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

In just over two weeks, the regular season will be over, and it will be time for the NBA Playoffs.

It's truly one of the most exciting times in sports and a time of year that basketball fans are always looking forward to, even from the beginning of the season.

By now, the playoff picture is pretty clear. There are a few teams on the outside looking in that are still hanging around, but mostly everything is pretty much set.

In this piece, we will be taking another look at the playoff picture, how it currently looks, and who all would be in the mix if the season ended today. Keep in mind that the season ends on April 14, so there may not be a lot of change between now and then.

NBA Playoff Bracket if the season ended today

To start, there are several teams who have already officially been eliminated from postseason contention.

In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Washington Wizards, and Detroit Pistons have already watched their playoff hopes slip away. In the Western Conference, the Utah Jazz, Memphis Grizzlies, Portland Trail Blazers, and San Antonio Spurs are all out of playoff contention.

We'll start with the Eastern Conference, where the playoff picture is quite clear and likely won't undergo any significant changes.

At 57-16, the Boston Celtics have already clinched the top seed in the East. With nine games to go, they are up 11 on the Milwaukee Bucks, who are second in the conference.

In fact, eight teams in the East have already punched their playoff tickets. The Bucks, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers, Miami Heat, and Philadelphia 76ers are officially in. Though as the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, the Heat and 76ers will have to survive the Play-In Tournament.

The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks currently hold the No. 9 and No. 10 spots in the East, and have yet to officially clinch their spots in the Play-In Tournament. That should come in due time however, as the Brooklyn Nets are nearly out of contention.

Milwaukee would get either Miami or Philadelphia if the season ended today, and Boston would get one of the remaining three Play-In teams for the first round.

The Knicks currently hold the third seed in the East and would host the Pacers in the first round, while the No. 4 seed Cavs would host the Magic. The Pacers are barely ahead of Miami for the sixth seed, so there could be a few slight changes to who has to deal with the Play-In rounds and who avoids them all together.

Things aren't quite as clear in the Western Conference, as only three teams have punched their postseason tickets. The defending champion Denver Nuggets would have the top seed in the West, while the Minnesota Timberwolves and Oklahoma City Thunder are tied for the second-best record, a half-game behind Denver.

Due to tiebreakers, Minnesota would be granted the No. 2 seed while the Thunder would be given seed No. 3.

Seeds 4-10 are still somewhat up in the air, but the Los Angeles Clippers would be the fourth seed if the season ended today, and they would match up with the New Orleans Pelicans. The Dallas Mavericks would be seed No. 6 and travel to Oklahoma City for a first-round matchup with the Thunder.

The Phoenix Suns would be the seventh seed, and would square off with the No. 8 seed, the Sacramento Kings. The winner would advance to play Minnesota.

The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors hold the nine and ten spots in the conference, respectively. One of the remaining three Play-In teams would advance to play the Nuggets.

Again, from No. 4-10, the playoff spots are up in the air. The Suns and Kings have a shot to play their way out of the Play-In Tournament and secure a bye to the first round. As far as the No. 10 seed goes, the Warriors are only one game ahead of the hard-charging Houston Rockets, who have won 10 consecutive games. Houston could stay hot and knock either Los Angeles or Golden State out of the picture.