How the NBA Playoff Bracket would look if the season ended today

The 2023-24 regular season is winding down. The official end date for the regular season is Sunday, April 14. From there the Play-In Tournament will commence before the start of the actual NBA playoffs on Saturday, April 20.

Often times in sports, we hear the words "if the season ended today" to break down what the playoff bracket would look like if that was indeed the case.

Of course, that is never the case when something like that is said, as the rest of the season still needs to play out. But in this piece, we will take a look at the current playoff bracket and what it would look like if the season ended today, March 18. Keep in mind that while time is ticking, the season is far from over and a lot can change between now and April 14.

NBA Playoff bracket if the season ended today

We've broken down the format many times before, so there is no need to provide any more insights into what the format looks like. Instead, this will be a simple look at the current playoff picture.

Only one team has a playoff berth locked up as of now, and it is none other than the Boston Celtics, who own a record of 53-14, which is the best in the Eastern Conference and in the NBA.

They would await the winner of the final Play-In game between the winner of the No. 9-10 matchup and the loser of the No. 7-8 matchup. They could draw the Miami Heat, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, or the Atlanta Hawks.

Boston has a firm grip on the top spot in the East. The Milwaukee Bucks would have the No. 2 seed and would await the winner of the No. 7-8 matchup, which at this point would be the Heat or the 76ers. Milwaukee is 9.5 games back of the Celtics for seed No. 1.

The Cleveland Cavaliers are 11 games back of the top spot and sit in third in the East with a record of 42-25. They would start at home against the Indiana Pacers, who would be No. 6 in the conference if the season ended today. However, the Pacers are only a half-game ahead of the Heat and 76ers for the last bye, and they could ultimately find themselves in the Play-In Tournament.

The No. 4-5 matchup would be between the New York Knicks and Orlando Magic. These two teams are neck and neck, and a lot can change, but New York currently has control of the No. 4 seed.

The Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors are quickly slipping in the standings and unlikely to even reach the Play-In Tournament.

In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder remain at the top, but not by much. They only lead the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets by a half-game for the top spot.

Like the Celtics, the Thunder would await the winner of the final play-in game, meaning they could ultimately draw the Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, Golden State Warriors, or even the Los Angeles Lakers.

Because of how close the No. 7-10 seeded teams are in the standings, the Nuggets could also draw any one of those teams but would get the winner of the No. 7-8 matchup.

The Minnesota Timberwolves also can't be counted out in the race for the top seed. At 46-21, they are only one game behind the Thunder and a half-game behind the Nuggets. Minnesota would draw the Sacramento Kings, but with the Mavericks and Suns right on the Kings' heels, Sacramento, like Indiana, could find themselves fighting for their playoff lives in the tournament.

Seeds four and five are neck and neck as well, and the Los Angeles Clippers would be the No. 4 seed if the season ended today. The Clippers would play host to the New Orleans Pelicans.

The official website for the NBA shows what the current field looks like and goes into detail on how everything would work, as well as the current standings and any and all tiebreaker scenarios.

In the West, the Houston Rockets are on the outside looking in, but are just 3.5 games behind the Lakers for the No. 10 spot in the conference.

Only four teams have been officially eliminated from postseason contention. The Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs are eliminated in the West, while in the East, the Washington Wizards and Detroit Pistons are officially out of the picture.