NBA Playoffs and Play-In matchups set: Live updates, final scores, standings and clinch scenarios (2024)

The final day of the NBA regular season is here, with all 30 teams playing on Sunday to lock in the final standings and matchups for the playoffs and Play-In Tournament.

Follow along with The Athletic as games conclude for live updates as the standings and scenarios change and read the latest from our staff of beat writers, insiders and national writers on your favorite teams and the entire league.

The NBA announced the schedule and broadcast listings for this week's NBA Play-In games:

Tuesday, May 18:

• Hornets at Pacers - 6:30 P.M. ET - TV: TNT
• Wizards at Celtics - 9:00 P.M. ET - TV: TNT

Wednesday, May 19:

• Spurs at Grizzlies - 7:30 P.M. ET - TV: ESPN
• Warriors at Lakers - 10:00 P.M. ET - TV: ESPN

Thursday, May 20:

Winner of Hornets/Pacers vs. Loser of Wizards/Celtics

8:00 P.M. ET -TV: TNT

Friday, May 21:

Winner of Spurs/Grizzlies vs. Loser of Lakers/Warriors

TBD - TV: ESPN

The Blazers took care of business on Sunday against the Nuggets and, despite the Lakers doing their part to keep the pressure on by winning in New Orleans, it will indeed be the Lakers who are relegated to a Play-In spot against the Warriors in a must-watch game on Wednesday night.

The Play-In picture

7. Lakers vs. 8. Warriors (Wednesday, 10:00 P.M. ET)

9. Grizzlies vs. 10. Spurs (Wednesday, 7:30 P.M. ET)

*The loser of the Lakers-Warriors game will play the winner of the Grizzlies Spurs game on Friday night for the final playoff spot.

The Western Conference Playoffs:

1. Jazz vs. winner of the 8th seed
2. Suns vs. winner of the 7th seed (Lakers-Warriors winner)
3. Nuggets vs. 6. Blazers
4. Clippers vs. 5. Mavericks

Late game final scores:

• Heat beat the Pistons, 120-107 (box score)
• Bulls beat the Bucks, 118-112 (box score)
• Timberwolves beat the Mavericks, 136-121 (box score)
• Lakers beat the Pelicans, 110-98 (box score)
• Thunder beat the Clippers, 117-112 (box score)
• Blazers beat the Nuggets, 132-116 (box score)
• Jazz beat the Kings, 121-99 (box score)

More: In-depth analysis of the NBA Playoff picture and matchups from Zach Harper

While the Western Conference Playoffs and Play-In lock into their final shape with the late games, here's what our NBA writers were writing about and analyzing following the earlier games...

Kravitz: The Pacers might be fractured, but they haven't quit

Slater: The plays that propelled the Warriors to a win

Vorkunov: Knicks are going into playoffs on a high

Koreen: A 6-man rotation, Fred VanVleet broadcasting and what's next

With just two games remaining in play in the Eastern Conference that will be of no consequence in the standings (Bucks-Bulls and Heat-Pistons), the Eastern Conference Playoffs and Play-In are now set:

1. 76ers vs. winner of 8th seed
2. Nets vs. winner of 7th seed (Celtics-Wizards winner)
3. Bucks vs. 6. Heat
4. Knicks vs. 5. Hawks

*The loser of the 7/8 game (Celtics-Wizards) will play the winner of the 9/10 game (Pacers-Hornets) on Thursday for the final playoff spot.

Milestone alert: Nets' Kyrie Irving became just the ninth player in NBA history to join the 50-40-90 club, reaching the milestone after he went 3-for-3 from beyond the arc on Sunday in a win against the Cavaliers.

(More analysis)

Final scores from the early evening slate:

• Nets beat the Cavaliers, 123-109 (box score)
• 76ers beat the Magic, 128-117 (box score)
• Hawks beat the Rockets, 124-95 (box score)

More: In-depth analysis of the NBA Playoff picture and matchups from Zach Harper

Steph Curry took the scoring title and dominated in a game that gave the Warriors the eighth seed. Curry scored 46 points as Golden State beat Memphis 113-101 (box score).

They won't know who they will play (either the Lakers or Blazers), depending on results this evening. The Lakers will play a depleted Pelicans team in New Orleans while the Blazers host the Denver Nuggets. In order for the Lakers to avoid a Play-In against the Warriors, they'll need a win AND a Blazers loss.

The Grizzlies will play the Spurs on Wednesday in Memphis in the 9 vs. 10 matchup of the Play-In Tournament.

For a deeper dive and analysis on all the scenarios and developing playoff matchups, check out our full analysis here.

And it didn't take very long after all, as expected. Curry earned the second scoring title of his career on Sunday, securing the top spot in the first quarter. Curry, 33, is the oldest winner since Michael Jordan finished as the league's top scorer at 35 years old during the 1997-98 season.

Get more on this story, with analysis from our Warriors and Wizards beat writers, here.

The Wizards closed a significant gap late in the third quarter to come back against the Hornets and closed out with a tough fourth quarter to clinch the eighth seed.

After the end of the early games, here's what you need to know:

• The Wizards will play at the Celtics on Tuesday, having clinched the 8th seed.
• The Hornets will play at Indiana on Tuesday, having clinched the 10th seed.
• The (4) Knicks will play the (5) Hawks in the first round.
• The (6) Heat will face either the Nets or Bucks in the first round of the playoffs, depending on results later today.

Early game final scores:

• Wizards beat the Hornets, 115-110 (box score)
• Pacers beat the Raptors, 125-113 (box score)
• Knicks beat the Celtics, 96-92 (box score)
• Suns beat the Spurs, 123-121 (box score)

The addition of the Play-In has provided an added degree of drama and interest in the end of the NBA regular season and we've had playoff-intensity games. With games spanning the entire day on Sunday, this promises to be one of the most interesting days in recent NBA history.

To add even more intrigue, the NBA scoring title will be decided right down to the wire. The Warriors' Stephen Curry currently holds the edge, averaging 31.8 points per game with Bradley Beal - questionable for Sunday's pivotal game against the Hornets with a hamstring injury - averaging 31.4 points per game. The Warriors are scheduled to play the Grizzlies (3:30 P.M. ET, TV: ESPN) after the Wizards (1:00 P.M. ET, TV: NBA League Pass) this afternoon.

The NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, May 22.

Key scenarios in play today

• Lakers can clinch a playoff spot with a win AND a loss by Trail Blazers.
• Suns can clinch best record in the West with a win AND a loss by jazz.
• Trail Blazers can clinch a playoff spot with a win OR a loss by Lakers.
• Jazz can clinch the No. 1 seed in the West with a win OR a loss by Suns.
• Warriors must beat the Grizzlies to be in the 8-spot for Play-In Tournament.
• If Hornets beat Wizards, Wizards drop to No. 9 in East, unless Pacers beat Raptors, then Wizards would be No. 10.

Go deeper

Buha: What to know about the Lakers' seeding heading into the final day

Quick: After heartbreak vs. Suns, finale is 'the most important game of the season'

Amick: Chris Paul let's us in on how he's still balling for the Suns

Warriors-Grizzlies mega preview: Biggest questions, X-factor, prediction

Wizards-Hornets preview: Beal component and are Celtics or Pacers a better match up?