NBA Playoff Picture 2027

The 2027 NBA playoff picture as it stands: East: Celtics lead (3-1), Magic hold the last Play-In spot (1-2); West: Thunder lead (4-0), Nuggets hold the last Play-In spot (1-2). Seeds 1-6 go straight to the playoffs, 7-10 meet in the Play-In Tournament; the tables below show games behind the line, each team's magic number and its clinch or elimination status, with the Play-In matchups if the season ended today.

Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

#TeamW-LPCTGBLeftStatus
1Boston CelticsCeltics3-1.750–78
2Detroit PistonsPistons3-1.750–78
3Philadelphia 76ers76ers3-1.750–78
4Charlotte HornetsHornets3-1.750–78
5Toronto RaptorsRaptors2-1.667–79
6Cleveland CavaliersCavaliers2-1.667–79
Playoff line · 7-10 go to the Play-In Tournament
7Atlanta HawksHawks2-2.5000.578
8Indiana PacersPacers2-2.5000.578
9Washington WizardsWizards2-2.5000.578
10Orlando MagicMagic1-2.3331.079
Play-In line
11New York KnicksKnicks1-3.2500.578
12Milwaukee BucksBucks1-3.2500.578
13Chicago BullsBulls1-3.2500.578
14Brooklyn NetsNets0-4.0001.578
15Miami HeatHeat0-4.0001.578

Western Conference Playoff Picture

#TeamW-LPCTGBLeftStatus
1Oklahoma City ThunderThunder4-01.000–78
2Houston RocketsRockets4-01.000–78
3Memphis GrizzliesGrizzlies4-01.000–78
4Portland Trail BlazersTrail Blazers3-01.000–79
5Minnesota TimberwolvesTimberwolves3-1.750–78
6Los Angeles LakersLakers3-1.750–78
Playoff line · 7-10 go to the Play-In Tournament
7San Antonio SpursSpurs2-2.5001.078
8Dallas MavericksMavericks2-2.5001.078
9Los Angeles ClippersClippers1-2.3331.579
10Denver NuggetsNuggets1-2.3331.579
Play-In line
11Phoenix SunsSuns1-2.333–79
12Golden State WarriorsWarriors1-3.2500.578
13Utah JazzJazz1-3.2500.578
14New Orleans PelicansPelicans0-3.0001.079
15Sacramento KingsKings0-4.0001.578

2026-27 Play-In Tournament: If the Season Ended Today

Seeds 7 to 10 in each conference as of today. The higher seed hosts every Play-In game; the two winners take the 7th and 8th seeds.

East

  1. Game 1: (8) Pacers (2-2) at (7) Hawks (2-2) · winner is the 7th seed
  2. Game 2: (10) Magic (1-2) at (9) Wizards (2-2) · loser is out
  3. Game 3: Game 2 winner at Game 1 loser · winner is the 8th seed

West

  1. Game 1: (8) Mavericks (2-2) at (7) Spurs (2-2) · winner is the 7th seed
  2. Game 2: (10) Nuggets (1-2) at (9) Clippers (1-2) · loser is out
  3. Game 3: Game 2 winner at Game 1 loser · winner is the 8th seed

z Clinched No. 1 seed · y Clinched division · x Clinched playoffs · h Clinched home court in the First Round (top 4) · p Clinched Play-In Tournament · o Out of the top 6 (Play-In at best) · e Eliminated from playoff contention

2026-27 · GB = games behind the 6th seed (for 7-10) or the 10th seed (for 11-15). Magic number = wins, or losses by the rival, still needed to clinch. Clinches use wins and games left only, never tiebreakers, so they can show a day later than the NBA's official mark, never earlier.

NBA Playoff Picture FAQ

How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?

The 7th seed hosts the 8th; the winner is the 7th seed. The 9th hosts the 10th; the loser is out. The loser of 7 vs 8 then hosts the winner of 9 vs 10 for the 8th seed.

What is a magic number in the NBA?

The number of wins, or losses by the team chasing, that guarantees a spot. Here it is the smallest total that clinches a top-6 or top-10 finish using only games left, with no tiebreakers.

When does the 2027 Play-In Tournament start?

The Play-In is played in the week after the regular season ends on April 11, 2027, and the playoffs begin the following weekend.