By Alfaritsy 
2025 NBA Eastern Conference playoff seeds are set. The Lakers chase the No. 3 spot as the Western Conference race remains tight and unpredictable.
2025 NBA Playoff Picture: East Locked In, West Still Shifting
The Eastern Conference playoff and play-in spots are now locked after Friday night’s games.
Eastern Conference Seeds Set
Indiana’s loss to Orlando and Milwaukee’s win over Detroit finalized the East standings.
Here are the matchups:
East Play-In Games
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No. 7 Orlando vs. No. 8 Atlanta
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No. 9 Chicago vs. No. 10 Miami
East First-Round Matchups
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No. 1 Cavaliers vs. 8 (from Play-In)
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No. 2 Celtics vs. 7 (from Play-In)
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No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Pistons
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No. 4 Pacers vs. No. 5 Bucks
West Still Up for Grabs
Only Oklahoma City Thunder (No. 1) and Houston Rockets (No. 2) have clinched seeds in the Western Conference.
The Lakers can seal the No. 3 seed with a win over Houston on Friday.
If that happens, the remaining three guaranteed playoff spots will be decided on Sunday night.
5 Teams in the Hunt
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Nuggets (48-32)
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Clippers (48-32)
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Warriors (47-33)
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Timberwolves (47-33)
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Grizzlies (47-33)
All five teams are separated by just one game. Every result will matter.
West First-Round (If Season Ended Today)
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No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 from Play-In
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No. 2 Rockets vs. No. 7 from Play-In
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No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Warriors
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No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Clippers
Who Has Clinched So Far?
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East: All 10 seeds locked
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West: Thunder (No. 1), Rockets (No. 2), Lakers (top-6), Kings & Mavs (Play-In)
Current Tiebreaker Situations
Key tiebreakers could decide final seedings:
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Lakers: Hold tiebreakers over all contenders
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Warriors: Hold over Timberwolves, Grizzlies
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Nuggets: Hold over Warriors
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Timberwolves: Hold over Nuggets, Clippers
Full tiebreaker rules consider head-to-head, division records, and point differentials.
Important Dates Ahead
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April 13: Regular season ends
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April 15–18: Play-In Tournament
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April 19: Playoffs begin
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May 12: NBA Draft Lottery
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June 5: NBA Finals begin
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