We are now in the heart-pounding final two weeks of the NBA season, with teams fiercely battling for those precious postseason spots. The intensity of the playoff race is palpable, with every remaining game a potential game-changer, holding the power to either make or break their chances for a shot at the NBA title.
Several teams have already secured their spots in the playoffs, but the race for the top spots is far from over. The Oklahoma City Thunder have claimed the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, but the battle for the No. 2 spot is a neck-and-neck race between the Houston Rockets and the Denver Nuggets, with the Los Angeles Lakers hot on their heels in the No. 4 position.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Cleveland Cavaliers, Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks all have claimed a playoff spot.
The top six teams from each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, but the real drama unfolds with the No. 7 seed through No. 10 seed. These teams will engage in a nail-biting play-in tournament, where every game is a battle for a chance to enter the NBA Playoffs.
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In Tournament will begin on April 15 and end on April 18, where seeds 7 through 10 will play in a tournament-like format for a chance to move on to the NBA Playoffs.
In the first games of the Play-In Tournament, the No. 7 seeds will host the No. 8 seeds. The winner of this game will secure a spot as the No. 7 seed in their respective conference, while the team that loses will have one more opportunity to compete.
In the second games of the Play-In Tournament, the No. 9 seeds will host the No. 10 seeds, with the winning team moving to the final game, and the team that loses will be eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
In the final games of the Play-In Tournament, the teams that lost the first matchup will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 seed games. The winners of these games will advance to the NBA Playoffs as the No. 8 seed, while the losing team will be eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
Playoff picture: Who has clinched a spot?
The top six teams in each conference will earn a playoff spot. The winners of the Play-In Tournament will move on to the first round of the playoffs, which begins on Saturday, April 19.
Here are the teams that have clinched a playoff spot:
