The NBA Playoff Hunt

  It is the middle of February, and that means that the NBA playoffs are just two months away. As the play-in tournament begins on April 16th, there are only 30 games left for teams to find their way into the playoffs. Let’s take a deeper dive into both the East and the West and see which teams are likely to get in.

Eastern Conference

At the top of the East is the Boston Celtics, who have been dominant throughout this whole season, posting a record of 40-12 and holding the best record in the NBA. Below them currently sits the Cavaliers and Bucks, who hold the second and third highest record. The other three spots belong to the Knicks, 76ers, and Pacers. Below them is the hunt for the play-in tournament, where the 7 through 10 seeds fight it out to get into the real playoffs. The Magic, Heat, Bulls and Hawks currently occupy those spots, with the Nets not far behind and just out of the picture currently. A few games behind them is the Raptors, who currently stand as the last team who really is in playoff contention.

Western Conference

The fight for the top spot in the Western conference is much closer than the East, with the Timberwolves currently holding the 1-seed and a record of 36-16. But trailing closley behind are the Clippers, Nuggets, and Thunder, who are all within a game of them. Then sit the Kings and Suns, who hold the final two spots. The teams that are currently in the play-in tournament are the Pelicans, Mavericks, Lakers, and Golden State Warriors. In close pursuit, are the Jazz and Rockets who are just outside and the two teams in that have a realistic shot for the final spot.

Well, that is the shape the playoffs are taking, but there are still 30 games left to the season, and much can change in that time. With the relatively new play-in tournament, more teams are in contention than there was just a few years ago. And in truth, no team is truly out of the playoffs with this many games left, and the playoff picture remains largely undecided.