Introduction to the NBA Playoffs Brackets for 2024
As the regular NBA season winds down, fans and analysts alike turn their attention to the playoffs – an exciting time where the stakes are higher, the intensity is palpable, and the road to the championship begins. The playoffs bracket is a systematic way to determine the ultimate champion through a series of elimination rounds. For the 2024 NBA playoffs, the bracket is once again set to spark conversations and analyses, as teams vie for the coveted Larry O’Brien Trophy.
An Overview of the NBA Playoff Structure
The NBA playoffs follow a fairly straightforward bracket structure, but understanding its nuances is crucial for fully grasping the dynamics of the competition. The playoffs consist of 16 teams: the top eight from each conference (Eastern and Western), based on their regular-season records. These teams are seeded one through eight, and the first round sees matchups of the first seed against the eighth seed, the second seed versus the seventh, and so on.
Each round of the playoffs is a best-of-seven series. This means that teams must win four out of seven games in their series to advance to the next round. The structure entails the following knockout