The NBA regular season ends Sunday, yet every first-round pairing is still in play as teams scramble for position on the final day.
Eastern Conference
The top of the bracket is fixed, with the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks, and Cleveland Cavaliers holding seeds one through four. Everything below that remains fluid.
Teams chasing seeds 5–8
• Atlanta Hawks (46-35): Clinch the No. 5 spot by winning in Miami.
• Toronto Raptors (45-36): Secure a playoff berth with a home victory over Brooklyn and could climb to No. 5 with help.
• Orlando Magic (45-36): Must beat Boston and get assistance elsewhere to avoid the play-in.
• Philadelphia 76ers (44-37): Need a win against Milwaukee plus outside help to rise out of play-in territory.
If all four clubs win Sunday, the current order stands.
The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are locked into the 9-vs-10 play-in matchup, though home-court advantage is still undecided.
Projected East pairings before Sunday
(1) Pistons vs. play-in winner
(2) Celtics vs. play-in winner
(3) Knicks vs. (6) Raptors
(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Hawks
Western Conference
Most slots are settled in the West, but two races remain unresolved.
No. 3 vs. No. 4
Denver (53-28) hosts San Antonio; the Nuggets claim the third seed with a win or a Lakers loss. Los Angeles (52-29) visits Utah and can jump to No. 3 only by winning while Denver stumbles.
No. 8 vs. No. 9
Portland (41-40) meets Sacramento; a Blazers victory or a Clippers defeat guarantees the eighth slot. The Clippers (41-40) need to beat Golden State and hope Portland loses to move up.
Projected West pairings before Sunday
(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. play-in winner
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. play-in winner
(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
(4) Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Current Play-In Games
East:
(7) Magic vs. (8) 76ers
(9) Hornets vs. (10) Heat
West:
(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers
(9) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
With seeds five through eight in the East and two key positions in the West hanging in the balance, Sunday’s results will lock in the final playoff map.
Source: Hoops Wire
