The NBA Play-In Tournament is back, as four teams in each conference will battle for the final playoff spots before the postseason begins. This year, heading into the final week of the regular season, one conference has a lot to figure out in the standings, while the other has just seeding left to figure out.
In the Western Conference, there are three teams still battling for the final two spots. The Kings, Mavericks, and Suns are the squads in play for the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds out West, as two of the three will face off in a loser-go-home battle. Meanwhile, six teams could still find themselves as the No. 7 or No. 8 seed.
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As for the Eastern Conference, the standings are much simpler, as four teams just need to jockey for positioning in the Play-In Tournament. However, teams in the East know whether they are in the playoffs, in the play-in, or out of the postseason altogether.
Here’s a look at where things currently sit in the NBA play-in standings.
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NBA play-in standings
Western Conference
The Western Conference standings are still very muddy since as many as six teams are still in play for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds. However, in the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchup, the standings are much clearer.
The Kings and Mavericks currently hold the final two spots, with Sacramento a game ahead of Dallas. with the Suns’ elimination from playoff contention, those two are locked in as the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds.
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 5. | Clippers | 48-32 | — |
| 6. | Warriors | 47-33 | 1.0 |
| 7. | Grizzlies | 47-33 | 1.0 |
| 8. | Timberwolves | 47-33 | 1.0 |
| 9. | Kings | 39-41 | 9.0 |
| 10. | Mavericks | 38-42 | 10.0 |
Eastern Conference
The Eastern Conference play-in standings is more simple, as all four teams participating in the tournament have been decided. The Magic, Hawks, Bulls, and Heat will play in the tournament next week, and all the teams can still be any of the four seeds except the Heat, who can only rise as high as No. 8.
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
| 7. | Magic | 40-40 | — |
| 8. | Hawks | 38-42 | 2.0 |
| 9. | Bulls | 37-43 | 3.0 |
| 10. | Heat | 36-44 | 4.0 |
NBA play-in clinching scenarios
The Kings control their own destiny, as they are a half-game ahead of Dallas with four games left to play and three games ahead of Phoenix. Sacramento needs two more wins, two Phoenix losses, or a win and a Phoenix loss to clinch a play-in spot.
The Mavericks need the Kings to falter down the stretch to have a chance at hosting the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game. However, Dallas can clinch a play-in spot with a couple of wins, a couple of Suns losses, or a mixture of the two.
The Suns need a lot of help, as they sit 2.5 games back of Dallas for the final spot. Phoenix has four games left on its schedule, including the final game of the regular season against Sacramento, and likely need to win at least three of the four, if not all four, to even have a chance at making the play-in.
NBA play-in bracket
Here is what the NBA play-in bracket would like based on the current standings.
Western Conference
(7) Grizzlies vs. (8) Timberwolves
(9) Kings vs. (10) Mavericks
Eastern Conference
(7) Magic vs. (8) Hawks
(9) Bulls vs. (10) Heat
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
The NBA Play-In tournament will feature four teams from each conference battling for the final two playoff spots in their standings.
First, the No. 7 seeds will play the No. 8 seeds, with the winners moving on to face the No. 2 seed in each conference. Then, the No. 9 seeds and No. 10 seeds will play, with the loser being eliminated from playoff contention.
In the final game of the play-in, the losers of the first games will play the winners of the second games to decide who will earn the No. 8 seed in each conference. Meanwhile, the losers of those games will be headed to the offseason.
