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NBA Eastern Conference Clinch Scenarios For Tuesday, April 9

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James Foglio
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James Foglio Sports Editor

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Updated1 hour ago on April 29, 2024

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NBA Eastern Conference Clinch Scenarios For Tuesday, April 9

Four NBA teams in the Eastern Conference can secure either a playoff or play-in spot on Tuesday, April 9. The Indiana Pacers (45-34) will clinch a playoff spot with a win, Miami Heat (43-35) loss, a Philadelphia 76ers (44-35) loss, and an Orlando Magic (46-32) win.

The New York Knicks (46-32) will claim a playoff spot with a win and a Heat loss. However, they can also clinch with losses by Miami and Philadelphia and an Orlando victory.

Next, Orlando will lock up a playoff spot with a win and with losses by any two of Heat, 76ers, and Pacers. Orlando clinches the Southeast Division title with a victory and a Miami loss.


Philadelphia is also locked into a play-in game with a loss and with wins by Orlando and Indiana. The Sixers are eyeing their seventh straight trip to the postseason and first under coach Nick Nurse.

The Boston Celtics (62-16) sit at the top of the Eastern Conference with the NBA’s best record. The second-seeded Milwaukee Bucks (47-31) remain just one game ahead of Orlando and New York in the standings.

2024 NBA Play-In Tournament runs from April 16-19, top six teams will secure playoff spots

Of course, the No. 5 Cleveland Cavaliers (46-33) sit half a game behind the Magic and Knicks. Indiana has a one-game lead on Philadelphia as well. From there, Miami ranks No. 8 and trails the 76ers by half a game.

It should be noted that Indiana holds tiebreakers for winning the regular-season series against Milwaukee, New York, Miami, and Philadelphia.

The top six teams in each conference will secure playoff spots. Teams that finish seventh through 10th in each conference have to participate in the play-in tournament next week to determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds.


Moreover, the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament runs from Tuesday, April 16 through Friday, April 19.

The 2024 NBA Playoffs begin Saturday, April 20.

According to a few NBA betting sites, the Celtics remain the odds-on favorite to win the championship. Sportsbooks are still showing great odds for the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, and Bucks.