How Do Tiebreakers Work In NBA? Explaining The Rules!
When two teams finish the regular season with identical records, the NBA instituted tiebreakers to determine the winner. In that case, the league has established a set of regulations to establish playoff seeding.
Here are the tiebreakers when two teams have the same record, per the NBA:
- Head-to-head record
- Division leader over team not leading division
- Higher winning percentage within division if teams share a division
- Higher winning percentage in conference games
- Higher winning percentage vs. playoff teams in own conference
- Higher winning percentage vs. playoff teams in other conference
- Higher point differential (points scored vs. points allowed)
Here are the tiebreakers when three teams have the same record, per the NBA:
- Division leader over team not leading division
- Head-to-head record
- Higher winning percentage within division if teams share a division
- Higher winning percentage in conference games
- Higher winning percentage vs. playoff teams in own conference
- Higher winning percentage vs. playoff teams in other conference
- Higher point differential (points scored vs. points allowed)
NBA Western Conference Tiebreaker Status, 3/29:
Notes:
– Colossal victory for GS, as they: 1) move 1.5 games in front of NO in the standings, 2) tie the season series vs. them, and 3) regain 6th place for now
– The second tiebreaker between the two (conf record) is now tied pic.twitter.com/MMcsJRD45J— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 29, 2023
NBA standings 2023
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Bucks* | 55-22 | — |
| 2. | Celtics* | 54-24 | 1.5 |
| 3. | 76ers* | 51-26 | 4 |
| 4. | Cavaliers* | 48-30 | 7.5 |
| 5. | Knicks | 45-33 | 10.5 |
| 6. | Nets | 42-35 | 13 |
| 7. | Heat | 40-37 | 15 |
| 8. | Hawks | 38-39 | 17 |
| 9. | Raptors | 38-39 | 17 |
| 10. | Bulls | 37-40 | 18 |
| — | Wizards | 34-43 | 21 |
| — | Pacers | 34-44 | 21.5 |
| — | Magic | 33-44 | 22 |
| 29.5 | |||
I can't wait for the NBA to find a new tiebreaker to make sure the Lakers get the top seed in this scenario. https://t.co/Ts1twQIGaj
— LLcoolRay (@LLcoolRay14) March 24, 2023
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Games Back |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1. | Nuggets* | 51-26 | — |
| 2. | Grizzlies* | 49-28 | 2 |
| 3. | Kings* | 47-30 | 4 |
| 4. | Suns | 42-35 | 9 |
| 5. | Clippers | 41-37 | 10.5 |
| 6. | Warriors | 41-37 | 10.5 |
| 7. | Lakers | 39-38 | 12 |
| 8. | Pelicans | 39-38 | 12 |
| 9. | Timberwolves | 39-39 | 12.5 |
| 10. | Thunder | 38-40 | 13.5 |
| — | Mavericks | 37-40 | 14 |
| — | Jazz | 36-41 | 15 |
| — | |||
| Spurs | 32 | ||
| 32 |
The Minnesota Timberwolves are really in control of their own destiny in the playoff picture as the season winds down.
They've locked in the tiebreaker against LAL, LAC, DAL, & OKC, and currently own the tiebreaker on GS, NOP, & UTA. pic.twitter.com/JGrSNiN2Zs
— Automatic (@automaticnba) March 27, 2023
Potential 2023 Tie Breakers
Eastern Conference
1. Bucks
- vs. Celtics: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. 76ers: 1-2, one game left
2. Celtics
- vs. Bucks: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. 76ers: Clinched tiebreaker
3. 76ers
- vs. Bucks: 2-1, one game left
- vs. Celtics: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Cavaliers: Clinched tiebreaker
4. Cavaliers
- vs. 76ers: Lost tiebreaker
5. Knicks
- vs. Nets: Split season series
- vs. Heat: Clinched tiebreaker
6. Nets
- vs. Knicks: Split season series
- vs. Heat: Clinched tiebreaker
7. Heat
- vs. Knicks: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Nets: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Hawks: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Raptors: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Bulls: Lost tiebreaker
8. Hawks
- vs. Heat: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Raptors: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Bulls: 1-2, one game left
9. Raptors
- vs. Heat: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Hawks: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Bulls: Clinched tiebreaker
10. Bulls
- vs. Heat: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Hawks: 2-1, one game left
- vs. Raptors: Lost tiebreaker
Western Conference
1. Nuggets
- vs. Grizzlies: Clinched tiebreaker
2. Grizzlies
- vs. Nuggets: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Kings: Split season series
3. Kings
- vs. Grizzlies: Split season series
4. Suns
- vs. Clippers: 2-1, one game left
- vs. Warriors: Clinched tiebreaker
5. Clippers
- vs. Suns: 1-2, one game left
- vs. Warriors: Split season series
6. Warriors
- vs. Suns: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Clippers: Split season series
7. Lakers
- vs. Pelicans: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Timberwolves: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Thunder: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Mavericks: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Jazz: 0-2, two games left
8. Pelicans
- vs. Lakers: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Timberwolves: 1-1, one game left
- vs. Thunder: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Mavericks: Split season series
- vs. Jazz: Lost tiebreaker
9. Timberwolves
- vs. Lakers: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Pelicans: 1-1, one game left
- vs. Thunder: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Mavericks: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Jazz: Split season series
10. Thunder
- vs. Lakers: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Pelicans: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Timberwolves: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Mavericks: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Jazz: 2-1, one game left
11. Mavericks
- vs. Lakers: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Pelicans: Split season series
- vs. Timberwolves: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Thunder: Lost tiebreaker
- vs. Jazz: Clinched tiebreaker
12. Jazz
- vs. Lakers: 2-0, two games left
- vs. Pelicans: Clinched tiebreaker
- vs. Timberwolves: Split season series
- vs. Thunder: 1-2, one game left
- vs. Mavericks: Lost tiebreaker
NBA Western Conference Tiebreaker Status, 3/27: pic.twitter.com/SesbMDIOXq
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) March 27, 2023
In terms of NBA tiebreakers, they are quite simple. When two teams finish the regular season deadlocked, the league uses their head-to-head record to determine which club receives the higher seed. In the event of another tie, the division record will be used to determine the champion.
A better division record is used to break ties when two teams are in the same division. If a team in a different division wins its division or has a greater winning percentage, that club is chosen as the champion for that division.
The NBA has tiebreakers in place if there are additional teams with the same record in addition to two-team ties. If more than one club has the same regular season record, the team with the best winning percentage receives the first seed.
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