Below is a comprehensive snapshot of where things stand in the Eastern Conference playoff and play-in races entering play on Tuesday. (There are no games Monday.) This post will be updated throughout the remainder of the regular season or until all seeds are clinched.
Reminder on how the play-in tournament works: No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed.
READ: Western Conference playoff picture
NOTE: Our SportsLine model, developed by predictive data engineer Stephen Oh, simulates the entire season 10,000 times to produce the most unbiased and precise projections imaginable.
- 🔒Clinched top-three seed
- Remaining schedule: at Wizards, vs. Bulls, vs. Grizzlies, at Raptors
- Current first-round matchup: TBD
- Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Celtics clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Bucks own via division winner
- 🔒Clinched top-three seed
- Remaining schedule: at 76ers, vs. Raptors, vs. Raptors, vs. Hawks
- Current first-round matchup: vs. Heat-Hawks play-in winner
- Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Celtics clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Celtics clinched
- 🔒Clinched top-four seed
- Remaining schedule: vs. Celtics, vs. Heat, at Hawks, at Nets
- Current first-round matchup: vs. Nets
- Tiebreaker vs. Milwaukee: Bucks own via division winner
- Tiebreaker vs. Boston: Celtics clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Sixers clinched
- 🔒Clinched playoff spot
- Remaining schedule: at Magic, at Magic, vs. Hornets
- Current first-round matchup: vs. Knicks
- Tiebreaker vs. Philadelphia: Sixers clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks clinched
5. New York Knicks (46-33)
- 🔒Clinched playoff spot
- Remaining schedule: at Pacers, at Pelicans, vs. Pacers
- Current first-round matchup: at Cavaliers
- Tiebreaker vs. Cleveland: Knicks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Knicks currently own via division win percentage
6. Brooklyn Nets (43-35)
- Remaining schedule: vs. Wolves, at Pistons, vs. Magic, vs. 76ers
- Current first-round matchup: at 76ers
- Tiebreaker vs. New York: Knicks currently own via division win percentage
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Nets clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Nets clinched
PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT
7. Miami Heat (41-37)
- Remaining schedule: at Pistons, at 76ers, at Wizards, vs. Magic
- Current first-round matchup: vs. Hawks (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Heat clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors clinched
8. Atlanta Hawks (39-39)
- Remaining schedule: at Bulls, vs. Wizards, vs. 76ers, at Celtics
- Current first-round matchup: at Heat (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Brooklyn: Nets clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Heat clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Hawks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Hawks leads 2-1 with one to play
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls lead 2-1 with one to play
9. Toronto Raptors (39-39)
- 🔒Clinched play-in spot
- Remaining schedule: at Hornets, at Celtics, at Celtics, vs. Bucks
- Current first-round matchup: vs. Bulls (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Atlanta: Hawks clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Washington: Raptors clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Raptors clinched
10. Chicago Bulls (38-40)
- Remaining schedule: vs. Hawks, at Bucks, at Mavericks, vs. Pistons
- Current first-round matchup: at Raptors (play-in)
- Tiebreaker vs. Toronto: Raptors clinched
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls currently own via conference win percentage
STILL ALIVE
Orlando Magic (34-44)
- Remaining schedule: vs. Cavs, vs. Cavs, at Nets, at Heat
- Tiebreaker vs. Chicago: Bulls currently own via conference win percentage