The full 2023 NBA playoff field is set following Sunday’s slate of games. Here’s what you need to know:
- In the Western Conference, the Clippers clinched the No. 5 seed with their win over the Suns, the Warriors clinched No. 6 with their win over the Trail Blazers, the Lakers wound up with No. 7 and the Timberwolves earned No. 8 by beating the Pelicans, who are No. 9.
- The entire Eastern Conference side of the bracket was set entering the weekend.
- The Play-In Tournament games will begin Tuesday and be completed Friday.
- The Athletic has live coverage of the Play-In Tournament.
Eastern Conference field
- Milwaukee Bucks (58-24)
- Boston Celtics (57-25)
- Philadelphia 76ers (54-28)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31)
- New York Knicks(47-35)
- Brooklyn Nets (45-37)
- Miami Heat (44-38)
- Atlanta Hawks (41-41)
- Toronto Raptors (41-41)
- Chicago Bulls (40-42)
Western Conference field
- Denver Nuggets (53-29)
- Memphis Grizzlies (51-31)
- Sacramento Kings (48-34)
- Phoenix Suns (45-37)
- LA Clippers (44-38)
- Golden State Warriors (44-38)
- Los Angeles Lakers (43-39)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40)
- New Orleans Pelicans (42-40)
- Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42)
Full Play-In schedule
The 2023 AT&T NBA Play-In Tournament schedule ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/M9izpVhaFP
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 9, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Hawks draw tough matchup in Heat
Theoretically, the Hawks enter the Play-In tournament in an ideal situation. They’re 41-41 and have been within one game of .500 for all but two days since mid-January. So if they just split two games like they always do, they’re a playoff team!
The problem Tuesday, however, is that they lost three of four meetings against the Heat this season and were rolled 4-1 by Miami in the first round a year ago. All told, Atlanta is 3-10 against the Heat over the past two seasons, including 1-6 in Miami …and that one win came in a game Jimmy Butler sat out. Yikes. — John Hollinger
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Raptors thankful for home Play-In games
The Raptors don’t exactly go into the Play-In Tournament with a ton of momentum, splitting their final six games. They beat the Hornets twice and the Bucks without any of their starters, but lost a road game in to the 76ers and two to the Celtics.
However, the good news for Toronto is it’ll be playing the 9-10 game at home. The Raptors went 27-14 at Scotiabank Arena this year, the fifth-best home record in the Eastern Conference, behind only the conference’s top-four seeds. Those 27 wins included two over the Bulls, their opponent Wednesday. — Eric Koreen
Which version of Bulls will show up?
The Bulls are a team that proved they’re capable of beating anyone this season but also losing to anyone. They’ve notched wins against Milwaukee and Boston, the top two seeds in the East, as well as the Nuggets and Grizzlies, the top two seeds out West.
But Chicago has also lost to the Rockets, Spurs, Hornets, Magic and Pacers, five of the six worst teams in the league. It’s why the Bulls find themselves in the Play-In Tournament. How far Chicago advances from here will largely be determined by how fast they can figure out how to craft consistent performances. — Darnell Mayberry
How far could Heat go?
The Miami Heat were one shot away from the NBA Finals last season. So the Play-In is not exactly where this tradition-rich franchise thought it would be.
But Miami lost P.J. Tucker from last year’s group and didn’t replace him. Kyle Lowry suffered through a miserable season, and the capable understudies the Heat have thrived on over the years — Gabe Vincent, Max Strus, Duncan Robinson, etc. — didn’t have the same impact.
Miami added Kevin Love at the trade deadline and moved him into the starting lineup. He played in this tournament last season with the Cavs, who, coincidentally, were bounced by the Hawks in the final game. Love couldn’t stay on the floor in that game because of the Hawks’ speed. We’ll see how long Erik Spoelstra stays with Love.
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On the bright side, Jimmy Butler and Bam Adebayo are still in Miami and are capable of willing this team into the playoffs — where a rematch with the Celtics from last year’s Eastern finals awaits. One shot was all that separated them. — Joe Vardon
Where Pelicans stand after Sunday’s loss
The Pelicans blew a game that they should’ve had in hand and will have to find a way to respond with their season on the line on Wednesday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. Minnesota lost two starters (Rudy Gobert and Jaden McDaniels) after one punched a teammate and another punched a wall.
Brandon Ingram had one of the best performances of his career. Yet, it wasn’t enough as Anthony Edwards and the rest of the Wolves showed incredible grit to fight back from a 14-point deficit and earn a spot in the 7-8 Play-In game against the Los Angeles Lakers.
The Pelicans will have to pick up the pieces and find a way to extend their season in a win-or-go-home game against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a scrappy Oklahoma City Thunder squad. New Orleans has been much more reliable at home than they’ve been on the road. But after a loss like this, it’ll be fascinating to see how they respond.
Not to mention, the Zion Williamson-sized shadow hanging over everything with this team as the season nears an end. The next few days are going to be massive for this team. — Will Guillory
Game 1 First Round schedule
#NBAPlayoffs First Round, Game 1 dates.
More information will be provided as it is finalized. pic.twitter.com/sBcjzZVLKq
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 9, 2023
The Athletic’s instant analysis:
Battle of Northern California set
The Sacramento Kings, in the playoffs for the first time since 2006, draw the defending champions in the first round, the first time ever these teams meet in the postseason.
The connections in this series are aplenty, beginning with Kings owner Vivek Ranadivé being a former minority owner of the Warriors. Then there is Kings coach Mike Brown, the former Warriors assistant coach. There is Harrison Barnes, the former Warriors first-round draft pick who was a foundational piece of the championship era. There is former Kings guard Donte DiVincenzo, who Sacramento gave up on after a couple of months.
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But the story of this series will be the play of the backcourts. The future Hall of Famers in Stephen Curry and Klay Thompson, against the up-and-coming duo of De’Aaron Fox and Kevin Huerter.
This will either be a hard lesson learned by the rising Kings, schooled by the cagey champs, or the coming out part of a new West contender. And, perhaps, the end of a dynasty. — Marcus Thompson II
How Clippers match up with Suns
This may be the strangest first-round series of all.
The Clippers have an All-Star in Paul George who is out to begin the postseason, an All-NBA candidate in Kawhi Leonard who is making his first postseason appearance since tearing his ACL before the previous Clippers-Suns postseason meeting in the 2021 Western Conference Finals, and a former MVP in Russell Westbrook who changed the Clippers team at the All-Star break.
Meanwhile, the Suns played all of eight (undefeated) games with Kevin Durant, Westbrook’s former teammate in Oklahoma City. Chris Paul, former Clipper, was traded for Westbrook in 2019 and played against him in the 2020 postseason.
And of course, the Suns and Devin Booker and Deandre Ayton are trying to bounce back from an embarrassing conclusion to their 2022 postseason run.
This will be the first time Leonard and Durant play against each other at all since February 2021, and the first time they meet in the postseason since Durant tore his Achilles’ tendon in the 2019 NBA Finals in Toronto when Leonard won his second Finals MVP. That matchup is the headliner of a playoff series that should have the Suns as heavy favorites due to how well the Suns have played and the available talent.
But the Clippers are dangerous and a worthy opponent due to Tyronn Lue’s comfort in coaching in a playoff series and the talent that still surrounds Leonard and Westbrook in terms of shooting and size at every position except power forward. — Law Murray
Required reading
- 2023 NBA Mock Draft: Can Victor Wembanyama save the Pistons?
- Pistons, Spurs, Rockets in 3-way tie for best odds to get No. 1 pick in 2023 NBA Draft lottery
- NBA Play-In Tournament schedule, format and its impact on the league
- FollowThe Athletic’s live coverage of the season finale and Play-In Tournament
(Photo: Mark Blinch / NBAE via Getty Images)
