Who will get No. 5 and 6 seeds in East? Breaking down NBA playoff chaos

Perhaps the most intriguing storyline heading into the final week of the NBA regular season, aside from who is eligible for postseason awards, is the race to avoid the play-in tournament.

The only thing settled is that the Detroit Pistons have clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference and await the return of star Cade Cunningham, who has not played since March 19 after suffering a collapsed left lung.

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The Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers have secured the other top four seeds, although their exact playoff positioning has yet to be decided.

The race in the Eastern Conference is really intriguing, as the battle for the No. 5 and 6 seeds is heating up, with six teams separated by just 3 1/2 games going into play on Tuesday, April 7.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards’ Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets’ Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns’ Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 24: The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies’…

Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/no-5-6-seeds-east-155754545.html

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Publish date : 2026-04-07 15:57:00

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