When is the first game of the NBA playoffs? All you need to know
The NBA season is rapidly winding down with each team looking to make their final statements and adjustments to maximize their postseason opportunities.
Most teams have two or three games remaining. The final day of the regular season will take place on Sunday as teams will set their postseason seeding or vacation plans in stone.
The NBA play-in tournament will tip off on Tuesday as the seventh through 10th seeds in each conference will battle it out for a chance to face the top two seeds. This will conclude on April 15th when the winner of the game between the No. 9 and No. 10 game and the loser of game between the No. 7 and No. 8 seed.
The playoffs will begin on Friday, April 15, with the first round lasting the duration of the month. The NBA Finals will not be decided until June, with June 18 designated as the day for Game 7, if necessary, to be played.
The NBA draft is June 22.
What NBA playoff seedings are up for grabs?
The Eastern Conference playoff picture is nearly painted with the top five seeds being locked up and the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Toronto Raptors each having secured a play-in spot.
The Nos. 6 and 7 seeds are still undecided as the Brooklyn Nets (44-36) hold a 1.5-game lead over the Miami Heat (52-27). Whichever team secures the No. 6 seed advances to the playoffs and will face the Philadelphia 76ers (52-27) while the other will be relegated to the play-in tournament.
On the other side of the league, the Western Conference is still largely undecided. The Nuggets, Grizzlies, Kings and Suns have clinched the top four seeds, but everything else remains up for grabs.
There is only a 2.0 game difference between the fifth-place LA Clippers (42-38) for the No. 5 seed and the ninth-place Minnesota Timberwolves (40-40). Meanwhile, the OKC Thunder (38-42) and Dallas Mavericks (38-42) battling for the 10th seed, the final play-in tournament spot. The Thunder hold the tiebreaker with Dallas.
The Clippers took down the Lakers 125-118 on Wednesday night. The Lakers, who are seventh in the Western Conference, and New Orleans Pelicans have identical 41-39 records, with the Lakers holding the tiebreaker.
Should Los Angeles and New Orleans finish in that order, seventh and eighth, the Lakers would host the Pels in a play-in game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs against the No. 2 seed. The loser would face the winner of the game between the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds to advance in the playoffs as the No. 8 seed.
The West standings after Wednesday...
🍿 Clippers move back up to 5th
🍿 Pels come up with massive OT win
🍿 Mavs keep pace in #ATTPlayIn race
app.link.nba.com/standings- https://t.co/dQ1h1sWxrU
These final games will decide where each team ends up, so the pressure has increased. Every game will have a notable impact from here on out as the pathway is set to be one of the most wide-open playoffs in recent memory. There are plenty of exciting storylines to follow in the coming days, and the level of basketball should surely reach all expectations.