On April 15, Beijing time, after the finale of the 2023-2024 NBA season, the Thunder ranked first in the West with five consecutive wins, the Nuggets second, the Timberwolves lost to the Suns ranked third, the Clippers fourth, the Mavericks fifth, the Suns ranked sixth with three consecutive wins, the Pelicans lost to the Lakers and fell to seventh in the West, the Lakers eighth, and the two teams will continue to compete in the first round of the play-offs, with the Kings ninth and the Warriors tenth.
After the rankings are out, the first round and playoff matches of the playoffs in the East and West have been released, and the first round matches of the Western Conference playoffs have been confirmed: Timberwolves (3rd in the West) vs Suns (6th in the West), Clippers (4th in the West) vs Mavericks (5th in the West), Western Conference play-offs: Pelicans (7th in the West) vs Lakers (8th in the West), Kings (9th in the West) vs Warriors (10th in the West). Eastern Conference Playoffs Confirmed First Round Matchups: Bucks (3rd in the East) vs. Pacers (6th in the East), Cavaliers (4th in the East) vs. Magic (5th in the East), Eastern Conference Playoffs: 76ers (7th in the East) vs. Heat (8th in the East), Bulls (9th in the East) vs. Hawks (10th in the East).
The play-off games will officially start between April 17 and 20, Beijing time, and it is especially pointed out that in the past three years, the 10th-ranked team has failed to successfully counterattack and enter the playoffs, and it is unknown whether the Warriors can make NBA history this year.