2022 Playoff Bracket Updates: How last-day scenarios played out (2024)

The playoff picture is set as a 15-game Sunday came to a close.

The final day of the 2021-22 NBA regular season featured 15 games that had a major impact on the NBA playoffs and Play-In Tournament. See how the key storylines around the league shook out as the season came to a close.

2022 postseason seeds & series matchups

Eastern Conference

PLAY-IN TOURNAMENT

(7) Brooklyn Nets vs. (8) Cleveland Cavaliers
- (Winner earns No. 7 seed, plays Boston Celtics)
(9) Atlanta Hawks vs. (10) Charlotte Hornets
- (Loser eliminated; Winner plays loser of Cavs-Nets for No. 8 seed)

Western Conference

Outcomes and postseason effects from all 15 final games

Golden State Warriors 128, New Orleans Pelicans 107

The Warriors have clinched the No. 3 seed with Sunday’s win. Golden State will face the Denver Nuggets in the first round.
The Pelicans clinched ninth place in the Play-In Tournament and will host the Spurs on Tuesday.

Mark that calendar 🗓️
Game 1 dates for the First Round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs presented by Google Pixel ⬇️
More information will be provided as it is finalized. pic.twitter.com/qyqgbI2Bcl
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 11, 2022

Dallas Mavericks 130, San Antonio Spurs 120

To climb to third, the Mavericks needed the Warriors to lose in addition to their own win over the Spurs on Sunday. They didn’t. Dallas is the No. 4 seed and will face the Utah Jazz.
San Antonio is locked into 10th place and will play at New Orleans in the first round of the Play-In Tournament. The winner of that game will play the loser of Timberwolves-Clippers and battle for the No. 8 seed.

Utah Jazz 111, Portland Trail Blazers 80

The math was simple for Utah: Win to clinch the No. 5 seed. Utah did that to clinch the Northwest Division title and will face the Dallas Mavericks in the first round.
The Trail Blazers have already been eliminated.

Los Angeles Lakers 146, Denver Nuggets 141

Only one scenario existed that would have seen Denver climb to the No. 5 seed: a Nuggets win and Jazz loss. That did not happen, so Denver will be the No. 6 seed and play the Golden State Warriors in the first round.
The Lakers have already been eliminated.

Boston Celtics 139, Memphis Grizzlies 110

The Celtics have clinched the East’s No. 2 seed with a win over Memphis after seeing the Bucks lose to Cleveland earlier on Sunday. Boston will face the Play-In Tournament winner of the Brooklyn-Cleveland matchup.
Memphis has already clinched the No. 2 seed in the West and will face either Minnesota or the LA Clippers in the first round.

Philadelphia 76ers 118, Detroit Pistons 106

The 76ers landed the No. 4 seed after Boston beat Memphis. Philadelphia will have home-court advantage against the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors in the first round of the playoffs.
The Pistons have already been eliminated.

Chicago Bulls 124, Minnesota Timberwolves 120

The Bulls are locked into the No. 6 seed and will face the Bucks in the first round of the playoffs.
The Timberwolves will host the LA Clippers in a Play-In game on Tuesday. The winner of that game will clinch the No. 7 seed and advance to play the Grizzlies in the first round. The loser will host the winner of Spurs-Pelicans in the Play-In Tournament and battle for the No. 8 seed, with the winner of that game playing the top-seeded Suns in the first round.

New York Knicks 105, Toronto Raptors 94

The Raptors have clinched the No. 5 seed. They will face the 76ers in the first round.
The Knicks have already been eliminated.

Orlando Magic 125, Miami Heat 111

The Heat are locked into the No. 1 seed. Miami will face the second survivor of the Play-In Tournament (Nets, Cavaliers, Hawks or Hornets) in the first round.
The Magic have already been eliminated.

The matchups are set.
Update for next week's Meta Quest NBA Play-In Tournament schedule ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/eWMV1ESPTf
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 10, 2022

Brooklyn Nets 134, Indiana Pacers 126

The Nets survived a couple runs by the Pacers to win and clinch seventh place. They will host Cleveland in their first game of the Play-In Tournament. The winner of that game will earn the No. 7 seed and play Boston in the first round of the playoffs.
The Pacers have already been eliminated.

Cleveland Cavaliers 133, Milwaukee Bucks 115

Milwaukee’s loss left the door open for Boston to snag the No. 2 seed with a win over Memphis. That set the Bucks at No. 3 and facing the Chicago Bulls in the first round.
The Cavaliers’ victory kept them at eighth place. They will play at Brooklyn in their first game of the Play-In Tournament. The winner of that game will be the seventh seed and play Boston in the first round of the playoffs.

Charlotte Hornets 124, Washington Wizards 108

Charlotte did what it could by beating Houston, but the other Play-In teams’ victories kept the Hornets at 10th place. They will play at Atlanta in their first game in the Play-In Tournament. The winner of that game will play the loser of Cavaliers-Nets for the eighth and final playoff spot.
The Wizards have already been eliminated.

Atlanta Hawks 130, Houston Rockets 114

Atlanta’s victory helped ensure it will have ninth place and home-court advantage in a single-elimination Play-In game against the Charlotte Hornets. The winner will advance for a shot at the eighth seed, while the loser will miss the playoffs.
The Rockets have already been eliminated.

The matchups are set for the Play-In Tournament in the East.

LA Clippers 138, Oklahoma City Thunder 88

The Clippers are locked into eighth place and will visit the Timberwolves in the Play-In Tournament. The winner of that game will clinch the No. 7 seed and play the Grizzlies in the first round. The loser of Clippers-Timberwolves would play the winner of Spurs-Pelicans for the eighth seed, with the winner of that game playing the Suns in the first round.
The Thunder have already been eliminated.

Sacramento Kings 116, Phoenix Suns 109

The Suns are locked into first place in the Western Conference and will play the second survivor of the Play-In Tournament (Timberwolves, Clippers, Pelicans or Spurs).
The Kings have already been eliminated.