NBA: all 30 play
The NBA scheduled all 30 teams to play on April 12, turning the final regular‑season day into high‑stakes seeding theatre. (northjersey.com). Eleven teams had already clinched playoff berths entering Sunday, and NBC Sports flagged nine specific games that would directly affect seeding; Toronto could still climb to fifth with a win but could also finish sixth or fall into the play‑in depending on Philadelphia’s and Orlando’s results. ( )
All 30 National Basketball Association teams were scheduled to play on Sunday, April 12, with 10 postseason seeds still unsettled on the final day of the regular season. (nba.com) Entering Sunday morning, 11 of the 12 top-six playoff spots had been clinched, leaving one automatic berth in the Eastern Conference and multiple play-in positions to be decided over 15 games. (cbssports.com) The National Basketball Association said three Eastern Conference teams could still grab the No. 6 seed and avoid the play-in tournament: Toronto with a win or losses by both Orlando and Philadelphia, Orlando with a win and a Toronto loss, and Philadelphia with a win plus losses by Toronto and Orlando. (nba.com) Toronto’s range was especially wide. NBC Sports reported the Raptors could rise to No. 5 with a win and an Atlanta loss, hold at No. 6 in some tie scenarios, or fall to No. 7 and into the play-in with a loss and an Orlando win. (nbcsports.com) In the East, the top four seeds were already fixed before tipoff: Detroit No. 1, Boston No. 2, New York No. 3 and Cleveland No. 4. Atlanta had clinched a top-six finish and could lock up No. 5 with a win at Miami. (cbssports.com) The lower East play-in was also live. Charlotte was locked into the 9-versus-10 game but could host it by beating New York or by getting a Miami loss to Atlanta, according to CBS Sports and NBC Sports. (cbssports.com, nbcsports.com) The Western Conference had less chaos at the top but still left key matchups open. Oklahoma City had secured No. 1, San Antonio No. 2, Houston No. 5 and Minnesota No. 6, while Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers were still sorting out Nos. 3 and 4. (nba.com, cbssports.com) CBS Sports reported the Lakers could move to No. 3 by beating Utah and getting a Denver loss to San Antonio. In the West play-in race, Portland entered Sunday at No. 8 and could keep that spot with a win over Sacramento or a Los Angeles Clippers loss to Golden State. (cbssports.com) NBC Sports singled out nine Sunday games with direct seeding consequences, including Atlanta at Miami, Brooklyn at Toronto, Orlando at Boston, Milwaukee at Philadelphia, Charlotte at New York and Denver at San Antonio. The outlet said the league uses same-window scheduling on the final day so teams do not know every result they need before their own games end. (nbcsports.com) By Sunday, the bracket that would follow was already on the calendar. The National Basketball Association scheduled the SoFi Play-In Tournament for April 14 through April 17, with the first round of the playoffs starting April 18. (nba.com)
