NBA playoff bracket, standings, scores with one day left in regular season

NBA teams have all completed 81 games of their 82-game schedules, and now everything will come down to the final day of the regular season, Sunday, April 12.

The penultimate day of play did bring some clarity to the Eastern Conference playoff race as the top four seeds are now officially locked in: No. 1 Detroit Pistons, No. 2 Boston Celtics, No. 3 New York Knicks and No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers. The Atlanta Hawks also clinched a playoff berth Friday, Apri 10, but there’s still work to do to decide which teams will slot into seeds No. 5 through No. 10.

Out West, we know the six teams that have clinched the playoff berths – and the four that are in the play-in tournament – but some of the seeds are still to be determined. The biggest battles will be between the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 3 seed and the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers for the No. 8 seed.

All 30 teams were in action Friday night, and there were plenty of intriguing games to watch. Here are the current NBA standings, playoff bracket, play-in tournament bracket, scores and news from Friday, April 10:

NBA Playoffs bracket if postseason started today

(Through Friday, April 10)

Eastern Conference

• (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner
• (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
• (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
• (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner

Western Conference

• (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
• (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
• (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
• (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner

NBA Play-In Tournament if postseason started today

(Through Friday, April 10)

Eastern Conference

• (7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Philadelphia 76ers
• (9) Charlotte Hornets vs. (10) Miami Heat

Western Conference

• (7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) Portland Trail Blazers
• (9) Los Angeles Clippers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors

Lakers keep hopes alive for No. 3 seed in West

While their opponent had nothing to play for, the Los Angeles Lakers are still trying to secure a top-3 seed in the Western Conference. Now, the Lakers will take that fight to the final day of the regular season after routing the Phoenix Suns 101-73. Los Angeles (52-29) sits one game behind the Denver Nuggets for the No. 3 seed, but the Lakers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker.

Trail Blazers stomp Clippers in battle for No. 8 seed in West

The Portland Trail Blazers made sure the battle for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference will come down to the final day after crushing the Los Angeles Clippers 116-97. The two teams are now tied in the standings with identical 41-40 records, but the Blazers jumped the Clippers after evening the season series 2-2 and securing the tiebreaker with a better conference record.

Rockets fall back after loss to Timberwolves

The Houston Rockets, who were trying to jump to the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference, lost ground after falling to the Minnesota Timberwolves 136-132. The Rockets now sit two games back of the Denver Nuggets (currently the No. 3 seed) with one game to play and a ½ game behind the Los Angeles Lakers, who were hosting the Phoenix Suns Friday night.

Nuggets top Thunder, run winning streak to 11 games

The Denver Nuggets took another step toward securing the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference after beating the Oklahoma City Thunder 127-107 for their 11th consecutive win. While the defending champion Thunder sat all their stars with the top overall seed already clinched, the Nuggets still had plenty to play for, and now sit 1½ games ahead of the Los Angeles Lakers and Houston Rockets, pending their results later Friday night. The Lakers hold the tiebreakers over the Nuggets and Rockets in head-to-head and three-team tiebreakers. Denver holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over Houston.

Final East playoff seed to be decided Sunday

With all games Friday between Eastern Conference teams now finished, the race for the final playoff spot in the East will come down to the last day of the regular season. The Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic have identical 45-36 records with the Philadelphia 76ers one game back at 44-37. The Atlanta Hawks, currently the No. 5 seed, sit one game ahead of the Raptors and Magic.

Top four teams in Eastern Conference set

Despite the Knicks securing a 112-95 win over the Toronto Raptors, New York has run out of games to catch Boston for the No. 2 seed. And with the Cavaliers' loss to the Hawks earlier Friday night, the top four seeds in the East are now set: No. 1 Detroit Pistons, No. 2 Boston Celtics, No. 3 New York Knicks, No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers.

Celtics win to clinch No. 2 seed in the East

The Boston Celtics clinched the Atlantic Division title after throttling the New Orleans Pelicans 144-118 and officially wrapped up the No. 2 seed in the Eastern Conference behind the Detroit Pistons. The Celtics also tied the NBA record for most 3-pointers made in a game with 29.

Hawks crush Cavaliers, clinch NBA playoff berth

The Atlanta Hawks, a cohesive, fluid team no one wants to meet in the postseason, clinched the Southeast Division and a top-6 seed in the NBA playoffs after routing the Cleveland Cavaliers 124-102. The Hawks temporarily took a ½ game lead over the Toronto Raptors, who are playing the New York Knicks Friday night in Madison Square Garden. Toronto holds the tiebreaker for the No. 5 seed, however, after sweeping all four games against Atlanta this season.

Hornets locked into NBA Play-In Tournament

The Detroit Pistons, the No. 1 seed in the East, beat the Charlotte Hornets 118-100 to open the full slate of games Friday night. Charlotte's loss officially locks the Hornets into the play-in tournament.

Friday's scores, schedule

All times Eastern

• Detroit Pistons 118, Charlotte Hornets 100
• Miami Heat 140, Washington Wizards 117
• Atlanta Hawks 124, Cleveland Cavaliers 102
• Boston Celtics 144, New Orleans Pelicans 118
• Philadelphia 76ers 105, Indiana Pacers 94
• New York Knicks 112, Toronto Raptors 95
• Orlando Magic 127, Chicago Bulls 103
• Milwaukee Bucks 125, Brooklyn Nets 108
• San Antonio Spurs 139, Dallas Mavericks 120
• Denver Nuggets 127, Oklahoma City Thunder 107
• Minnesota Timberwolves 136, Houston Rockets 132
• Utah Jazz 147, Memphis Grizzlies 101
• Portland Trail Blazers 116, Los Angeles Clippers 97
• Sacramento Kings 124, Golden State Warriors 118
• Los Angeles Lakers 101, Phoenix Suns 73

NBA Eastern Conference standings

(Through Friday, April 10)

c-clinched conference; d-clinched division; x-clinched playoff berth

1. c-Detroit Pistons: 59-22
2. d-Boston Celtics: 55-26 (4 GB)
3. x-New York Knicks: 53-28 (6 GB)
4. x-Cleveland Cavaliers: 51-30 (8 GB)
5. d-Atlanta Hawks: 46-35 (13 GB)
6. Toronto Raptors: 45-36 (14 GB)
7. Orlando Magic: 45-36 (14 GB)
8. Philadelphia 76ers: 44-37 (15 GB)
9. Charlotte Hornets: 43-38 (16 GB)
10. Miami Heat: 42-39 (17 GB)

The Milwaukee Bucks, Chicago Bulls, Brooklyn Nets, Indiana Pacers and Washington Wizards have been eliminated from postseason contention.

NBA Western Conference standings

(Through Friday, April 10)

c-clinched conference; d-clinched division; x-clinched playoff berth

1. c-Oklahoma City Thunder: 64-17
2. d-San Antonio Spurs: 62-19 (2 GB)
3. x-Denver Nuggets: 53-28 (11 GB)
4. d-Los Angeles Lakers: 52-29 (12 GB)
5. x-Houston Rockets: 51-30 (13 GB)
6. x-Minnesota Timberwolves: 48-33 (16 GB)
7. Phoenix Suns: 44-37 (20 GB)
8. Portland Trail Blazers: 41-40 (23 GB)
9. Los Angeles Clippers: 41-40 (23 GB)
10. Golden State Warriors: 37-44 (27 GB)

The New Orleans Pelicans, Memphis Grizzlies, Dallas Mavericks, Sacramento Kings and Utah Jazz have been eliminated from postseason contention.

When do the NBA playoffs begin?

The NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 14 and finishes Friday, April 17.

The NBA playoffs begin the very next day, Saturday, April 18, featuring eight teams in each conference after two teams from both the East and West are eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.

Game 1 of the NBA Finals will be on Wednesday, June 3.