NBA Playoff Picture 2024: Final Bracket Set After Heat, Pelicans Clinch Final Spots
April 20, 2024
The Miami Heat cruised to a 112-91 win over the Chicago Bulls to clinch the final Eastern Conference playoff spot on Friday evening. Miami will now play the No. 1 seed Boston Celtics in the first round on Sunday.
Then the New Orleans Pelicans defeated the Sacramento Kings 105-98 on Friday to seal the last Western Conference postseason berth. The Pels will be the West's eighth seed and take on the No. 1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in Round 1 beginning Sunday.
And with that, the NBA playoffs are officially set. Here's a look at the matchups and bracket with the postseason starting Saturday.
Eastern Conference Playoff Picture
No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
Western Conference Playoff Picture
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
Winners of 1/8 and 4/5 matchups play each other in semifinals; 2/7 vs. 3/6 in the other semifinals.
No. 1 Boston Celtics vs. No. 8 Miami Heat
This will be a difficult matchup for the Heat with superstar Jimmy Butler now out for several weeks due to a sprained MCL. To Miami's credit, though, this is a tough team that's found a way to experience playoff success with its backs against the wall.
The Heat were exceptional on Friday, with Tyler Herro posting a near triple-double (24 points, 10 rebounds, nine assists). But they'll need a lot of production from him, Bam Adebayo and others in order to beat a 64-win Celtics team that's far and away the NBA's title favorite.
No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Orlando Magic
The Cleveland Cavaliers have dealt with a litany of injuries all season but are finally healthy for the playoffs. That's bad news for the Orlando Magic, who have already enjoyed a tremendous season thanks to a 13-win improvement from last year.
On paper, this looks like a first-round victory for the Cavs, but don't count out this Magic team just yet. This team is a defensive force (second in rating), and Paolo Banchero is morphing into a bona fide superstar. This won't be a red carpet ride to the semis for the Cavs.
No. 2 New York Knicks vs. No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers
New York Knicks point guard Jalen Brunson averaged 37.8 points per game over his final 10 contests. Simply put, he's on fire and could very well guide the Knicks to a deep playoff run largely off his exploits, no matter who the team is facing.
Philadelphia will be a tough out. This isn't a true No. 7 seed, with the team's record taking a hit when Joel Embiid was out for two-plus months with a meniscus injury. He's now back and playing big minutes for the healthy 76ers, making for a potential classic matchup here.
No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. No. 6 Indiana Pacers
The Milwaukee Bucks entered this year with championship expectations, but those look far from being realized after a disappointing 49-win year (and 17-19 finish). Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo could also miss this entire playoff series with a calf injury, putting Milwaukee in more peril.
Meanwhile, the Pacers' offense (second in rating) and pace (second in the NBA) could present serious issues. Plus, Pacers superstar Tyrese Haliburton crushed the Bucks (27.0 PPG, 11.0 APG) per game in five outings, and it's certainly possible that hot stretch continues here.
No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. No. 8 New Orleans Pelicans
Pelicans superstar forward Zion Williamson will not play in this series due to a left hamstring strain suffered during the team's play-in loss to the Los Angeles Lakers on Friday. With that, it's very difficult seeing New Orleans win this series against a healthy Thunder team rolling into the playoffs with five straight wins.
OKC big man Chet Holmgren could have a huge series in particular on both ends, especially with Williamson out. Of course, All-NBA First Teamer Shai Gilgeous-Alexander will be the best player on the floor and could lead OKC to a sweep here as well.
No. 4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 5 Dallas Mavericks
All eyes are on Los Angeles Clippers star Kawhi Leonard, who is dealing with right knee inflammation and is listed as questionable for Game 1. If he's out or limited, then the clear edge here goes to the Dallas Mavericks, who won 16 of 18 games before resting their stars for the final two regular-season matchups.
It's clear the Mavs have finally unlocked their potential with Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving leading the way surrounded by good rebounders and defenders. That could be too much for the Clippers minus Leonard to handle, especially with Dončić playing at an MVP level right now.
No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers
Last year, the Denver Nuggets swept the Los Angeles Lakers in the Western Conference Finals. This year, the two teams match up in Round 1. Denver continued its dominance over the Lakers this season by sweeping the season series 3-0. On paper, it looks like the Nuggets have a clear advantage again.
The Nuggets roll into this series with a 21-6 record to close the year. Nikola Jokić is looking like the league's MVP once again. Jamal Murray is healthy and playing well too. The biggest question is whether this team can overcome the loss of sixth man Bruce Brown, who was sensational in last year's playoffs. The guess here is they figure out a way.
No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 6 Phoenix Suns
Is this Anthony Edwards' time? It's not impossible to envision the 22-year-old being one of the NBA's faces and clear best players in the near future. Perhaps his time is now as Edwards leads the No. 3 seed Timberwolves into a potentially tough matchup with the Phoenix Suns. There's a potential storyline featuring Edwards going off in these playoffs, leading the Timberwolves on a deep playoff run and announcing the team's presence to the league.
To do that, they'll have to outscore a Phoenix Suns team that will be hard to stop, but the T-Wolves do have the defensive players to slow them down enough.