NBA Playoff Picture: Clippers, Nets, Bucks About To Clinch 2021 Postseason Berths

A handful of NBA teams are on the verge of officially making the 2021 playoffs. The magic number for both the Los Angeles Clippers and Brooklyn Nets is down to one, while the Milwaukee Bucks are on the doorstep of earning a postseason berth.

The Clippers don’t play Tuesday, but they can clinch a playoff berth if the Portland Trail Blazers lose to the Indiana Pacers. The Nets can clinch a playoff berth by defeating the Toronto Raptors on Tuesday night or with losses by both the Charlotte Hornets and Boston Celtics.

Boston hosts the Oklahoma City Thunder Tuesday night. Charlotte is scheduled to play at home against Milwaukee.

If the Bucks beat the Hornets, Milwaukee is guaranteed a spot in the play-in tournament, at the very least. The teams that finish the regular-season seeded No. 7-10 will compete in the tournament for each conference’s final two playoff spots.

The Utah Jazz have the NBA’s best record and are the only team that has officially clinched a playoff spot. The Phoenix Suns and Philadelphia 76ers are also on the verge of making the playoffs.

The Denver Nuggets are the next closest team to clinching a playoff berth. With MVP favorite Nikola Jokic leading the way, Denver is 7.5 games ahead of No. 7 seed Portland with 11 games left to play.

Fewer than four games separate the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers and the play-in tournament.

The Celtics, New York Knicks, Atlanta Hawks and Miami Heat are all vying for the No. 4 seed in the Eastern Conference. It’s all but certain that three of those teams will make the playoffs and one will be forced to compete in the play-in tournament.

The Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic and Houston Rockets are the only 2020 playoff teams that are seeded lower than No. 10.

The Minnesota Timberwolves and Rockets are the only two teams that have been officially eliminated from playoff contention. They’ll be joined by Oklahoma City if the Thunder lose in Boston.