NBA Eastern Conference Playoffs Set, Magic Secure No. 5 Seed, Heat Enter Play-In at No. 8

The 2024 NBA Playoffs begin Tuesday, and the Eastern Conference bracket is officially set after seeds No. 2-8 were decided on the final day of the regular season.

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1779636542211826031

Celtics and Knicks Claim Top Two Seeds

The Boston Celtics cruised to the No. 1 seed in the east after dominating the regular season. The Celtics finished with a league-best record of 64-18, 14 games ahead of the No. 2 seed Knicks. Boston’s first round opponent will be determined by this week’s Play-In Tournament. They’ll play whoever comes out of the east as the No. 8 seed, either the 76ers, Heat, Bulls or Hawks.

The @SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament schedule ⬇️

Dates: April 16-19
At stake: Seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference
Participants: Teams that finished seventh through 10th in each conference pic.twitter.com/Tfc79TpW4Y

— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 14, 2024

The New York Knicks snatched the No. 2 seed in Sunday’s regular season finale after an overtime win against the Bulls and a Bucks loss to the Magic. The Knicks won their final five games of the regular season, propelled by all-star guard Jalen Brunson, who averaged 39.4 points per game over that span. The No. 2 seed is New York’s highest seed in the playoffs since the 2012-13 season.

The Knicks’ first round opponent will be the winner of the play-in game between the 76ers and Heat.

4) Cleveland Cavaliers v 5) Orlando Magic

The Orlando Magic have made the playoffs for the first time in four years after having the No. 1 pick in the draft just two years ago. Their first round matchup is against the No. 4 seed Cleveland Cavaliers, who return to the playoffs after a first round exit last year.

THEY SAID THE MAGIC ARE GOING TO THE PLAYOFFS

PLAY THE SONG https://t.co/vNTOg4pOjd pic.twitter.com/IlsuEdsGzb

— Orlando Magic (@OrlandoMagic) April 14, 2024

The Magic are led by all-star forward Paolo Banchero, who was the first overall pick in 2022. Banchero leads the Magic in points per game (22.6) and assists per game (5.4). Franz Wagner is also someone to keep an eye on in this series, averaging 19.7 points per game.

They’ll have their hands full with the Cavs, who are led by the explosive guard duo of Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland. Big men Jarrett Allen and Evan Mobley also figure to cause problems inside, with each averaging over 15 points and nine rebounds per game.

Game 1 will be Saturday in Cleveland.

3) Milwaukee Bucks v 6) Indiana Pacers

The Bucks are back in the postseason for the eighth straight year. They’ll face the Pacers in the first round, who are making their first playoff appearance since the bubble in 2020.

https://twitter.com/Pacers/status/1779591278486802873

The Pacers enter as a well-rounded team, with nine players averaging over 10 points per game. They are led by young star Tyrese Haliburton, who averages over 20 points and 10 assists per game. However, only three current Pacers have playoff experience, which could prove to be a problem against a veteran Bucks team.

The Bucks are led by superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo, whose status is in question for the series with a calf injury. If Antetokounmpo can’t go, Damian Lillard figures to do most of the heavy lifting, averaging 24.3 points and seven assists per game. Khris Middleton and Bobby Portis are also players to look out for. The pair of veterans have been in Milwaukee since their championship run in 2021.

Game 1 will be Sunday in Milwaukee.

Catch the full NBA postseason schedule here.