Breaking down the 2024 NBA playoffs

Now in its fourth year in its current format, the enthralling play-in tournament gives the seventh- through 10th-seeded teams in both the Eastern Conference (EC) and Western Conference (WC) a chance to, well, play their way into the final two playoff spots (the seventh and eighth seeds).

• The top six teams in each conference have already clinched playoff berths, but the next four squads on the bubble will duke it out to officially punch their ticket.

To start, the No. 7 seeds face the No. 8 seeds while the No. 9 seeds take on the No. 10 seeds. The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchup clinches the No. 7 playoff spot, while the loser has another, ahem, shot — they’ll face the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 contest.

• The victor of that final matchup snags the eighth and final postseason berth. Fun, right?

From there, the traditional postseason action tips off on Saturday, starting with the first round where the top teams in both conferences battle the newly-named No. 8 seeds, the No. 2 seeds take on the No. 7 seeds, and so on.

• While the play-in tournament features single games, each of the four playoff rounds, including the NBA Finals, is a best-of-seven series. Hooptastic.

No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers: With superstar center Joel Embiid (pronounced jo-ELL em-BEAD) sidelined for two months, a mid-season slump plummeted the Sixers down the standings, even with Tyrese Maxey dropping dimes and buckets on a nightly basis. Now, the reigning MVP’s back in the lineup, and the Sixers are surging once more. The timing couldn’t be better.

No. 8 Miami Heat: Miami’s, ahem, heating up at the right time and, bolstered by Jimmy “back to the main quest” Butler, have a ton of experience making deep postseason runs. Case in point? The defending EC champs battled through last year’s Play-In Tournament to reach the NBA Finals.

No. 9 Chicago Bulls: Superstar Zach LaVine (pronounced luh-VEEN) has been sidelined most of the season, so DeMar DeRozan and Coby White have done most of the heavy lifting for Chi-town. But with too many bad losses and not enough good wins, the Bulls are giving a box of chocolates heading into postseason action — you never know what you’re going to get.

No. 10 Atlanta Hawks: Trae Young and Co. have notched some big wins this season, including not one but two miraculous dubs over the NBA-best Boston Celtics in March, so there’s definitely signs of life in Atlanta. That said, the Hawks have been up and down all season, and the playoffs are all about consistency.

No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans: Teamwork truly makes the dream work in New Orleans. People might come for the Zion Williamson show, but they stay for Brandon Ingram, point god CJ McCollum, and defensive juggernaut Herb Jones. Still, the Pels have only won seven playoff games in the last decade. No time like the present to build that playoff résumé.

No. 8 LA Lakers: Age really is just a number for LeBron James. In his 21st NBA season, the 39-year-old is somehow getting better, shooting a career-high 41% from the three-point line. And with a supporting cast featuring Anthony Davis and Austin Reaves, you can never count out the king.

No. 9 Sacramento Kings: Is it time to light the beam again? The Kings, who snapped the longest playoff drought in North American sports last year, are hoping to head back to the promised land — and stay put. With some much-needed playoff experience under their belt, De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis aim to win more in the playoffs this year, not just make them.

No. 10 Golden State Warriors: Yes, sharpshooting superstar Steph Curry and his four-time champs are in the Play-In Tournament. The old guard of Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green are fighting off Father Time for a chance to go for five trophies in 10 years.

No. 1 Boston Celtics: It’s championship or bust for the league-best Celtics, who are aiming for their second Finals appearance in three years. Led by Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown, the Cs have looked virtually unstoppable, especially at The Garden where they’ve only lost four games all season. All that’s left? Conquering their fear of birds.

No. 2 NY Knicks: It’s Jalen Brunson’s world, and we’re just living in it after the aforementioned All-Star dropped a career-high 61 points mere weeks ago. But Brunson can’t do it alone, and injuries have hampered the Knickerbockers all season. OG Anunoby is back in the lineup, but with Julius Randle out for the postseason, there might not be enough bing to bong down the stretch.

No. 3 Milwaukee Bucks: Coaching musical chairs complete, the Bucks are back in the playoffs for the eighth straight year. And while it’s not the 2021 champs’ first rodeo, it is their first playoff appearance with eight-time All-Star Damian Lillard lining up beside a hopefully healthy two-time MVP in Giannis Antetokounmpo (pronounced ah-det-oh-KOON-boh). It’s almost unfair.

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers: The resurgent Cavs are making their second straight postseason appearance after missing the playoffs four years in a row. After a lopsided first-round exit last season, the Land is ready for redemption, and with six players averaging double-digit points per game, they just might get it.

No. 5 Orlando Magic: The Magic are giving vintage NBA: slow-paced and defensively minded. The big question is whether sophomore superstar Paolo Banchero can be stellar in his first playoff appearance.

No. 6 Indiana Pacers: Tyrese Haliburton has been him for the Pacers this season — a walking bucket, Haliburton leads the team in steals and assists. And while Indy hasn’t won a playoff game since 2018, acquiring former NBA champ Pascal Siakam in January should add some pep to the Pacers’ playoff step.

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder: The kids are more than alright in Oklahoma after the league’s second-youngest roster secured the top spot in an absolutely loaded Western Conference. From his fire ’fits to his slick on-court play, MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has been dominating headlines all season — now the Canadian has to do it on the league’s biggest stage.

No. 2 Denver Nuggets: To absolutely no one’s surprise, perennial MVP candidate (and two-time MVP winner) Nikola Jokić is once again leading the defending champs into the postseason. The triple-double king might have other hobbies, but with partner-in-hoops Jamal Murray by his side, the horses will have to wait as the Nuggets are poised for another deep playoff run.

No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves: The Timberwolves’ biggest weaknesses? Their lack of postseason experience and Karl-Anthony Towns’ left knee. That said, they’ve looked like a legitimate title contender since October and Anthony Edwards has been playing lights out hoops.

No. 4 LA Clippers: It’s been a rollercoaster of a season for LA’s other squad, led by two-time Finals MVP Kawhi Leonard (who was injured for the final eight games of the regular season), Paul George, and James Harden. Despite the household names, of the Clippers’ three-prong attack, Leonard’s the only one with proven playoff success — and the clock is ticking.

No. 5 Dallas Mavericks: After missing the playoffs last season, this year’s squad is back with a vengeance. The dynamic duo of Luka Dončić and Kyrie Irving has found its groove, and with a deeper roster, highlighted by big men Daniel Gafford and rookie Dereck Lively II, the Mavs have postseason magic written all over them.

No. 6 Phoenix Suns: After trading for Bradley Beal in the offseason to create a superstar trio with Kevin Durant and Devin Booker, the desert’s fearsome threesome is finally starting to live up to expectations with all three stars hitting the hardwood at the same time. If the Suns are at their best, they’ll be tough to beat.

It all begins with WC Play-In action tonight: First, the No. 7 New Orleans Pelicans host the No. 8 LA Lakers at 7:30 p.m. ET then the No. 9 Sacramento Kings welcome the No. 10 Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET, with both games airing on TNT in the U.S. and TSN in Canada.

• Then tomorrow, it’s over to the EC as the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers battle the No. 8 Miami Heat at 7 p.m. ET, followed by the No. 9 Chicago Bulls and the No. 10 Atlanta Hawks at 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN in the U.S. and TSN and Sportsnet 360 in Canada. Happy hooping, indeed!