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NBA Daily Playoff Picture: The one with five guaranteed playoff berths on the line

Ben Rohrbach
·Senior NBA writer
·7-min read

The NBA playoff picture will come into clearer view each day between now and the end of the regular season on Sunday. In the meantime, we will provide detailed daily updates on the landscape, including magic numbers, relevant tiebreakers and the stakes for every day's slate of games.

WESTERN CONFERENCE

1. Minnesota Timberwolves (54-24)

Clinched playoff berth

2. Denver Nuggets (54-24)

Clinched playoff berth

3. Oklahoma City Thunder (53-25)

Clinched playoff berth

4. Los Angeles Clippers (50-28)

5. Dallas Mavericks (48-30)

6. Phoenix Suns (46-32)

7. New Orleans Pelicans (46-32)

8. Sacramento Kings (45-33)

SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 27: Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors matches up against LeBron James #23 of the Los Angeles Lakers in overtime at Chase Center on January 27, 2024 in San Francisco, California. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)

9. Los Angeles Lakers (45-34)

10. Golden State Warriors (43-35)

Tuesday's games of consequence (all times Eastern)

Mavericks at Hornets (7 p.m.)

  • DAL clinches a playoff berth with a win and a loss by PHX or NOP

  • DAL will be eliminated from contention for a home playoff seed with a loss and a LAC win

Wizards at Timberwolves (8 p.m.)

Kings at Thunder (8 p.m.)

  • OKC clinches a top-three seed with a LAC loss or a win and a MIN win

  • SAC will be eliminated from contention for the No. 5 seed with a loss or a DAL win

Nuggets at Jazz (9 p.m.)

  • DEN clinches a top-three seed with a win or a LAC loss

Warriors at Lakers (10 p.m., TNT)

  • GSW earns tiebreaker against LAL with a win

  • LAL will be eliminated from contention for a guaranteed playoff berth with a loss and ...
    1) PHX and SAC wins
    2) PHX and NOP wins
    Or 3) SAC and NOP wins

  • GSW will be eliminated from contention for a guaranteed playoff berth with ...
    1) PHX and NOP wins
    Or 2) SAC and NOP wins

Clippers at Suns (10 p.m.)

  • LAC clinches a playoff berth with a NOP loss

  • LAC clinches a home playoff seed with a win and a DAL loss

  • LAC earns tiebreaker against PHX with a win

  • LAC will be eliminated from contention for the No. 3 seed with a loss or wins by DEN, OKC and MIN

  • PHX will be eliminated from contention for a home playoff seed with a loss

Pelicans at Blazers (10 p.m.)

  • NOP will be eliminated from contention for a home playoff seed with a loss or a LAC win

EASTERN CONFERENCE

1. Boston Celtics (62-16)

Clinched No. 1 seed and first-round playoff series vs. No. 8 seed (determined by play-in tournament)

2. Milwaukee Bucks (47-31)

Clinched playoff berth

3. Orlando Magic (46-32)

4. New York Knicks (46-32)

5. Cleveland Cavaliers (46-33)

6. Indiana Pacers (45-34)

7. Philadelphia 76ers (44-35)

8. Miami Heat (43-35)

  • Projected record: 46-36

  • Net rating: 1.6

  • Magic number for playoff berth: Do not control destiny

  • Remaining schedule: @ATL, DAL, TOR, TOR

  • Highest possible finish: No. 3 seed (clinched no lower than No. 8)

  • Own tiebreakers against: Cavaliers, Magic

9. Chicago Bulls (37-41)

Clinched play-in berth

10. Atlanta Hawks (36-42)

Clinched play-in berth

Tuesday's games of consequence (all times Eastern)

Pistons at 76ers (7 p.m.)

  • PHI will be eliminated from contention for a guaranteed playoff berth with a loss and wins by IND and ORL

Pacers at Raptors (7 p.m.)

  • IND clinches a playoff berth with a win and losses by MIA, PHI and HOU

  • IND will be eliminated from contention for a top-three seed with a loss and wins by MIL and ORL

Heat at Hawks (7:30 p.m.)

  • MIA will be eliminated from contention for a top-five seed with a loss and an ORL win

Celtics at Bucks (7:30 p.m., TNT)

  • MIL clinches no lower than the No. 5 seed with a win and an IND loss

Knicks at Bulls (8 p.m.)

  • NYK clinches a playoff berth with a win and a MIA loss or losses by MIA, PHI and HOU

  • NYK will be eliminated from contention for the No. 2 seed with a loss and wins by MIL and ORL

Magic at Rockets (8 p.m.)

  • ORL clinches a playoff berth with a win and ...
    1) MIA and IND losses
    2) MIA and PHI losses
    Or 3) IND and PHI losses