Who made the NBA postseason? A look at the 2023 playoff picture and which teams are in

The NBA postseason seems wide open with multiple teams capable of making a run to the Finals.

That’s especially true in the Western Conference with teams such as Phoenix, Golden State, Los Angeles Clippers and Los Angeles Lakers outside the top two seeds (Denver, Memphis) but flush with talent and experience.

In the East, Milwaukee, Boston and Philadelphia are favorites, but Cleveland and New York have played well all season, too.

The play-in tournament (seeds 7-10) kicks off the postseason Tuesday and Wednesday, and the final two play-in games are Friday. The playoffs begin Saturday, though the schedule hasn’t been released.

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Here's who made the playoffs and how they got in:

Eastern Conference playoff teams

• 1. Milwaukee Bucks (58-24) — The Bucks had the best regular-season record, led by All-NBA star Giannis Antetokounmpo and a stifling defense.
• 2. Boston Celtics (57-25) — The Celtics have the No. 2 defense, No. 2 offense, league’s best net rating and two of the league’s best young stars in Jayson Tatum and Jaylen Brown.
• 3. Philadelphia 76ers (54-28) — Forget star center Joel Embiid’s MVP candidacy. The Sixers haven’t been to the conference finals since 2001.
• 4. Cleveland Cavaliers (51-31) — Led by Donovan Mitchell outside and Evan Mobley and Jarrett Allen inside, the Cavs have the league’s best defense and No. 8 offense.
• 5. New York Knicks (47-35) — The Knicks are one of the league’s top eight teams since Jan. 1 with Julius Randle and Jalen Brunson running the show.
• 6. Brooklyn Nets (45-37) — Mikal Bridges has flourished as a scorer since the Nets acquired him from Phoenix in the Kevin Durant deal.
• 7. Miami Heat (44-38) — Though the Heat took a step back from last season’s conference finals appearance, they are still dangerous with Jimmy Butler, Bam Adebayo and Tyler Herro.
• 8. Atlanta Hawks (41-41) — The Hawks have been the very definition of average all season — never too much above or below .500 this season. Can Trae Young change that in the play-in tournament? 
• 9. Toronto Raptors (41-41) — This is still a team with Fred VanVleet, Pascal Siakam, OG Anunoby and Scottie Barnes.
• 10. Chicago Bulls (40-42) — Despite their record, the Bulls own the No. 5 defense. They need that and some offense to reach the eighth seed.

Western Conference playoff teams

• 1. Denver Nuggets (53-29) — Atop the West since December, the Nuggets got a little bored with the regular season. They need two-time MVP Nikola Jokic, Jamal Murray and Michael Porter Jr. at their best to reach the conference finals.
• 2. Memphis Grizzlies (51-31) — The Ja Morant gun incident sidetracked the Grizzlies for a bit, but Jaren Jackson Jr. and Desmond Bane helped Memphis get the No. 2 seed with a top-10 offense and top-3 defense.
• 3. Sacramento Kings (48-34) — The Kings can score (NBA’s best offense) with De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis and a strong complementary cast. This is their first playoff appearance since 2006.
• 4. Phoenix Suns (45-37) — The Suns are one of the rare No. 4 seeds considered among the favorites to win the title. That’s what happens when you add Kevin Durant to a team with Devin Booker, Chris Paul and Deandre Ayton.
• 5. Los Angeles Clippers (44-38) — Kawhi Leonard and Paul George both missed at least 25 games, and George hasn’t played since March 21 with a knee injury.
• 6. Golden State Warriors (44-38) — Despite their lousy road record (11-30), they’re still the defending champs with Steph Curry, Klay Thompson and Draymond Green, and Andrew Wiggins is expected back for the postseason.
• 7. Los Angeles Lakers (43-39) — The Lakers had the league’s second-best defense in the final two months of the season, and LeBron James and Anthony Davis have a much better team around them since the trade deadline.
• 8. Minnesota Timberwolves (42-40) — Karl-Anthony Towns missed a chunk of the season due to injury, but the Timberwolves played well enough defensively to get into the play-in tournament.
• 9. New Orleans Pelicans (42-40) — The Pelicans have a solid squad, including Brandon Ingram’s return to the lineup. It’s just too bad Zion Williamson won’t be available.

• 10. Oklahoma City Thunder (40-42) — For a young team expected to be in the running for the No. 1 draft pick, the Thunder were competitive behind the MVP-caliber season from Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.