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NBA playoff picture, standings, play-in tournament: Where every team stands right now

Jeremy Cluff
Arizona Republic

The NBA regular season is starting to wind down, but the race for the playoffs and postseason seeding is heating up.

The first round of the NBA playoffs begins on April 20. Which teams will make the NBA playoff field?

How will the seeding play out?

What's the deal with the play-in tournament that begins on April 16?

Where would the Phoenix Suns land if the playoffs began now?

Take a look at the NBA playoff picture and standings for each conference heading into Wednesday's games, including the tight battle in the Western Conference, where just five games separate the fifth-place New Orleans Pelicans and the 10th-place Golden State Warriors.

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Western Conference standings

  1. Oklahoma City Thunder (45-20)
  2. Denver Nuggets (45-20)
  3. Minnesota Timberwolves (45-21) 0.5 games back
  4. LA Clippers (41-23) 3.5 games back
  5. New Orleans Pelicans (39-25) 5.5 games back
  6. Phoenix Suns  (38-27) 7 games back
  7. Sacramento Kings (37-27) 7.5 games back
  8. Dallas Mavericks (37-28) 8 games back
  9. Los Angeles Lakers (36-30) 9.5 games back
  10. Golden State Warriors (34-30) 10.5 games back
  11. Houston Rockets (30-35) 15 games back
  12. Utah Jazz (28-37) 17 games back
  13. Memphis Grizzlies (23-43) 22.5 games back
  14. Portland Trail Blazers (18-46) 26.5 games back
  15. San Antonio Spurs (14-52) 31.5 games back

Western Conference playoff picture (if postseason began today):

  • No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Winner of No. 8 seed play-in
  • No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. Winner of No. 7 seed play-in
  • No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
  • No. 4 LA Clippers vs. No. 5 New Orleans Pelicans

Western Conference Play-In Tournament:

  • No. 7 Sacramento Kings vs. No. 8 Dallas Mavericks

Winner of the game advances as the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference playoffs, while the loser plays the winner of Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors game for the No. 8 seed.

  • No. 9 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors

Winner advances to an elimination game vs. the loser of Kings vs. Mavericks game for the No. 8 seed in Western Conference playoffs, while the loser is eliminated.

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Boston Celtics forward Jayson Tatum (0) and Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokic (15) during the first half at Ball Arena on Thursday night. The Nuggets won the game in would could be an NBA Finals preview.

Eastern Conference standings

  1. Boston Celtics (51-14)
  2. Milwaukee Bucks (42-24) 9.5 games back
  3. Cleveland Cavaliers (41-24) 10 games back
  4. New York Knicks (38-27) 13 games back
  5. Orlando Magic (37-28) 14 games back
  6. Indiana Pacers (37-29) 14.5 games back
  7. Philadelphia 76ers (36-29) 15 games back
  8. Miami Heat (35-29) 15.5 games back
  9. Chicago Bulls (31-34) 20 games back
  10. Atlanta Hawks (29-35) 21.5 games back
  11. Brooklyn Nets (26-39) 25 games back
  12. Toronto Raptors (23-42) 28 games back
  13. Charlotte Hornets (16-49) 35 games back
  14. Washington Wizards (11-53) 39.5 games back
  15. Detroit Pistons (11-54) 40 games back

Eastern Conference playoff picture (if postseason began today):

  • No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. Winner of No. 8 seed play-in
  • No. 2 Milwaukee Bucks vs. Winner of No. 7 play-in
  • No. 3 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
  • No. 4 New York Knicks vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic

Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament:

  • No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Miami Heat

Winner of the game advances as the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs, while the loser plays the winner of Chicago Bulls vs. Atlanta Hawks game for the No. 8 seed.

  • No. 9 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 10 Atlanta Hawks

Winner advances to an elimination game vs. the loser of 76ers vs. Heat game for the No. 8 seed in Eastern Conference playoffs, while the loser is eliminated.

Wednesday's NBA game schedule:

  • Toronto Raptors at Detroit Pistons, 4 p.m. PT, TNT
  • Brooklyn Nets at Orlando Magic, 4 p.m. PT
  • Denver Nuggets at Miami Heat, 4:30 p.m. PT, ESPN
  • Chicago Bulls at Indiana Pacers, 4:30 p.m. PT
  • Charlotte Hornets at Memphis Grizzlies, 5 p.m. PT
  • Cleveland Cavaliers at New Orleans Pelicans, 5 p.m. PT
  • Golden State Warriors at Dallas Mavericks, 5:30 p.m. PT
  • Los Angeles Lakers at Sacramento Kings, 7 p.m. MST, ESPN
  • Atlanta Hawks at Portland Trail Blazers, 7 p.m., MST

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Reach Jeremy Cluff at jeremy.cluff@arizonarepublic.com. Follow him on X, formerly Twitter @Jeremy_Cluff.

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