The 2023 NBA playoffs are almost here.
The Golden State Warriors are the defending champions but are still battling to qualify for the postseason, in which 16 teams will face off in four rounds of action to determine the 2023 NBA champion.
The top six teams in each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, while the teams that finish the regular season in seventh through 10th place will advance to the NBA’s play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff teams in each conference. The play-in tournament will take place April 11-14, with the first round of the playoffs tipping off on April 15.
The NBA Finals are set to tip off on June 1, with Game 7 — should the series go that long — scheduled for June 18. All NBA Finals games will be available on ABC and the ESPN App.
Eastern Conference
The Boston Celtics are the defending Eastern Conference champions.
Through games played Tuesday, the Milwaukee Bucks, Celtics, Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers and New York Knicks have clinched a playoff berth. The Toronto Raptors and the Chicago Bulls are guaranteed a spot in the play-in tournament.
The Bucks, who won the NBA championship in 2021, are the top seed in the East, but the Celtics can still overtake them in the standings.
As of Wednesday, the first-round playoff matchups would be:
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1. Bucks vs. 8. Play-in winner
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2. Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner
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3. 76ers vs. 6. Nets
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4. Cavaliers vs. 5. Knicks
1:53
Knicks clinch playoff berth with win over Wizards
The Knicks grab a 118-109 win over the Wizards to seal their spot in the playoffs.
Western Conference
The Golden State Warriors are the defending Western Conference champions.
Through games played Tuesday, the Denver Nuggets, Memphis Grizzlies and Sacramento Kings have clinched a playoff berth.
The Nuggets are the top seed in the West, but the Grizzlies can still overtake them in the standings. The Lakers have clinched a spot in the play-in, with the potential for a playoff spot.
As of Wednesday, the first-round playoff matchups would be:
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1. Nuggets vs. 8. Play-in winner
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2. Grizzlies vs. 7. Play-in winner
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3. Kings vs. 6. Warriors/Lakers (tied)
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4. Suns vs. 5. Clippers
MORE: These West play-in scenarios are pure madness
0:25
Kings seal playoff berth with win over Trail Blazers
The Kings end the longest playoff drought in the four major North American sports leagues, clinching a postseason berth with a win over the Trail Blazers.
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2020: LeBron, Lakers claim bubble title
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2019: Kawhi becomes King in the North
For the first time in NBA history, a team outside the United States won the championship, as the Toronto Raptors knocked off the Golden State Warriors in six games.
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2018: How sweep it is for Warriors
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2017: Durant puts Warriors back on top
The Golden State Warriors were nearly perfect in 2017, going 16-1 in the playoffs en route to winning the NBA championship.
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2016: ‘Cleveland, this is for you!’
LeBron James and the Cavaliers ended Cleveland’s 52-year title drought by becoming the first team to overcome a 3-1 deficit in the Finals.
Source : ESPN
