NBA Playoffs: Eastern Conference Standings Finalized With Bucks Securing No.1 Seed

The race for the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference witnessed two major upsets, leaving the Boston Celtics as keen spectators of the playoff picture below them.

The New York Knicks secured the No. 2 seed with a hard-fought overtime victory against the Chicago Bulls, marking their first 50-win season since 2012–13. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks suffered a loss to the Orlando Magic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers were defeated by the Charlotte Hornets. Despite these setbacks, the Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Magic all clinched postseason berths with victories in their final regular-season games.

According to the NBA website, the Eastern Conference teams are seeded as follows: Boston, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Orlando, Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta. The 76ers, Heat, Bulls, and Hawks will participate in the play-in round for the final two East playoff spots. The top six teams have secured their positions in the NBA playoffs.

In Sunday’s games, Orlando defeated Milwaukee 113-88, Charlotte stunned Cleveland with a 120-110 victory, and New York narrowly edged out Chicago. Orlando’s win marked their third consecutive victory, ending a losing streak and securing their first postseason appearance since 2020.

NBA Playoffs Bracket Is Now Complete After All Postseason Game

In the upcoming playoffs, the Bucks will face the Pacers, while the Cavaliers will take on the Magic in the first round, setting up rematches from earlier in the season. The Knicks await the winner of the Heat vs. 76ers play-in game, while the winner of the Bulls vs. Hawks play-in game will move on to challenge the Celtics. Milwaukee’s eight-game losing streak towards the end of the season dropped them out of the No. 2 seed, but it may have spared them from a tough first-round matchup against either Miami or Philadelphia. Meanwhile, the return of Joel Embiid for the 76ers from injury adds a formidable presence to their playoff campaign. Cleveland, despite missing key players Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland, will face Orlando, potentially giving them a favorable start in the playoffs after last year’s early exit against New York.