2025 NBA playoff picture: Bracket, standings, projections, scenarios heading into final week of season

There is just one week left in the NBA season and very little is settled.

The top couple of seeds in each conference are set — Oklahoma City and Houston in the West, Cleveland and Boston in the East — and after that things open up quickly. Here's everything you need to know about the NBA Playoffs heading into the final week of the season.

NBA standings

NBA playoff picture

If the season ended today (April 7).

East Play-In matchups

8. Hawks at 7. Magic
10 Heat at 9. Bulls

East first-round matchups

1. Cavaliers vs. 8. Magic/Hawks/Heat/Bulls
2. Celtics vs. 7. Magic/Hawks
3. Knicks vs. 6. Pistons
4. Pacers vs. 5. Bucks

West Play-In matchups

8. Grizzlies vs. 7. Timberwolves
10. Mavericks vs. 9. Kings

West first-round matchups

1. Thunder vs. 8. Grizzlies/Timberwolves/Mavericks/Kings
2. Rockets vs. 7. Grizzlies/Timberwolves
3. Lakers vs. 6. Warriors
4. Nuggets vs. 5. Clippers

Playoff projections

Let's break it down by conference, taking a closer look at each race (the listed games back in each race are from the leader of that grouping, not the top-seeded team).

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Oklahoma City Thunder
2. Houston Rockets

Oklahoma City has been clear and away the best team in the West during the regular season and has long ago locked up the No. 1 seed. Houston is 13.5 games back of OKC, and had a little slump that made things interesting recently, but the Rockets' magic number to lock up the No. 2 seed is one (one Rockets win or Lakers loss this week). One thing to watch: Other teams don't fear the Rockets in the playoffs the way they fear the Thunder (or even the Warriors/Lakers/Nuggets), so don't be surprised if teams try to jockey into the 3 or 6 seeds to get on Houston's side of the bracket.

3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Denver Nuggets (-1.5)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (-2)
6. Golden State Warriors (-2)
7. Minnesota Timberwolves (-2)
8. Memphis Grizzlies (-2)

The NBA wants drama in the final week of the season, and the West is delivering.

The Lakers are in control of the No. 3 seed: Two wins in their final four games guarantees them the No. 3 seed, and just one win guarantees a top-six finish. After that, the other five teams all have 32 losses — it is one big tie that could go in any direction. A couple of key games to watch this week in this group:

• Lakers at Thunder (Tuesday). The Lakers won the first game of this two-game set on Sunday.
• Rockets at Clippers (Wednesday). The Clippers' elite defense against the young legs of the Rockets will be entertaining.
• Timberwolves at Grizzlies (Thursday). Ja Morant vs. Anthony Edwards will be a show.
• Rockets at Lakers (Friday). Houston will have things locked up as the two seed, but is not going to take it easy against the Lakers.

9. Sacramento Kings
10. Dallas Mavericks (-0.5)
11. Phoenix Suns (-3)

Phoenix enters the week mathematically alive, if it can win its final four games this week it has a chance to catch Dallas (two ...