The NBA playoffs for 2024 are almost around the corner. With not even a month to go for the playoffs that roll from April 2024 onwards, there is a lot of hype around the teams and their players.
The postseason will begin on April 16 with the Play-In Tournament, and the first round of the playoffs will start on April 20. The game’s fever is soaring high among the players and their supporters. The same stands true for people who do sports betting. The NBA finals odds are a thing, and the game enthusiasts are showing their craze for the game, the players, and the winning probability, too.
The Latest NBA Playoff Picture
The first round of the playoffs begins after mid-April, and 20 NBA teams will qualify for the postseason. However, a lot in the loop is likely to be decided in the closing weeks of the regular season that rolls. So, the home-court advantage strategies and chances to avoid the Play-In tournaments are rolling until April 14.
Talking about the latest updates for the game and teams, the Nuggets have defeated the Timberwolves and jumped back into the West’s second position. The season series between the teams faced a tie with 1-1 and the remaining one to decide the fate in the form of a potential tiebreaker.
It was a moment to rejoice for the Ornaldo Magic fans as they clinched and managed at least a Play-In spot when they defeated the Hornets in their game against each other.
They head into the finals as underdogs according to the NBA Championship odds and as far as the other teams are concerned, the Magic is placed at the 5th position in the East, alongside the 11 magic number, thus stealing the top-six seed.
Game Reminders That You Should Not Miss
The Play-In Tournament will serve as a reminder for the teams, primarily those determining the 7th and 8th position in these conferences. There will be four teams in each conference with 7-10 seeds. They will enter the Play-In Tournament. The games will specifically focus on the 7th and 8th positions because the top six seeds will automatically qualify for the playoff spots. The faceoff in the teams will initially be for the 7th position, followed by the 8th position.
Similarly, the one who loses the 7th position will fight for the 8th, the 9th, and the 10th.
You should contact reliable service providers regarding the season’sremainder of the season, as the games should be noticed. Be it the current standings to the tiebreaking scenarios, there’s a lot that you have to uncover through these games.
NBA Eastern And Western Conference Playoff Bracket
Let’s take some speculations into the picture now.
If the season ends now, here’s how the first playoff round will shake out in the East.
- The Boston Celtics have the first-position seed versus the 8th position seed, and the winner of this will emerge as the winner of the Play-In Tournament.
- Having the second position, Milwaukee Bucks will play against the 7th position seed, and the winner will also emerge as the winner of the Play-In Tournament.
- The third-seed team, the Cleveland Cavaliers, will play against the 6th number-seed Philadelphia 76ers.
- The same trend will be followed by the New York Knicks having the 4th number seed. The team will play against Orlando Magic, which placed at No. 5 seed.
However, the matchup looks for the current standings will be different for the Western Conference that is as follows:
- The Oklahoma City Thunder, having the first position seed, will play against the team of the 8th position seed, and the winner will emerge as the winner of the Play-in Tournament.
- The Minnesota Timberwolves, having the second-position seed, will play against the team in the 7th position, and the winner will emerge as the winner of the Play-In Tournament.
- With the third position seed, the Denver Nuggets will play against the Sacramento Kings, with the 6th number seed.
- Los Angeles Clippers, having the 4th number seed, will play against the 5th number seed, and the team is the New Orleans Pelicans.
More About The NBA Play-In Tournament
As per the current system implemented for the NBA Play-In Tournament, the playoffs allow each conference to expand its potential playoff field to 10 teams from 8. As discussed earlier, the fight begins for the 7th position in this set of games. Also, the team that finishes the 7th in each conference hosts the team that finishes in the 8th position. The Play-In Tournament will conclude on April 19, followed by the playoffs beginning the next day.
Conclusion
However, the eliminations or round matches will begin later. After the playoffs start on April 20, how quickly the first-round matchups are decided is to be seen. The conference semifinals are likely to start near around 4th or 5th May. The maximum stretch will be for two more days, beginning around 6th or 7th May. The finals can be anywhere from the 20th to the 22nd of May. The semifinal results will likely come around May 19 or May 20.
The finals will begin on June 6.
