NBA Conference Standings

2020-21 National Basketball Association Magic Numbers

Eastern Conference

East GP/R W L PCT GB
CHI 3/69 3 0 1.000 —   70 70 69 69 69 69 69 68 68 68 68 68 68 68
CHA 3/69 3 0 1.000 — 70   70 69 69 69 69 69 68 68 68 68 68 68 68
WAS 2/70 2 0 1.000 0.5 71 71   70 70 70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 69
NYK 3/69 2 1 .667 1 [71] [71] [71]   70 70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 69
MIL 3/69 2 1 .667 1 [71] [71] [71] 70   70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 69
PHI 3/69 2 1 .667 1 [71] [71] [71] 70 70   70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 69
MIA 2/70 1 1 .500 1.5 [72] [72] [72] 71 71 71   71 70 70 70 70 70 70 70
ATL 2/70 1 1 .500 1.5 [72] [72] [72] 71 71 71 71   70 70 70 70 70 70 70
TOR 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71]   70 70 70 70 70 70
IND 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] 70   70 70 70 70 70
CLE 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] 70 70   70 70 70 70
BKN 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] 70 70 70   70 70 70
ORL 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] 70 70 70 70   70 70
BOS 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] 70 70 70 70 70   70
DET 2/70 0 2 .000 2.5 [73] [73] [73] [72] [72] [72] [72] [72] 71 71 71 71 71 71  

Western Conference

West GP/R W L PCT GB
GSW 3/69 3 0 1.000 —   70 70 70 69 69 69 68 68 68 68 68 68 67 67
UTH 2/70 2 0 1.000 0.5 71   71 71 70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 68 68
MIN 2/70 2 0 1.000 0.5 71 71   71 70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 68 68
DEN 2/70 2 0 1.000 0.5 71 71 71   70 70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 68 68
MEM 3/69 2 1 .667 1 [71] [71] [71] [71]   70 70 69 69 69 69 69 69 68 68
DAL 2/70 1 1 .500 1.5 [72] [72] [72] [72] 71   71 70 70 70 70 70 70 69 69
POR 2/70 1 1 .500 1.5 [72] [72] [72] [72] 71 71   70 70 70 70 70 70 69 69
PHX 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71]   70 70 70 70 70 69 69
HOU 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] 70   70 70 70 70 69 69
LAL 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] 70 70   70 70 70 69 69
SAC 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] 70 70 70   70 70 69 69
SAS 3/69 1 2 .333 2 [72] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] 70 70 70 70   70 69 69
LAC 2/70 0 2 .000 2.5 [73] [73] [73] [73] [72] [72] [72] 71 71 71 71 71   70 70
NWO 3/69 0 3 .000 3 [73] [73] [73] [73] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71]   70
OKC 3/69 0 3 .000 3 [73] [73] [73] [73] [72] [72] [72] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] [71] 70  

Eight teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs:

  • The top six teams, who are ranked 1-6 based on their win/loss records
  • The winners of the 7/8 & 9/10 play-in games:
    • The 7th and 8th seeds will play a one-game playoff at seasons end. The winner will be the 7th seed, the loser will move on to the second round of the play-in.
    • The 9th and 10th seeds will play a one-game playoff at seasons end. The winner will move on to the second round of the play-in, the loser will be eliminated from the playoffs.
    • The 7/8 loser will play the 9/10 winner, with the winner of this game being the 8th seed for the playoffs, and the loser being eliminated from the playoffs.
Clinched top-6 playoff berth
Clinched play-in round berth
Eliminated from the playoffs

Two-Team Tiebreaker

  1. Better record in head-to-head games
  2. Division winner
  3. Higher winning percentage within division (if teams are in the same division)
  4. Higher winning percentage in conference games
  5. Higher winning percentage against playoff teams in own conference
  6. Higher winning percentage against playoff teams in opposite conference
  7. Higher point differential between points scored and points allowed

Three-Team Tiebreaker

  1. Division winner
  2. Best head-to-head winning percentage among all teams tied
  3. Highest winning percentage within division (if teams are in the same division)
  4. Highest winning percentage in conference games
  5. Highest winning percentage against playoff teams in own conference
  6. Higher winning percentage against playoff teams in opposite conference
  7. Highest point differential between points scored and points allowed

Tiebreaking procedures from nba.com

Updated: October 26, 2021 2:00am ET