Bracket picks and final winners 2024

The 2023-24 NBA regular season is now a thing of the past. Plus our NBA playoff predictions, starting with the NBA Play-In Tournament.

In the East, the Boston Celtics are absolutely dominant and appear to be the favorites to win the title. In the Western Conference there are two surprising teams that are causing a stir: the Oklahoma City Thunder and the Minnesota Timberwolves. But the Denver Nuggets continue to maintain their status as one of the teams to beat.

We also saw the Philadelphia 76ers struggle greatly when Joel Embiid was sidelined with a torn meniscus. Where are they now that he has returned? What about the NBA Play-In Tournament?

Below we give you our NBA playoff predictions for the 2023-24 season with one final update before the postseason.

Related: Updated 2024 NBA Power Rankings

Eastern Conference NBA playoff predictions and seeds

1. Boston Celtics (64-18)
2. New York Knicks (50-32)
3. Milwaukee Bucks (49-33)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34)
5. Orlando Magic (47-35)
6. Indiana Pacers (47-35)
7. Philadelphia 76ers (47-35) – NBA Play-In Tournament
8. Miami Heat (46-36) – NBA Play-In Tournament
9. Chicago Bulls (39-43) – NBA Play-In Tournament
10. Atlanta Hawks (36-46) – NBA Play-In Tournament

• The Boston Celtics Stay the best in the league as the NBA Playoffs begin. That includes compiling a 9-3 record against other top Eastern Conference title contenders this season. The trio of Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown and Kristaps Porzingis are averaging a combined 70.3 points, 21.0 rebounds and 10.5 assists per game.

• Jalen Brunson. Jalen Brunson. More Jalen Brunson. The NBA MVP candidate has been absolutely ridiculous since March 14th. During that 16-game span, he averaged 34.8 points and 7.4 assists while shooting 49%. Unfortunately for them New York Knicks, Julius Randle is out for the rest of the season. This will have a big impact on the future.

• The Milwaukee Bucks' The ability to compete once the NBA playoffs begin will depend on the health of Giannis Antetokounmpo. He suffered a strained calf in a game against Boston earlier this week and missed the rest of the regular season. If Giannis can't go, the Bucks are lost. A Round 1 matchup against a high-scoring Indiana Pacers team bumps this up to a T.

Related: 2024 NBA MVP race

• Now that the Cleveland Cavaliers Since they have secured home-court advantage in the NBA playoffs, their chances of advancement are absolutely enormous. The Cavs had 13 games over .500 at home and just three games over .500 on the road. When we face Orlando in the first round, our NBA playoff predictions will shed some light on that.

• The Orlando Magic will have a difficult time in the NBA playoffs. Youngster Paolo Banchero leads a strong and young team. The second-year forward finished the regular season averaging 22.5 points, 6.9 rebounds and 5.4 assists per game. Franz Wagner, Jalen Suggs, Wendell Carter Jr. and Cole Anthony are also young players who could play an important role in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs against the Cleveland Cavaliers.

• The Indiana Pacers' The biggest problem with our NBA playoff predictions is their inability to stop anyone on defense. They rank 28th in the NBA in points allowed at 120.2 points per game. But any team with Tyrese Haliburton at the helm will be dangerous.

Eastern Conference NBA Play-In Tournament Picks: Philadelphia 76ers Miami Heat

Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers host the Miami Heat in Game 7-8 of the NBA Play-In Tournament. The winner will face the New York Knicks in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs. The loser will face the winner of the Chicago Bulls' home game with the Atlanta Hawks for eighth place. It goes without saying that we predict the 76ers and Heat will make the NBA playoffs. In this order.

• Selection: 76ers over Heat – Hawks over Bulls – Heat over Hawks

Western Conference NBA playoff predictions and seeds

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (57-25)
2. Denver Nuggets (57-25)
3. Minnesota Timberwolves (56-26)
4. Los Angeles Clippers (51-31)
5. Dallas Mavericks (50-32)
6. Phoenix Suns (49-33)
7. New Orleans Pelicans (49-33) – NBA Play-In Tournament
8. Los Angeles Lakers (47-35) – NBA Play-In Tournament
9. Sacramento Kings (46-36) – NBA Play-In Tournament
10. Golden State Warriors (46-36) – NBA Play-In Tournament

• Led by NBA MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (30.4 PPG, 5.6 RPG, 6.2 APG). Oklahoma City Thunder will be a dangerous proposition in the playoffs. Forward Jalen Williams is in the midst of a breakout, averaging nearly 20 points per game. Chet Holmgren’s all-around game as a “rookie” adds another layer to it. Finishing the regular season as the No. 1 seed adds another layer to it.

• The Denver Nuggets' It was a bit of a surprise to fall to second place in the West. The defending champions will now likely be forced into a Round 1 duel against the New Orleans Pelicans or the Los Angeles Lakers. This isn't an ideal scenario for Nikola Jokic and Co. Don't expect an easy series for Denver in the first round of the NBA Playoffs.

• Anthony Edwards is a star for them Minnesota Timberwolves. The duo of Rudy Gobert and Karl-Anthony Towns did their thing. These Wolves are on their way to a strong playoff run. That's reinforced by their 20-12 record against Western Conference teams still in the postseason. However, they face a difficult matchup against Kevin Durant and the Phoenix Suns in the first round of the NBA playoffs.

Related: NBA executives expect the Minnesota Timberwolves to trade Karl-Anthony Towns this summer

• It's really going to be all about health Los Angeles Clippers. Isn't that always the case? Kawhi Leonard is out with a knee injury. James Harden followed him to the bench. If these two aren't healthy, we can't expect Paul George and Russell Westbrook to take the Clippers too far. This is especially true for a first-round duel against the Dallas Mavericks in the NBA playoffs.

• When Kyrie Irving and Luka Doncic are on the court together, there isn't a much better tandem in the association. What makes these different? Dallas Mavericks What differs from previous iterations, however, is their size in the postseason. Rookie Dereck Lively II was great. Daniel Gafford was also acquired from the Washington Wizards midseason. They will play a big role in Round 1 of the NBA Playoffs against the Clippers.

• The Phoenix Suns narrowly avoided a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament after New Orleans was eliminated at home by the Lakers at the end of the regular season. There is now a difficult first round duel in the NBA playoffs against a strong Minnesota Timberwolves team. But with guys like Kevin Durant, Devin Booker and Bradley Beal healthy, this feels like a potential surprise.

Western Conference NBA Play-In Tournament selection

The New Orleans Pelicans host the Los Angeles Lakers in the 7-8 game of the NBA Play-In Tournament. The loser then hosts the winner of the 9:10 game between the Golden State Warriors and the Sacramento Kings. We want the Lakers and Warriors to get out of the play-in in the West.

• Selection: Lakers over Pelicans – Warriors over Kings – Warriors over Pelicans

NBA Playoff Predictions: Matchups and Winners

First round of the Eastern Conference

• 1) Boston Celtics over 8) Miami Heat (4-1)
• 4) Cleveland Cavaliers over Orlando Magic (4-2)
• 6) Indiana Pacers over 3) Milwaukee Bucks (4-3)
• 2) New York Knicks over 7) Philadelphia 76ers (4-3)

First round of the Western Conference

• 8) Golden State Warriors over 1) Oklahoma City Thunder (4-2)
• 5) Dallas Mavericks over 4) Los Angeles Clippers (4-3)
• 6) Phoenix Suns over 3) Minnesota Timberwolves (4-3)
• 2) Denver Nuggets over 7) Los Angeles Lakers (4-2)

NBA Playoff Predictions: Conference Semifinals

Eastern Conference semifinals

• 1) Boston Celtics over 4) Cleveland Cavaliers (4-1)
• 2) New York Knicks over 6) Indiana Pacers (4-2)

Western Conference semifinals

• 8) Golden State Warriors over 5) Dallas Mavericks (4-3)
• 2) Denver Nuggets over 6) Phoenix Suns (4-2)

NBA Playoff Predictions: Conference Finals

Eastern Conference Finals

• 1) Boston Celtics over 2) New York Knicks (4-3)

Western Conference Conference Finals

• 2) Denver Nuggets over 8) Golden State Warriors (4-2)

Related: 50 Best NBA Players of 2024

2024 NBA Finals predictions: Boston Celtics over Denver Nuggets (4:2)