2024 NBA Playoffs

Featured Game

Game 6: DAL Mavericks vs LA Clippers

The Play-In Tournament

The road to the NBA Playoffs tips off with the Play-In Tournament on April 16 through April 19. Teams on the playoff bubble (7th to 10th seed of each conference) play in a round-robin to earn a spot in the NBA Playoffs.

1. The 7-8 Game: The teams that finish 7th and 8th in their respective conferences face off in a single game. The winner of this game secures the 7th seed and a spot in the playoffs, entering the first round against the 2nd seed.
2. The 9-10 Game: Concurrently, the teams that finish 9th and 10th also play against each other. However, the stakes are different; the loser of this game is eliminated from playoff contention, while the winner moves on to another chance to claim a playoff spot.
3. The Loser of 7-8 vs. Winner of 9-10: The loser of the 7-8 game and the winner of the 9-10 game then play one final game. The winner of this match secures the 8th seed and the final playoff spot in their conference. The loser of this game is eliminated from the playoffs.

Play-In Tournament Results

The 2024 NBA Play-In, to me, is one of the best mods to the NBA format. The games were intense; narratives came alive and to a close. In the East, the Philadelphia 76ers narrowly defeated the Miami Heat 105-104, while the Heat rebounded strongly to secure their spot by beating the Chicago Bulls 112-91. On the West side, the Los Angeles Lakers outlasted the New Orleans Pelicans 110-106, and the Pelicans bounced back by overcoming the Sacramento Kings 105-98, securing their playoff berth

The Playoff Picture

Alright, it’s been a playoff. The Pelicans and the Suns have been swept. Denver gentleman’s the Lakers as Boston, New York, and Indiana all look to do the same. The last interesting match-up of Round 1, or most at least (no offense to ORL-CLE), is the LA Clippers versus the Dallas Mavericks.

Playoff Schedule

The block is ho as the 2024 NBA Playoffs, presented by Google Pixel, kick off on April 20.

Eastern Conference – First Round

1. Boston (1) vs. Heat (8): BOS wins series 3 – 1
   • Game 1: Celtics 114, Heat 94
   • Game 2: Heat 111, Celtics 101
   • Game 3: Celtics 104, Heat 84
   • Game 4: Celtics 102, Heat 88
   • Game 5: Celtics 118, Heat 84
2. New York (2) vs. 76ers (7) NYK Leads 3 – 2
   • Game 1: Knicks 111, 76ers 104
   • Game 2: Knicks 104, 76ers 101
   • Game 3: 76ers 125, Knicks 114
   • Game 4: Knicks 97, 76ers 92
   • Game 5: 76ers 112, Knicks 106 (OT)
   • Game 6: Knicks vs. 76ers; Thursday, May 2 (9 ET, TNT)*
3. Milwaukee (3) vs. Indiana (6): IND Leads 3 – 2
   • Game 1: Bucks 109, Pacers 94
   • Game 2: Pacers 125, Bucks 108
   • Game 3: Pacers 121, Bucks 118 (OT)
   • Game 4: Pacers 126, Bucks 113
   • Game 5: Bucks 115, Pacers 92
   • Game 6: Bucks vs. Pacers; Thursday, May 2 (6:30 ET, TNT)*
4. Cleveland (4) vs. Orlando (5): Series tied 2 – 2
   • Game 1: Cavaliers 97, Magic 83
   • Game 2: Cavaliers 96, Magic 86
   • Game 3: Magic 121, Cavaliers 83
   • Game 4: Magic 112, Cavaliers 89
   • Game 5: Cavaliers 104, Magic 103
   • Game 6: Cavaliers vs. Magic; Friday, May 3 (7 ET, ESPN)

Western Conference – First Round

1. Oklahoma City (1) vs. Pelicans (8): OKC sweeps 4 – 0
   • Game 1: Thunder 94, Pelicans 92
   • Game 2: Thunder 124, 92
   • Game 3: Thunder 106, Pelicans 85
   • Game 4: Thunder 97, Pelicans 89
2. Denver (2) vs. Lakers (7) DEN wins series 4 – 1
   • Game 1: Nuggets 114, Lakers 103
   • Game 2: Nuggets 101, Lakers 99
   • Game 3: Nuggets 112, Lakers 105
   • Game 4: Lakers 119, Nuggets 108
   • Game 5: Nuggets 108, Lakers 106
3. Minnesota (3) vs. Phoenix (6) MIN sweeps 4 – 0
   • Game 1: Timberwolves 120, Suns 95
   • Game 2: Timberwolves 105, 93
   • Game 3: Timberwolves 126. Suns 109
   • Game 4: Timberwolves 122. Suns 116
4. LA Clippers (4) vs. Dallas (5) Series tied 2 – 2
   • Game 1: Clippers 109, Mavericks 97
   • Game 2: Mavericks 96, Clippers 93
   • Game 3: Mavericks 101, Clippers 90
   • Game 4: Clippers 116, Mavericks 111
   • Game 5: Mavericks 123, Clippers 93
   • Game 6: Clippers vs. Mavericks; Friday, May 3 (9:30 ET, ESPN)
   • Game 7: Mavericks vs. Clippers; Sunday, May 5 (TBD, TBD)*

Conference Semifinals Schedule

The Conference Semis begin May 6 – 7 but can move up to May 4-5 if the series from the prior round ends early.

Conference Finals Schedule

The Conference Finals begin May 21 – 22 but may move to May 19-20 if the series from the prior round ends early.

NBA Finals Schedule

2024 NBA Finals begin June 6, with ABC:

• Thursday, June 6: Game 1
• Sunday, June 9: Game 2
• Wednesday, June 12: Game 3
• Friday, June 14: Game 4