NBA playoff picture set as Warriors, Clippers clinch on last day of regular season
The NBA playoff picture is officially set after a frenetic final day of the regular season.
The Golden State Warriors and Los Angeles Clippers both clinched playoff spots Sunday as the Western Conference's play-in games and schedules were finalized. The Eastern Conference's matchups were determined Friday.
THE NBA PLAYOFFS BRACKET IS SET 🏀🔥 pic.twitter.com/yOKUXUhI9g
— NBA TV (@NBATV) April 9, 2023
The play-in tournament begins Tuesday and features the teams seeded seventh to 10th in each conference.
Western Conference play-in tournament
| Game | Home Team (Seed) | Away Team (Seed) | Date and Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Los Angeles Lakers (7) | Minnesota Timberwolves (8) | April 11: 10 p.m. |
| Game 2 | New Orleans Pelicans (9) | Oklahoma City Thunder (10) | April 12: 9:30 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Loser of Game 1 | Winner of Game 2 | April 14: TBD |
The No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers will take on the No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves on Tuesday night, with the winner facing the second-seeded Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs.
The No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans will face the No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder on Wednesday, with the winner set to play the loser of the first play-in game on Friday. The victor of that contest will advance to play the top-seeded Denver Nuggets.
Eastern Conference play-in tournament
| Game | Home Team (Seed) | Away Team (Seed) | Date and Time (ET) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Game 1 | Miami Heat (7) | Atlanta Hawks (8) | April 11: 7:30 p.m. |
| Game 2 | Toronto Raptors (9) | Chicago Bulls (10) | April 12: 7 p.m. |
| Game 3 | Loser of Game 1 | Winner of Game 2 | April 14: TBD |
In the Eastern Conference, the No. 7 Miami Heat and No. 8 Atlanta Hawks will battle on Tuesday, with the winner playing the second-seeded Boston Celtics in Round 1.
The winner of Wednesday's game between the No. 9 Toronto Raptors and No. 10 Chicago Bulls will play Miami or Atlanta on Friday to determine the top-seeded Milwaukee Bucks' first-round opponent.
The rest of the playoff matchups are also set.
In the West, Kevin Durant and the No. 4 Phoenix Suns will play Kawhi Leonard and the No. 5 Los Angeles Clippers in a duel of superstar wings. The No. 3 Sacramento Kings and No. 6 Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, will square off in a battle of Northern California.
The East will feature a matchup between the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers and the No. 5 New York Knicks, with key offseason acquisitions Donovan Mitchell and Jalen Brunson leading their respective squads. Meanwhile, the No. 3 Philadelphia 76ers and No. 6 Brooklyn Nets will play in a rematch of their 2019 first-round series.