NBA Playoff Bracket 2024: Round-by-Round Guide to the Postseason (2024)

The NBA's regular season has concluded, and many of the first-round matchups are set. After next week's play-in tournament wraps up, the playoff picture will be finalized.

The final day of the regular season brought plenty of drama with battles for the top seed in the Western Conference and teams looking to avoid the play-in tournament. Other teams, like the Boston Celtics, had a relaxing conclusion to the year with their playoff position already sealed.

The first round and the play-in tournament have several exciting matchups that will give fans plenty to watch in the early stages of the quest for the Larry O'Brien Championship Trophy.

As has been the case the last few seasons, a few contenders will have to earn their way into the playoffs via the play-in tournament. In the West, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors missed out on earning a top-six seed and have challenging matchups before the first round starts. In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers and Miami Heat are still looking for a playoff bid.

After Sunday's action, here's a look at the playoff bracket and a breakdown of some key matchups.

Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament

It's fair to say two Eastern Conference contenders could come out of the play-in tournament. The 76ers and Heat are both strong teams led by stars, and if the two can manage to make it out of the play-in, they will likely pose a major threat in their first-round matchups.

The Heat are proof of that. Last year, they came out of the play-in to upset the Milwaukee Bucks in the first round before making a Finals appearance. It would be remarkable if Miami accomplished that feat again, but anything is possible with Jimmy Butler in playoff form.

The 76ers should feel confident heading into the play-in tournament. Philadelphia likely would have secured a top-six seed had it not been for Joel Embiid's knee surgery that forced him to miss 29 games. Since his return, the 76ers have won all of their games and have plenty of momentum.

A somewhat weak field in the Eastern Conference allowed Chicago and Atlanta to reach the play-in, but it seems unlikely either team will be able to make it past the 76ers or Heat. The Hawks probably have a better chance with Trae Young back on the court, but a 157-115 season-finale loss to the Indiana Pacers shows that Atlanta isn't a major threat in the play-in.

Western Conference Play-In Tournament

While there are two favorites to come out of the play-in tournament in the East, it doesn't seem as clear in the West.

With the Lakers having secured the No. 8 seed Sunday, it's hard to imagine a LeBron James-led team losing two games and missing out on the playoffs. Even if Los Angeles loses its first game, the Lakers should take care of business in the second game and make the postseason.

The Warriors have a tough road but might advance—depending on which team shows up. Golden State has been inconsistent all year, and it can't afford anything but its best games of the season in the play-in. Expect Steph Curry to have a big showing next week to will his team into the playoffs.

The Kings are a team on the rise, but a tough play-in field doesn't favor them. Having to face the Warriors with their season on the line is no easy task, and Sacramento would need a huge game to advance.

The Pelicans are a bit of a wild card in the play-in tournament. New Orleans could get things over with quickly by beating the Lakers, but a 124-108 loss to Los Angeles on Sunday doesn't seem to indicate that will happen. The Pelicans would have liked to reach the playoffs without having to go through the play-in, but they will at least get two games to secure a spot.

New Orleans might not beat the Lakers, but it will have a strong chance against the Warriors or Kings.

First Round

The Celtics are the clear front-runner in the East after a dominant regular season. Boston clinched the best record in the league and ended the season 14 games ahead of the No. 2 Knicks. With Boston led by co-stars Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, along with a tremendous support staff, it seems hard to fathom the Celtics won't come out of the Eastern Conference.

But they will likely have a tough first-round matchup as they could see the 76ers or Heat early. Boston proved unafraid of a tough first-round matchup in 2022 when it took on the Kevin Durant-led Brooklyn Nets and swept them, so the Celtics will be looking for similar results this time.

If Boston can manage its first-round matchup, things will likely get easier in the second round.

Like Boston, New York could have a tough first-round matchup if it faces the 76ers or Heat.

The Knicks had a strong regular season led by star Jalen Brunson, but they are without Julius Randle, which makes a Finals run seem less likely. Still, it wouldn't be a surprise to see New York pull off an upset or two to at least reach the Eastern Conference Finals.

Even if this isn't the year for the Knicks, it's clear they are well on their way to being contenders.

Another candidate to come out of the East is the Milwaukee Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo and his squad are on a revenge tour after losing in the first round last year, and that could be motivation for a big playoff run.

The Bucks have a new man in the mix in Damian Lillard, and they are hoping he will be the missing piece that helps bring them another championship.

Milwaukee arguably dodged a bullet by not clinching the No. 2 seed, as it won't have to face the 76ers or Heat in the first round, but the Pacers are looking for an upset to make a deep playoff run. Indiana is 4-1 against the Bucks this season, but the regular season and the playoffs are two different stories, and it seems like Milwaukee will come out on top in this one.

A first-round matchup that could go either way is the Cavaliers vs. Magic. Neither team appears to be much of a Finals contender, but that makes for a series that could go all the way to seven games.

The Cavaliers are the more playoff-experienced team after reaching the postseason last year. They have star power with Donovan Mitchell and a strong supporting staff with Jarrett Allen, Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. That group will be tough for Orlando.

But the Magic have a star of their own in Paulo Banchero. The 21-year-old is beginning his first playoff run and looking to make some noise. A win over the Cavs would certainly do that and put the league on notice.

First Round

The Thunder have had a phenomenal season and are now the top seed in the West. Unfortunately for Oklahoma City, it could get a tough first-round matchup, depending on how the play-in tournament shakes out.

The best-case scenario for the Thunder would be the Lakers earning the No. 7 seed and OKC getting a draw of either the Pelicans, Warriors or Kings. Those three teams are much more manageable.

Regardless of which team the Nuggets draw, they will be the better team. Nikola Jokić and Co. are the ones to beat in the West despite not earning the top seed, and Denver should manage its first-round opponent.

The Timberwolves have taken tremendous strides this season but will have an extremely difficult first-round matchup against the Suns. Minnesota has won just one first-round matchup in franchise history, but this could be the team that finally gets the second.

The trio of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal are going to put up a big fight in the first round. This could be a series that goes to seven games and makes for an exciting first round.

The only playoff matchup that was determined before Sunday was the Clippers vs. Mavericks. This series has all the makings of an exciting first-round series. It has star power with countless big names and should be very competitive.

This should be Los Angeles' series to lose. The Clippers are the more experienced and arguably more talented team, while the Mavericks rely mostly on MVP candidate Luka Dončić. If Dallas gets some strong performances from Kyrie Irving and its role players, they could walk away with a win, but it's hard to imagine Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and the Clippers not winning this series.

Eastern Conference

The Celtics and Nuggets are by far the favorites to win the championship, with Boston having +160 odds and Denver having +290 odds, per DraftKings Sportsbook. Those two teams should handle their first-round matchups to advance to their respective conference semifinals.

Taking a look at the Celtics' path to the Finals, they would have a second-round matchup against the Cavaliers or Magic. Regardless of the opponent, the Celtics should advance to reach the conference finals for the third time in the last four years.

The second Eastern Conference Finals team is more of a question. Joel Embiid is looking to lead the 76ers to their first Finals appearance since 2001, and if the reigning MVP can get over the hump and perform in the playoffs, that doesn't seem out of the equation. He has a true co-star in Tyrese Maxey, and the pairing has what it takes to win big games.

First, Philadelphia will have to navigate the play-in tournament and a potentially difficult first round. The best-case scenario for the 76ers would be earning the No. 7 seed and avoiding the Celtics early. If they can do that, they will have a manageable first round against the Knicks and will likely face the Bucks in the second round.

It's hard to predict the 76ers' playoff path before the play-in tournament, but no matter who their opponent is, they have a solid chance at a Finals run.

The Bucks are a difficult team to evaluate heading into the playoffs. They obviously have star power with Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard, but with Doc Rivers taking over as head coach halfway through the year, they haven't been together as long as some of the other playoff teams.

Still, any Antetokounmpo-led squad has a fighting chance, so expect Milwaukee to have a deep playoff run.

Western Conference

The Nuggets should get through their first-round matchup regardless of the opponent, but Denver will have a more difficult second-round matchup against either the Timberwolves or the Suns. Still, the Nuggets should handle their business and reach the conference finals again.

The other team to reach the conference finals could go in many directions. On one hand, the Thunder have proved themselves as a tough team to beat all year and hold the top seed, but they lack playoff experience, which is necessary with such a tough field.

If the Nuggets don't see the Lakers in the first round, Los Angeles could go on another deep playoff run to meet Denver in the Western Conference Finals, giving fans a rematch of last year.

The other Los Angeles team, the Clippers, have all the makings of a strong playoff team, so it wouldn't be a surprise to see them face Denver in the Western Conference Finals either.

This year's Western Conference has one of the best fields in years, so expect high-level matchups all the way through.