NBA Play-Off Brackets Finalised: Clippers Secure Fifth Seed, Nuggets And Timberwolves Clinch Spots

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The NBA regular season has concluded, and the play-off brackets are now finalised. The Los Angeles Clippers secured their spot in the play-offs with a crucial victory over the Golden State Warriors. James Harden delivered an outstanding performance, scoring 39 points to lead the Clippers to a 124-119 overtime win. This victory ensured the Clippers claimed the fifth seed in the Western Conference, while the Warriors were pushed to the seventh seed and into the Play-In Tournament.

In a pivotal moment, Harden scored 12 points during overtime, including two consecutive three-pointers that gave Los Angeles some breathing room. He also contributed 10 assists for the Clippers, who would have dropped to seventh place if they had lost. Now, they are set to face the Denver Nuggets in the first round of play-offs.

Stephen Curry led Golden State with 36 points and made seven out of twelve three-point attempts. However, a crucial turnover occurred when Harden stole the ball with less than 90 seconds left. The Warriors had a chance to tie but Buddy Hield missed a three-pointer. They will now host the Memphis Grizzlies on Tuesday, with the winner securing the No. 7 seed.

The Denver Nuggets secured their position as the fourth seed in the Western Conference by defeating the Houston Rockets 126-111. Michael Porter Jr. led Denver with 19 points, while Aaron Gordon and Nikola Jokić each added 18 points. Jokić also recorded seven rebounds and seven assists, finishing his season averaging a triple-double.

The Rockets had already clinched second place and rested most starters after Denver's decisive third-quarter run. Fred VanVleet and Amen Thompson both scored 15 points for Houston, which ended its season at 52-30—their best record since 2018-19.

Anthony Edwards ensured Minnesota Timberwolves clinched sixth place by scoring an impressive 43 points against Utah Jazz. Edwards' performance included seven successful three-pointers, making him top scorer for threes this season with a total of 320.

Timberwolves Secure Sixth Spot

Rudy Gobert contributed significantly with 19 points and 18 rebounds for Minnesota (49-33), which has been strong since March began. Meanwhile, Utah Jazz finished their season with only 17 wins—marking their worst record in franchise history at 17-65.

The stage is set for an exciting play-off series as teams prepare to battle it out for supremacy in this year's NBA play-offs.