LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers are staying in New Orleans for a couple more days while Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors head back to Sacramento to face elimination. The Miami Heat are back in the play-in, which marked the beginning of their journey to the NBA Finals last year.
The play-in matchups are set with the Lakers facing the Pelicans for the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference, followed by the Warriors taking on the Kings in an elimination game. On Wednesday, the Heat will travel to Philadelphia to determine the No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference, and Atlanta will face Chicago in a must-win matchup.
Of the 20 postseason seeds, 15 were decided on Sunday, along with three of the four play-in matchups and three first-round series that do not involve play-in teams. In the East, the final order includes Boston, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Orlando, Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta. In the West, the order ranges from Oklahoma City at No. 1 to Golden State at No. 10.
The regular season's final day saw minimal drama with only one game decided by one possession. Notable blowouts included Oklahoma City's 49-point victory over Dallas, Indiana's 42-point win against Atlanta, and Sacramento's 39-point triumph over Portland.
Orlando clinched the Southeast Division title with 47 wins, securing a playoff spot for the first time since 2020. The Heat-76ers winner will face the Knicks in Round 1, while the Lakers-Pelicans victor will play defending champion Denver. The Warriors face a crucial play-in game against Sacramento with high stakes.
Phoenix moved up to the No. 6 seed in the West, setting up a matchup against Minnesota in the first round. Cleveland maintained the No. 4 seed in the East for the second consecutive year despite a missed opportunity to move up in the standings on the final day of the regular season.
