The 2024 NBA Playoff Bracket is set, following the completion of the SoFi Play-In Tournament. Maybe it’s a result of that tournament reshuffling the most competitive teams right now, or maybe it’s a testament to the parity and talent in the league right now, but the 2024 Playoff Bracket feels wide open.

Of course, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics should win the Eastern Conference, but the same thing could have been said this time last year. If the Celtics falter again, there’s plenty of hungry teams: from the second-seeded New York Knicks, to Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, and the Milwaukee Bucks, as well as now-healthy Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers. The Cleveland Cavaliers, Indiana Pacers, and Orlando Magic could even make some noise, especially if the Celtics are knocked out early for any reason.

The Western Conference has a three-headed beast at the top: the Oklahoma City Thunder, Denver Nuggets, and Minnesota Timberwolves, who all finished within one game of each other in a tight race for the best record in the conference. Nikola Jokic and the Nuggets are, of course, defending champions after winning their first title last season, and Denver is attempting to pull off back-to-back championship runs with the same starting five. The Thunder and Timberwolves, however, are young, hungry, and want to be the next team in the Nuggets current situation.

Further down in the West, the Los Angeles Clippers, Phoenix Suns, and Los Angeles Lakers all have the star power and experience to make deep runs in the right situation.

How will the 16-team, 4-round 2024 NBA Playoff Bracket play out? Who will represent the Eastern and Western Conferences in the 2024 NBA Finals, and which team will hoist the Larry O’Brien Trophy in June?

Read on for my 2024 NBA Playoff Bracket, and if you’d like to debate or discuss any picks, or want to follow for more NBA and NFL content, be sure to connect with Sak Sports Blog on Twitter or on Facebook!

Eastern Conference

First Round

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #8 Miami Heat

(Yahoo Sports)

In a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Boston Celtics have one thing to avoid: embarrassment. Losing to the Miami Heat in last year’s ECF as a heavy favorite was bad enough, but a first round exit would be catastrophic for Boston. Luckily, the Heat are not the same team they were last May: some key role players from that underdog run have found new teams, and perhaps most importantly, Jimmy Butler will be unavailable to start this series, at minimum. Without Butler, the Heat’s slim chances of pulling off this upset again are even slimmer. Celtics win in five games

#2 New York Knicks vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers

(David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)

This could definitely be a tricky series for the New York Knicks, who despite earning the #2 seed, draw Joel Embiid and the Philadelphia 76ers, who would naturally be a higher seed if Embiid was available all season. Jalen Brunson can only do so much for New York without Julius Randle at his side. 76ers win in seven games

#3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #6 Indiana Pacers

(Stacy Revere/Getty Images)

I’m going to pick the Milwaukee Bucks here: somehow, someway, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Damian Lillard, Khris Middleton, and Doc Rivers should be able to figure out how to take this series from Tyrese Haliburton and the Indiana Pacers. But I don’t think it will be too pretty, and I don’t anticipate the Bucks going too deep in this year’s playoffs. Bucks win in six games

#4 Cleveland Cavaliers vs. #5 Orlando Magic

(DraftKings Network)

The #4-#5 matchup is naturally the tightest opening series in the Eastern Conference on paper. Donovan Mitchell and the Cleveland Cavaliers flirted with the #2 and #3 positions in the conference for most of the season, so settling for fourth might be a little disappointing, but it still gives Cleveland homecourt advantage against a young, talented Orlando Magic team. Cavaliers win in six games

Conference Semifinals

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #4 Cleveland Cavaliers

(CelticsBlog.com)

The Cleveland Cavaliers and Boston Celtics split their season series 2-2, with both teams defending their home floors and no team losing by more than 9 points in the four games. This should be a fun series, but unless they slip up (quite possible), then Jayson Tatum, Jaylen Brown, and the Celtics will be favored for sure: Boston won 16 more games than Cleveland in the regular season. Celtics win in six games

#3 Milwaukee Bucks vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers

(AP News)

I was surprised to learn that Joel Embiid and Giannis Antetokounmpo have never met in the playoffs. Ideally, this would have already happened, in one of the seasons that Giannis and Embiid were both surefire MVP candidates with their teams firing on all cylinders: think, two or three seasons ago. But the 76ers still need to hit their stride in Embiid’s “second season” of sorts this year, and the Bucks (as mentioned earlier) have been anything but dominant in their young Doc Rivers era. I could see 76ers advancing to their first Conference Finals since 2001: not because they’re one of the two best teams in the East, but just the way the bracket played out coupled with Philadelphia’s unique seeding situation. 76ers win in six games

SEE ALSO: NFL Post-Free Agency Power Rankings

Conference Finals

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #7 Philadelphia 76ers

(AP Photo/Chris Szagola)

In this scenario, the Philadelphia 76ers would have already knocked out the Knicks and Bucks: they would be battle-tested, and obviously playing as a better team than their 7th seed implies. This could be a gritty, long series between two of the Eastern Conference’s best teams, with the 76ers requiring a *when healthy* asterisk to include themselves in that conversation. This deep run obviously hinges on a healthy Joel Embiid.

But even at their best, Philadelphia would not be favored against the juggernaut, 64-18 Boston Celtics. While Boston may fall just short of having the firepower needed to make this a simple four-or-five game series, the Celtics should still be able to grind out a series victory and a trip to the NBA Finals. The Eastern Conference is Boston’s for the taking, and while a healthy 76ers team is technically one of the scarier matchups the Celtics could face, barring unforeseen circumstances, it should be the Celtics in the NBA Finals. Celtics win in six games

Western Conference

First Round

#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #8 New Orleans Pelicans

(Sporting News)

Between earning a lower seed due to a play-in tournament loss and the sheer strength of competition in the Wetsern Conference, the New Orleans Pelicans are a very viable playoff team for a #8 seed. New Orleans held the #6 seed with just a pair of games left in the season, but ultimately slid to the #8 slot. Zion Williamson, Brandon Ingram, and the Pelicans have a chance at a first-round upset here, against a strong but young Oklahoma City Thunder squad. But the Pelicans don’t have a wealth of playoff experience either, and certainly not sustained success. MVP candidate (runner-up most likely) Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and company worked hard to earn the #1 seed, and they won’t let it go to waste in the first round. Thunder win in six games

#2 Denver Nuggets vs. #7 Los Angeles Lakers

(David Zalubowski / Associated Press)

Just like last year’s Eastern Conference Finals, the Western Conference Finals will run back its 2023 matchup as the Denver Nuggets and Los Angeles Lakers go toe-to-toe in the opening round. The Nuggets swept the Lakers last May, but in an extremely competitive series. Denver also finished 4-0 against Los Angeles in the regular season this year. As far as first round opponents go, the #2 seeded Nuggets draw a very strong opponent in LeBron James, Anthony Davis, and the Lakers. But the defending champions, with the same starting five that hoisted the Larry O’Brien Trophy last June, have more business to take care of. Nuggets in five games

SEE ALSO: Gallery: Denver Nuggets 2023 Championship Parade

#3 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. #6 Phoenix Suns

(David Berding/Getty Images)

This might be the best series of the first round, from either conference. Both the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns have the firepower to make deep playoff runs: the Suns with their experienced core of Kevin Durant, Devin Booker (both who have made Finals appearances) and Bradley Beal, while the Timberwolves have stars on the rise, including Anthony Edwards and Karl Anthony-Towns. Either team could potentially make a Conference Finals or even NBA Finals run, but something has to give in the first round. The Timberwolves, along with the Thunder and Nuggets, jostled for the best record in the West all season for a reason though: they’re pretty darn good. Timberwolves win in seven games

#4 Los Angeles Clippers vs. #5 Dallas Mavericks

(Sporting News)

In other years, this would probably be the best matchup of the first round: this year, it’s probably the third-best matchup in the West, a testament to how awesome these playoffs should be. There’s star power all over here, with the Clippers Big Three of James Harden, Paul George, and Kawhi Leonard needing a deep playoff run to justify getting the band together in the first place. The Dallas Mavericks fired on all cylinders in the season’s second half, with Luka Doncic playing some of the best basketball the NBA has ever seen. Doncic has co-star Kyrie Irving, but beyond that, Dallas will need someone else to step up if they’re going to advance past the first round. Clippers win in six games

Conference Semifinals

#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #4 Los Angeles Clippers

(AP Photo/Nate Billings)

This would be an ultimate test of elite youth talent in the Oklahoma City Thunder versus a wealth of experience and talent in the Los Angeles Clippers. On paper, the Thunder are the better team and play better, more consistent basketball. But could James Harden, one of the craftiest offensive players in NBA history, Kawhi Leonard, one of the best two-way players in the league, and Paul George, a nine-time All-Star, find a way to win this series? For sure. But I’m not betting against what’s been working for the Thunder: SGA, Chet Holmgren, Jalen Williams, Josh Giddey, and Luguentz Dort play great basketball together. It might be a long series, but with homecourt, the Thunder should be able to advance to the Conference Finals. Thunder win in six games

#2 Denver Nuggets vs. #3 Minnesota Timberwolves

(Jeffrey Becker-USA TODAY Sports)

Last year, the Denver Nuggets faced their toughest and longest series of their 2023 Championship Run in the second round, against the Phoenix Suns. Whether it’s the Suns again or in this scenario, the Minnesota Timberwolves, it’s will be another tough one for the Nuggets. The Timberwolves and Suns both matchup well against the Nuggets, and could easily take the defending champs to six or even seven games. I still see the Nuggets, with the best basketball player in the world, Nikola Jokic, advancing to the Western Conference Finals no matter the opponent, but the bottom line is that both Phoenix and Minnesota have the ability to push Denver to the brink. Nuggets win in six games

Conference Finals

#1 Oklahoma City Thunder vs. #2 Denver Nuggets

(AP Photo/David Zalubowski)

For the Oklahoma City Thunder, hosting the Western Conference Finals as the #1 seed would be huge for the franchise, but put the team within four wins of an NBA Finals appearance. The Denver Nuggets, on the other hand, would likely consider anything other than reaching the NBA Finals a failure. Late in the playoffs, the cracks in the armor might start to show for the young Thunder, especially if the Pelicans and Clippers push Oklahoma City in to long series. Homecourt advantage helps here, but once the Nuggets win a game in Oklahoma City, the series could be over fast with the Nuggets dominant home record and playoff experience. While I’m predicting this series doesn’t go the distance, imagine “five competitive games,” just like the competitive sweep the Nuggets completed over the Lakers last season. Nuggets win in five games

NBA Finals

#1 Boston Celtics vs. #2 Denver Nuggets

(Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports)

Last season, this seemed to be the destined NBA Finals matchup, and this season, it’s the most commonly projected one once again. The Boston Celtics are the best team in the Eastern Conference by far, just as they were last season. Reaching the NBA Finals is a destiny Boston completely controls, and the other challengers in the East are relatively weaker than last season. The Denver Nuggets may have missed the best record in the Western Conference by one game/tiebreakers, but there’s no doubt that they’re the team to beat on that side of the bracket. The defending champions aim to hoist another Larry O’Brien Trophy, and while the West is extremely competitive, an NBA Finals berth is still theirs to lose in a sense, as well.

The Celtics finished with not just the best record in the Eastern Conference but the entire NBA, though this could be due to their inferior competition in the East on a more regular basis. The two times the Celtics and Nuggets met in the regular season, Denver emerged victorious: handing the Celtics their first loss at TD Garden of the season, and edging out a narrow win at Ball Arena in March. The Celtics and Nuggets are very close in terms of overall talent. Boston’s best player, Jayson Tatum, isn’t as good Denver’s best player, Nikola Jokic. But between a solid starting five and strong bench, the Celtics have the tools to take the Nuggets in to a deep series.

To beat the Nuggets, the Celtics will have to figure out the NBA’s impossible equation: stopping Nikola Jokic, especially when Jamal Murray, Aaron Gordon, Michael Porter Jr., and Kentavious Caldwell-Pope are on the floor. And while some experts are seeing young rotation players like Christian Braun and Peyton Watson as a disadvantage come playoff time, anyone that actually watches Denver Nuggets basketball knows these two players elevate the team on both ends of the floor. With playoff-shortened rotations, Braun and Watson will be given key minutes that could contribute to a second NBA title for Denver.

With back-to-back championships and three NBA MVP awards, Nikola Jokic would enter rare air and legitimately enter the conversation for being one of the best players of all-time. Beating a strong Celtics team would also boost his resume, after overcoming a relatively soft Miami Heat team last season that overachieved and ran out of gas in the 2023 NBA Finals.

Nuggets win in six games, Nikola Jokic named NBA Finals MVP

Consolidated bracket filled out via NBA.com/Bracket
SEE ALSO: Sak Sports Blog 2024 NFL 1st Round Mock Draft

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