The NBA Playoff is the elimination contest where the leading teams of both conferences aim to secure the championship title. The contest rules have undergone modifications throughout history. However, the playoff generally involves a best-of-seven series in each round. The winner of each round advances to the next round until the championship finals.
Every team within each conference plays according to its regular-season record. Each of the top conference teams begins the playoffs against corresponding teams ranked in reverse positions from first to eighth. Each conference will proceed to conduct semifinal matches between the winning teams from the first round. The winners of the semifinals will advance to the conference finals. The NBA champions will emerge from competing conference finals before the NBA Finals decides the ultimate winner.
EASTERN CONFERENCE BRACKET
First round teams in Eastern Conference:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Miami Heat |
2. Indiana Pacers vs Milwaukee Bucks |
3. New York Knicks vs Detroit Pistons |
4. Boston Celtics vs Orlando Magic |
In the Eastern Conference, already four teams have advanced to the second round as of May 2, 2025. Below are the details of the second round in the Eastern Conference:
1. Cleveland Cavaliers vs Indiana Pacers |
2. New York Knicks vs Boston Celtics |
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WESTERN CONFERENCE BRACKET
First round teams in Western Conference:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs Memphis Grizzlies |
2. Denver Nuggets vs Los Angeles Clippers |
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs Minnesota Timberwolves |
4. Houston Rockets vs Golden State Warriors |
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves advance to the second round. However, the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Clippers tied the series (3-3) and will play the final game on May 3, 2025. On the other hand, the Houston Rockets and the Golden State Warriors also tied the series (3-3), and will play the final game seven on May 4, 2025.
Second Round teams in Western Conference:
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs (Denver Nuggets or Los Angeles Clippers) |
2. Minnesota Timberwolves vs (Houston Rockets or Golden State Warriors) |
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FAQ on NBA Playoffs
A. The 2024-25 NBA playoffs will feature 16 teams, eight from each conference, and each team will play a best-of-seven series against its opponent.
A. In the NBA playoffs, all rounds consist of best-of-seven series, requiring a team to win four games to advance to the next round. The series follows a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
A. The 2024 NBA Playoffs will commence on 20th April. The 2024 NBA playoffs will culminate anytime between June 14 and June 23, depending on the outcomes of the 2024 NBA Finals. All the 2024 NBA playoff games are broadcast on a variety of networks, including TNT, ESPN and ABC.