Many of the play-in and playoff seeding and matchups had already been decided when each team in the NBA played its 82nd and final game of the season Sunday.
Starters were rested, punches were thrown—at walls and at teammates—and a league investigation was launched after the Mavericks elected to sit key players in a loss to the Bulls over the weekend in an apparent attempt to hold onto their first-round pick.
Now that the regular season is in the rearview, 20 teams remain in the hunt for a title. And after this week’s play-in tournament, 16 will still be standing with hopes of hoisting the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June.
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1. Milwaukee Bucks
Record: 58–24
Previous ranking: 1
The Bucks finished with the best record in the NBA for the first time since the 2019-20 season despite dropping their last two games to the Grizzlies and Raptors. Giannis Antetokounmpo, who could be up for his third MVP award, missed the final three games of the year, but he triple-doubled in a win over the Wizards last Tuesday. Milwaukee now awaits the result of this week’s play-in tournament to find out its first-round playoff opponent.
2. Boston Celtics
Record: 57–25
Previous ranking: 2
The defending Eastern Conference champion Celtics closed the year on a three-game winning streak heading into the postseason. After a two-point loss to Philadelphia on Tuesday, Boston beat Toronto twice and then outlasted Atlanta in the season finale to finish with its most wins since the 2008-09 campaign. Jayson Tatum (hip) and Jaylen Brown (finger) both missed a handful of games down the stretch but Sam Hauser (back-to-back games with 26 points) and Payton Pritchard (triple-double against the Hawks) shouldered the load with the All-Stars out.
3. Philadelphia 76ers
Record: 54–28
Previous ranking: 4
Joel Embiid and the 76ers made a statement Tuesday as the league’s leading scorer delivered 52 points and 13 boards in a two-point victory over the Celtics. Philadelphia did turn around and lose to Miami by 28 a few nights later but got back on track over the weekend—without Embiid or James Harden—with wins over Atlanta and Brooklyn, its first-round playoff opponent. The Sixers finished with their most wins since the 2000-01 season, which was coincidentally the year Allen Iverson won the MVP award, something that could well be in the cards for Embiid after finishing as the runner-up two years in a row.
4. Denver Nuggets
Record: 53–29
Previous ranking: 3
Denver ended its three-game losing streak Sunday against Sacramento with Nikola Jokić, Jamal Murray, Michael Porter Jr. and Aaron Gordon all out. The Nuggets had already clinched the No. 1 seed in the Western Conference despite a winless road trip earlier in the week that included losses to the Rockets and Jazz. Denver is just one game above .500 since the All-Star break but still held off Memphis for the top seed in the West.
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5. Cleveland Cavaliers
Record: 51–31
Previous ranking: 5
Cleveland only trotted out its usual starters once across three games last week and Donovan Mitchell erupted for 43 points in a road win over Orlando in that lone game. Without Mitchell or Darius Garland, the Cavaliers beat the Magic again a few nights later, even more decisively, and then lost to the Hornets at home Sunday as Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen both played limited minutes. Cleveland’s 51 wins were its most since the 2016-17 season as the franchise ended its four-year playoff drought.
6. Memphis Grizzlies
Record: 51–31
Previous ranking: 6
The final day of the NBA season was full of wild stat lines, but rookie Kenny Lofton Jr.’s 42-point, 14-rebound performance in his first career start might take the cake. It did, however, come in a loss to the Thunder. Jaren Jackson Jr. missed the season finale (elbow) after a dominant string of games earlier in the week, including 36 points in 27 minutes in a blowout at Milwaukee and 40 in an overtime loss in New Orleans. Memphis now awaits the results of the Western Conference play-in, which could yield a first-round matchup with the Lakers.
7. Phoenix Suns
Record: 45–37
Previous ranking: 11
Kevin Durant ended up playing just eight games with the Suns after he was acquired at the trade deadline, but they were undefeated with him in the lineup, including wins against the Spurs and Nuggets last week. The victory over Denver was the eighth straight for Phoenix, which secured the fourth seed and home-court advantage in its first-round matchup with the Clippers. The Suns will enter the postseason as the favorites to win the West, but have yet to play even 10 games with Durant and should be tested by the Clippers in a rematch of the 2021 Western Conference finals.
8. Golden State Warriors
Record: 44–38
Previous ranking: 9
The defending champions went 8–2 over their final 10 games, including a three-game winning streak to close out the year. The Warriors ended up drawing Draymond Green’s preferred first-round opponent, the Kings, in the 3–6 matchup. They will carry plenty of momentum into the postseason, especially after decisive victories over the Thunder by 11, Kings by 22 and Trail Blazers by 56. Andrew Wiggins will reportedly rejoin the team for the postseason after a lengthy absence for personal reasons—he last played Feb. 13.
9. Sacramento Kings
Record: 48–34
Previous ranking: 7
The Kings lost the final three games of their season to the Mavericks, Warriors and Nuggets but were able to rest their stars ahead of the franchise’s first playoff appearance in 16 years. Domantas Sabonis and De’Aaron Fox both sat for Sacramento’s loss against Golden State in a first-round playoff preview. Earlier in the week, Sabonis recorded his 13th and 14th triple-doubles of the year in a win over New Orleans and a loss to Dallas.
10. Los Angeles Clippers
Record: 44–38
Previous ranking: 12
The Clippers closed the year on a three-game winning streak with victories over the Lakers, Trail Blazers and Suns last week. Paul George (knee), who has been sidelined since March 21, will reportedly miss the beginning of the team’s first-round series against Phoenix. Kawhi Leonard and Norman Powell combined to carry Los Angeles down the stretch and Leonard in particular has been on a tear through four games in April.
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11. New York Knicks
Record: 47–35
Previous ranking: 10
The Knicks might have to weather the absence of leading scorer Julius Randle in their playoff matchup with the Cavaliers, but Obi Toppin, his replacement in the starting lineup, has performed admirably in his stead. Toppin logged a pair of 30-point games last week, both of which came against the Pacers. In New York’s win over Indiana, Toppin scored 32 points, Immanuel Quickley added 39 and Quentin Grimes went for 36. After a five-game winning streak, the Knicks dropped their final two games of the season to the Pelicans and Pacers with neither Jalen Brunson nor Randle in the lineup.
12. Miami Heat
Record: 44–38
Previous ranking: 8
The Heat were unable to avoid the play-in tournament despite winning four of their final five games, one of which was a 28-point victory on the road in Philadelphia. Jimmy Butler and Tyler Herro each poured in 24 points apiece in the contest, though Butler missed the final two games after that and Herro played just nine minutes in the season finale, a win over the Magic. Miami is in good health ahead of its Tuesday evening matchup with the Hawks, which has not been the case for much of the year.
13. Los Angeles Lakers
Record: 43–39
Previous ranking: 14
The Lakers’ late season tear wasn’t enough to secure a guaranteed playoff spot, but they will enter the play-in tournament for the second time in three years on a hot streak. L.A. went 3–1 last week with two wins over the Jazz and one over the Suns. Its only loss came against the Clippers, their 11th in a row at the hands of its rival. Anthony Davis (five double-doubles in a row to end the season) and LeBron James (36 points in Game 82) are both healthy once again and the Lakers are rolling at the right time ahead of their play-in matchup with Minnesota.
14. New Orleans Pelicans
Record: 42–40
Previous ranking: 18
New Orleans looked as if it was bound for a top-four seed at times this season, and at other points it seemed more like a lottery team. In the end, that averaged out to a play-in nod despite Zion Williamson playing in just 29 games. Over the last few weeks, the Pelicans picked things up and got huge performances from Herb Jones (35 points in an overtime win over the Grizzlies), Trey Murphy III (31 in a win against the Knicks) and Brandon Ingram (42 points in a loss to the Timberwolves on Sunday). New Orleans gave Phoenix some trouble after entering the playoffs as the No. 8 seed via the play-in a season ago, but it will have to get past Oklahoma City and either the Lakers or Minnesota in order to do the same against Denver.
15. Oklahoma City Thunder
Record: 40–42
Previous ranking: 13
The Thunder clinched the final play-in spot over the weekend following a Mavericks loss. With its positioning decided, OKC played its season finale without Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Josh Giddey or Jalen Williams and still beat Memphis, which also rested its starters. Prior to the back-to-back wins against the Jazz and Grizzlies, the Thunder had lost three in a row as they teetered on the edge of play-in and the draft lottery. Now, Oklahoma City has a chance to return to the playoffs for the first time since the bubble.
16. Minnesota Timberwolves
Record: 42–40
Previous ranking: 15
Minnesota limps into the play-in despite winning its last three games and improving its seeding for the tournament. In a five-point win over the Pelicans on Sunday, whom the Timberwolves passed for the No. 8 seed, Rudy Gobert punched teammate Kyle Anderson, which resulted in a one-game suspension for the upcoming play-in game against the Lakers, and Jaden McDaniels fractured his hand after he punched a wall in frustration during the game. Tempers boiling over put a damper on what should have been a successful season finale and seemingly hurt the team’s chances of getting back to the playoffs.
17. Brooklyn Nets
Record: 45–37
Previous ranking: 21
In another season marked by roster shakeups, the Nets ended up better off than they were a year ago. In the season finale, Brooklyn fell to Philadelphia in a big way, but the fruits of the Durant and Kyrie Irving deals (Mikal Bridges, Spencer Dinwiddie, Dorian Finney-Smith) did not take the floor, though Bridges appeared for a few seconds to maintain his iron man streak. He has blossomed into a 26 points-per-game scorer in his short time with the team and he led the way with 26 and 22 points, respectively, in wins over the Pistons and Magic last week.
18. Chicago Bulls
Record: 40–42
Previous ranking: 16
The Bulls carry a two-game winning streak into the play-in tournament, though neither came against tough competition. The Mavericks sat Luka Dončić after the first quarter and Kyrie Irving was out entirely, a move that is now the subject of an NBA investigation, while the Pistons finished with the worst record in the league. Chicago lost to the Hawks and Bucks by double digits earlier in the week but maintain one of the best records—and the best defensive rating—since the All-Star break.
19. Toronto Raptors
Record: 41–41
Previous ranking: 20
Toronto took down a short-handed Milwaukee team at home in the season finale to salvage a .500 record. That was after back-to-back losses in Boston earlier in the week to wrap up a difficult campaign on the road for the Raptors. Coach Nick Nurse, who relies on his starters more than perhaps any other coach in the NBA, was able to give Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet a rest ahead of Wednesday’s play-in game against the Bulls.
20. Atlanta Hawks
Record: 41–41
Previous ranking: 17
After going on a three-game winning streak, the Hawks dropped the last two games of the season to the 76ers in overtime, in a game where Trae Young finished with 27 points and 20 assists, and the Celtics at home. Now, for the second year in a row, Atlanta is play-in bound with a matchup against the Heat ahead. Because the Hawks won the season series with the Raptors, they held the tiebreaker, which affords them some extra leeway in the play-in tournament.
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21. Dallas Mavericks
Record: 38–44
Previous ranking: 19
Dallas followed up last year’s surprise run to the West finals by missing the play-in tournament entirely. That it did so after making a midseason move to acquire Irving makes matters even worse. The Mavericks were 36–35 after a win over the Lakers on March 17 and proceeded to lose nine of their final 11 games. Their final record with Irving in the lineup was 8–11 and the final game of the year for Dallas was a 21-point loss to the lowly Spurs without Dončić or Irving in the lineup.
22. Utah Jazz
Record: 37–45
Previous ranking: 22
The Jazz exceeded preseason expectations in many ways but fell short of what it seemed like this team was capable of given the progress of Lauri Markkanen and the fruits of the Gobert trade. Utah was one game under .500 after a win over the Kings on March 20 and proceeded to lose all but two of its final 11 games. Two of those losses came last week against the Lakers, once at home and then again on the road in the season finale.
23. Indiana Pacers
Record: 35–47
Previous ranking: 23
Indiana’s season concluded with a high-scoring victory on the road at Madison Square Garden behind the play of rookies Bennedict Mathurin (26 points, six assists) and Andrew Nembhard (19 points, nine assists). Tyrese Haliburton was named an All-Star in his first full season with the Pacers but the team’s 7–19 record without him—including a long stretch in January—ended up being too much to overcome.
24. Orlando Magic
Record: 34–48
Previous ranking: 24
The Magic went winless over the final week of the season, falling against the Cavaliers at home twice and the Nets and Heat on the road. Most of those games were played without presumptive Rookie of the Year winner Paolo Banchero, though. And prior to that skid, Orlando had won five of its last six. The core of Banchero, Franz Wagner, Wendell Carter Jr. and Markelle Fultz showed promise together, but the team’s playoff drought still stretched to three years.
25. Washington Wizards
Record: 35–47
Previous ranking: 25
Washington finished with the same exact record it posted last year and missed out on the play-in entirely. Despite having three 20 points-per-game scorers in Kristaps Porzingis, Bradley Beal and Kyle Kuzma, the Wizards finished in the bottom third of the league in offensive rating and their defense did not make up for its deficiencies on the other side of the ball. Washington picked up a win over Miami in its second-to-last game before it fell to lowly Houston at home in Game 82.
26. Portland Trail Blazers
Record: 33–49
Previous ranking: 26
Over the final month of the season, the Trail Blazers amassed a 2–14 record and passed the Magic for the fifth-best lottery odds. They were on the wrong side of history in the season finale against the Warriors when they allowed an NBA-record 55 points in the first quarter en route to a 56-point loss, the second-worst in franchise history. Damian Lillard’s season ended early on March 22 while rookie Shadeon Sharpe came on over the final few weeks and showed promise on offense.
27. Charlotte Hornets
Record: 27–55
Previous ranking: 27
Rookie Mark Williams set a new career-high in scoring in Sunday’s season finale. The Hornets’ first-round pick scored 22 points and recorded his third double-double in a row in a win over the Cavaliers, which put an end to a four-game losing streak. Injuries to LaMelo Ball and Kelly Oubre Jr., among other key contributors, saw Charlotte take a step back after consecutive play-in tournament appearances with coach Steve Clifford back at the helm.
28. Houston Rockets
Record: 22–60
Previous ranking: 28
Houston won its final three games to tie its longest winning streak of the season. Behind the play of Jalen Green, Kevin Porter Jr., Alperen Sengun and rookie Jabari Smith Jr., the Rockets beat the Nuggets at home and scored rare road wins over the Hornets and Wizards. This was the second consecutive 60-loss season for the team, which will once again be picking near the top of the draft after it tied the Spurs for the second-worst record in the league. The franchise will reportedly be moving forward without coach Stephen Silas, who was 58–177 across three seasons.
29. San Antonio Spurs
Record: 22–60
Previous ranking: 29
Victories were few and far between for San Antonio this season, though the team cobbled together two in the last week, including one by 21 points over Dallas in the season finale. The Spurs finished with the worst point differential (-10.1) in the NBA, were dead last in defense (123.1 points allowed per game) and at one point lost a franchise-record 16 straight games. This was the worst full season the franchise has had under Gregg Popovich, though it resulted in a 14% chance at the No. 1 pick, tied for the best odds with the Rockets and Pistons.
30. Detroit Pistons
Record: 17–65
Previous ranking: 30
The Pistons completed their second-worst season in franchise history with a blowout loss to the Bulls on Sunday. Afterward, Dwane Casey announced that he will step down after four seasons as head coach to join the organization’s front office. The early injury to Cade Cunningham derailed Detroit’s season early on but No. 4 pick Jaden Ivey had a productive rookie campaign in which he averaged 16.3 points per game, third-most among first-year players, and 5.2 assists per game, which led the 2022 class.
