2024 NBA postseason tracker: Playoffs, play-in, projected bracket

The 2024 NBA regular season wraps up Sunday, but there is still plenty to decide before all eyes turn toward the postseason.

The Boston Celtics are the top overall seed and guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the postseason, but things are far from settled among the other teams in the Eastern Conference.

Meanwhile, the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed is still up in the air, with three teams — the Oklahoma City Thunder, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Denver Nuggets — tied and still in contention. It’s the first time three teams have been tied for the best record in their conference through 81 games.

Once the dust settles, the top six teams from each conference will be assured playoff spots, while team Nos. 7-10 in the standings will enter the play-in tournament (April 16-19).

Two teams in each conference will then emerge to fill out the eight-team field, with the first round of the playoffs starting April 20.

Get the updates ahead of the playoffs here as the road to the NBA Finals kicks into full gear.

JUMP TO: East teams | West teams

What’s at stake on a wild final day

NEW YORK — With one day of games left in the regular season, nearly nothing is set in the NBA’s playoff picture.

All 30 NBA teams will play Sunday, and only five of the 20 postseason seeds are locked in: the first, ninth and tenth spots in the East (the Boston Celtics, Boston Celtics

What they’ve clinched: Best overall record, No. 1 seed in Eastern Conference, Atlantic Division title

Boston became the first team to clinch a postseason spot in 2024 and have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference. And as holders of the overall best record, they’re guaranteed home-court advantage throughout the playoffs.

The Celtics have made the playoffs the previous nine seasons, losing to the Miami Heat in the conference finals last season. The last time they were the top overall seed in the East was after the 2016-17 season, when they lost to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the conference finals.

Chicago Bulls

What they’ve clinched: No. 9 seed for the play-in tournament; cannot directly clinch a playoff berth

The Bulls will be playing in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will host the Atlanta Hawks for the 9/10 game. The winner will advance to play the loser of the 7/8 game for a chance to clinch the last playoff spot.

This is the second straight season that the Bulls will be in the play-in tournament. Last year, they beat the Toronto Raptors in the elimination match before losing to the Miami Heat in No. 8 seed game.

Atlanta Hawks

What they’ve clinched: No. 10 seed for the play-in tournament; cannot directly clinch a playoff berth

The Hawks will be playing in the Eastern Conference play-in tournament and will visit the Chicago Bulls for the 9/10 game. The winner will advance to play the loser of the 7/8 game for a chance to clinch the last playoff spot.

This is the third straight season that the Hawks will be in the play-in tournament. They’ve advanced out of it but then been bounced in the first round of the playoffs — by the Miami Heat in 2022 and by the Boston Celtics in 2023. In 2021, they lost to the Milwaukee Bucks to the conference finals.

LA Clippers

What they’ve clinched: No. 4 seed in the Western Conference; Pacific Division title

The Clippers have clinched the fourth seed in the Western Conference and will host the Dallas Mavericks in the first round of the playoffs.

The team was bounced from the first round of the playoffs last season by the Phoenix Suns. The year before, they finished ninth in the West but lost the elimination match to the New Orleans Pelicans.

Dallas Mavericks

What they’ve clinched: No. 5 seed in the Western Conference; Southwest Division

The Mavericks will return to the postseason, having booked the fifth seed in the playoffs in the Western Conference. They’ll face the LA Clippers in the first round.

Dallas missed out altogether last year after having previously made the playoffs in three straight seasons, which included two eliminations by the Clippers.

Phoenix Suns

What they’ve clinched: At least a play-in spot

The Suns have clinched at least a spot in the Western Conference play-in tournament to continue their streak of postseason appearances.

Phoenix has reached the conference semifinals the last two seasons, but lost to the Denver Nuggets (2023) and the Dallas Mavericks (2022). In 2021, they reached the NBA Finals but fell to the Milwaukee Bucks.

Los Angeles Lakers

What they’ve clinched: A play-in spot; cannot clinch a playoff berth

The Lakers’ path to the playoffs will have to go through the Western Conference play-in tournament as they can no longer finish in the top six.

Sacramento Kings