-of-7 series of games – to decide the Eastern and Western Conference champions. The champions then go head-to-head over 7 games in the NBA Finals for the league championship and the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
The Playoffs will begin on 16 April, the day after the Play-In Tournament is concluded, with the NBA Finals running from 2 June until 19 June, should all 7 games need to be played. Last year’s winners, the Milwaukee Bucks, have had a strong season yet again but finished 3rd in the Eastern Conference, with Miami Heat and the Boston Celtics respectively locking in the No. 1 and No. 2 spots ahead of them. Meanwhile, 2021 runners-up, the Phoenix Suns, have been head and shoulders above everyone in the league, having secured top spot in the Western Conference long before the regular season came to an end.
The Playoffs are the climax of the entire season, with the league’s best teams putting it all on the line – there's world-class talent and unmissable sporting drama on display, so make sure you’re there to watch it live. Let’s play ball!
For more information on the Play-In Tournament and the Playoffs, click here: