As the NBA approaches the 2025 playoffs, which begin on Saturday, April 19, teams across the league are fighting for playoff spots and better placement.
The Cleveland Cavaliers currently sit atop the Eastern Conference, boasting a 57-14 record and clinching the Central Division.
The Cavaliers are led by veteran shooting guard Donovan Mitchell, who averages 23.7 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.8 assists per game.
The defending champion Boston Celtics follow close behind in the east with a record of 52-19, and they do not look to be slowing down anytime soon, winning 10 of their last 11 games en route to the tune of a guaranteed postseason berth.
The Celtics are led by star small forward Jayson Tatum and 2024 NBA Finals MVP Jaylen Brown.
Tatum leads the team in average points, assists and rebounds, with 27.2, 5.9 and 8.7, respectively. Brown averages 22.8 points per game.
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder lead with a league-best record of 59-12. The Thunder, after losing talents like James Harden, Kevin Durant and Russell Westbrook and experiencing a period of down years, seem to be back in competition for an NBA title.
The team looked to make a run last year, but after finishing the regular season at an impressive 59-25, that run was cut short in the second round by the Dallas Mavericks.
Young star point guard Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is the bonafide face of the Thunder and is currently the betting favorite to win the 2024-2025 NBA MVP by a wide margin. He averaged 32.8 points per game and leads his team in points, assists, field goal percentage and steals.
“[Shai Gilgeous-Alexander] is a beast,” said Owen Faulk, a senior accounting major. “I think he should’ve won MVP last year, but he really should this year.”
However, it seems Denver Nuggets center Nikola Jokić has always in the MVP conversation recently, and this year is no different.
Jokić, winning three of the last four MVP awards, leads his team in points, assists, field percentage, rebounds and steals per game. The Nuggets have a 45-27 record and currently hold the three-seed for the playoffs.
The Los Angeles Lakers, pulling off one of the biggest trades in professional sports in recent memory back in February, have put their new duo consisting of NBA superstars LeBron James and Luka Dončić to good use, earning a 43-27 record, which puts them at the top of the Pacific Division and at the four-seed for the playoffs.
The teams that have not accrued as great of records as others are still fighting for spots in the postseason.
While the New Orleans Pelicans, Utah Jazz, Washington Wizards and Charlotte Hornets are the only team to be eliminated so far, other teams on the cusp of a playoff berth will need to finish the season strong to avoid the same fate.
The Phoenix Suns currently hold the last playoff spot in the west. Despite having stars Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, the Suns have gone through some losing streaks throughout the season that have hindered their record.
However, they are currently on a three-game win streak, most recently beating the Cavaliers 123-112, so there is reason to believe that they will make a strong push for the postseason.
The Miami Heat hold the last playoff spot in the east. After losing star forward Jimmy Butler, players like point guard Tyler Herro and center Bam Adebayo have begun to step up in absence to avoid missing their first postseason since 2019.
As the final weeks of the regular season unfold, time will tell what teams make the final push for the playoffs.