The NBA playoff bracket is officially set! The two-month chase to lift the Larry O'Brien Trophy in June begins Saturday as first-round action tips off in what looks like a wide-open race to be crowned champion. A lot has changed since the preseason in the NBA, with blockbuster trades like Kevin Durant heading to Phoenix and surprise teams emerging as potential playoff powerhouses.
Using SI Tickets’ postseason ticket reservation system, here’s a look at data on how things shaped up compared to the preseason and which teams look best positioned now for a run to the Finals.
Eastern Conference
The favorites here are no surprise based on the preseason, as the Bucks and Celtics have claimed the top two seeds, respectively, in the East. In the preseason, the Celtics had the highest average postseason ticket reservation price on SI Tickets of any Eastern Conference team after last year’s run to the NBA Finals. For the most part, Boston hasn’t missed a beat despite the September suspension of coach Ime Udoka, rolling to the No. 2 seed. With Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown still leading the way, the Celtics have the second-highest ticket reservation price in the entire NBA.
That said, the Bucks have surged to the top of the East and have seen their average postseason ticket reservation price climb by 33% since August. A midseason 16-game win streak solidified Milwaukee as the team to beat in the East, and they rank No. 1 in SI’s final regular-season NBA power rankings.
The biggest faller since the preseason has been the Nets, which experienced a turbulent season that still has them as the No. 6 seed in the East and saw their average postseason ticket reservation price drop 81% since August, per SI Tickets. Brooklyn fired Steve Nash on Nov. 1 after a 2–5 start, then surged to a 25–9 stretch under new coach Jacque Vaughn to put them firmly in playoff position at the season’s halfway point. Then came the trade deadline, when the Nets dealt away stars Kyrie Irving and Durant to jump-start a rebuild that was inevitable after both Irving and Durant requested trades. But additions like Mikal Bridges (26.1 points per game since being acquired from the Suns) and the growth of young players like Nic Claxton allowed Brooklyn to make the playoffs, where they’ll take on the 76ers in the first round. Still, a deep run seems hard to fathom without the star power they opened the season with.
On the other hand, it has been a breakthrough season for the Cavaliers, which vaulted into the top four of the East after a surprise trip to the play-in tournament last season. The acquisition of Donovan Mitchell, who ranks in the top 10 in scoring at more than 28 points per game, has ignited an already-promising young core featuring the likes of Darius Garland and Evan Mobley. Their average postseason ticket reservation price has more than doubled on SI Tickets since August. They’ll meet a similarly resurgent Knicks team in the first round, which has ridden the surprise play of free-agent acquisition Jalen Brunson to the No. 5 seed and whose average postseason ticket price is up nearly 27% from the preseason.
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Western Conference
Despite being the No. 4 seed, the Suns are the favorite to win the West based on SI Tickets’ postseason ticket reservation prices. Phoenix stumbled through much of the season but turned things on after acquiring Durant in a midseason blockbuster and getting Devin Booker back to full health. In total, the Durant addition helped lead to a 25% rise in the Suns’ postseason ticket reservation price. Still, the West seems wide open.
The NBA’s biggest surprise this season has been the Kings. Sacramento is in the playoffs for the first time since 2006 and did so in style, winning the Pacific division for the first time in two decades and locking up the No. 3 seed in the West. Last season’s acquisition of Domantas Sabonis has paid major dividends, as has the growth of De’Aaron Fox at point guard. Add in high-level three-point shooting from offseason additions Kevin Huerter and Keegan Murray, and you have a team that has the potential to make noise now that it’s finally back in the postseason. Sacramento’s playoff ticket reservation price has jumped a remarkable 372% since August.
The No. 1 seed in the West is the Nuggets. Denver claimed that top spot by two games over Memphis but controlled it for the majority of the regular season. After a first-round exit in last year’s playoffs that raised questions about whether this current core could compete for championships, Nikola Jokić and the Nuggets have answered the bell in a big way. That’s why their average postseason ticket reservation price has risen 45% since the preseason.
Of course, the defending champion Warriors also remain a factor, despite slipping to the No. 6 seed in the West this season. Golden State’s postseason ticket reservation prices are down nearly 47% since August after Stephen Curry and Andrew Wiggins were put on the injured list, halting the team’s momentum in the regular season. That said, Curry is still among the sport’s most dangerous players in a playoff setting, and Wiggins is set to return to action this week against the Kings to provide a jolt to the Dubs’ hopes of repeating as champs. This first-round series against upstart Sacramento should be fun.
Another big faller since the preseason has been the Clippers, which, like Golden State, have dealt with a slew of injuries this season. The most notable absence has been Paul George, who hasn’t played since mid-March with a knee injury and will miss at least the start of L.A.’s first-round series. The Clippers also get a tough draw, having to take on a Suns team that’s far more talented than its record in the first round. The Clippers’ average postseason ticket reservation price has dropped more than 70% since August.
