Suns and Mavs clinch Play-In spot - How is the NBA playoff picture after Thursday games?

The NBA regular season ends on April 14, but several teams still have a lot to play for to get in good postseason position. A few more teams secured their spot in the postseason on Thursday, including the New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns, thanks to the Golden State Warriors’ win over the Houston Rockets. The Dallas Mavericks also locked a spot in the Play-In with their win over the Atlanta Hawks, though the Warriors win would have put them there either way as well.

The Warriors may have helped out some other teams with their win, but they themselves are still not safe in the postseason. They’re in contention though at No. 10 in the Western Conference after their sixth straight victory on Thursday.

In the Eastern Conference, the 10 teams have already been decided. The Chicago Bulls and Atlanta Hawks secured a spot in the Play-In tournament and the Boston Celtics have already clinched the Playoffs by sealing their title as the No. 1 team with their 60-16 record the best in the league.

As a reminder, the top six in each conference take NBA playoff berths while teams in the seven to 10 positions will play the Play-In tournament to win the last two available playoff spots.

Playoff Standings as of Friday, April 5

The playoff standings can still change significantly in the next nine days of games, with several teams still too close to each other to call safe. Here is how things stand before Friday’s games begin.

Eastern Conference Postseason Picture

Western Conference Postseason Picture