Two upsets rocked the three-way fight for the No. 2 seed, with the top-seeded Boston Celtics holding off to see how the Eastern Conference bracket for NBA Playoffs would unfold below them.
After defeating the Chicago Bulls 120-119 in overtime, the New York Knicks earned the No. 2 seed and their first 50-win campaign since 2012–13. Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks lost to the Orlando Magic, and the Cleveland Cavaliers lost to the Charlotte Hornets. The Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, and Magic, all headed to the postseason, won their finales.
Boston, New York, Milwaukee, Cleveland, Orlando, Indiana, Philadelphia, Miami, Chicago, and Atlanta will be the teams seeded first, second, third, fourth, and fifth in the East, per the NBA website. The 76ers, Heat, Bulls, and Hawks will compete in the play-in round for the remaining two East berths. The top six teams were assured positions in the NBA playoffs.
On Sunday, the thrilling victories in the East were Orlando’s 113-88 triumph over Milwaukee, Charlotte’s 120-110 shock of Cleveland, and New York’s close victory over Chicago. The Magic won three straight games to end a losing run and advanced to the postseason for the first time since 2020.
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NBA Playoffs Bracket Is Now Complete After All Postseason Game
The Bucks and Pacers, who met in an in-season tournament semifinal in the East, will rematch in the first round of the playoffs; the Cavaliers and Magic will also play in the first round. The Knicks will take on the victor of the Heat vs. 76ers play-in game. For the opportunity to play the Celtics in the opening round, the play-in game-winner between the Bulls and Hawks will advance to face the loser of the 76ers-Heat match.
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Due to a calf injury that kept top player Giannis Antetokounmpo out of the lineup, the Bucks finished the season with eight straight losses, dropping them out of the No. 2 seed.
However, Milwaukee’s late-season collapse saved them from a potential first-round meeting with either Miami, the defending Eastern Conference winner, or Philadelphia, which welcomed back 2023 MVP Joel Embiid from a knee injury. Embiid did not participate in Sunday’s 107-86 victory over the Brooklyn Nets by the 76ers.
Star players Donovan Mitchell and Darius Garland did not participate in Sunday’s defeat against the Hornets. After losing to New York in the first round, Cleveland’s fall to the No. 4 seed in the playoffs last year provides them with a somewhat advantageous first-round matchup with Orlando.
