Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

What are the NBA tiebreakers?

There is a procedure in the NBA's tie-breaker rules based on the final regular season standings and their performance.

Image Credit: Petre Thomas-Imagn Images

The 2024-25 NBA regular season is in its final stage and few teams can face the tiebreakers for the playoffs. We may end up with some identical records after all 82 games are played. Only eight teams will get a chance to feature in the NBA playoffs. Six teams will get the direct qualification and two teams will be decided through the Play-In tournament.

On Apr 02, the Golden State Warriors beat the Memphis Grizzlies in their final regular-season meeting to own the tiebreaker. This rule will play a huge role in deciding the playoff seeding. Let’s quickly understand the NBA’s tiebreaker rule.

🏆 PLAYOFF PICTURE 🏆

▪️ GSW rises to #5 in West
▪️ West 5-8 separated by 1 game
▪️ MIN rises to tie with MEM for West #6
▪️ DEN, LAL separated by 0.5 games for West #3

The #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google begin April 19! pic.twitter.com/Sr4reNXdPh
— NBA (@NBA) April 2, 2025

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NBA’s playoff tie-break rules work on two scenarios – first, when two teams are tied and second when three or more teams are tied. There is a procedure in the NBA’s tie-breaker rules based on the final regular season standings and their performance.

Tiebreaker rules when two teams are tied

Here’s the procedure for the two-way ties in the regular season via NBA.com.

(-) Tie breaker not needed (better overall winning percentage)
(1) Better winning percentage in games against each other
(2) Division leader wins a tie over a team not leading a division
(3) Division won-lost percentage (only if teams are in same division)
(4) Conference won-lost percentage
(5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position)
(6) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in other conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position)
(7) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”)

If two teams end their regular season with the same record, they will push the tiebreaker rule. The seeding will be decided with their winning percentage in the regular-season series.

Let’s learn it through an example. In 2024-25, the Lakers and the Nuggets are competing for the higher seed. Their regular season series ended 2-2 after the Lakers’ win in the four-game series. If they end up with the same record, the second tiebreaker will be applied to determine the higher seed.

The second tiebreaker is division leader wins a tie over a team not leading a division. The Nuggets can’t win their division as the Thunder have already clinched it. The Lakers are currently winning the Pacific Division, so they will own the tiebreaker. Even if the Lakers lose the Pacific, the third tiebreaker will be applied which is the division won-lost percentage.

In another example, the Warriors own the tiebreaker against the Grizzlies and the Timberwolves in season 2024-25. If the Warriors and Grizzlies end the season with the same record, the Warriors will get the higher seed as per the tiebreaker rule.

Tiebreaker rules when three or more teams are tied

Here’s the procedure for the three-way or four-way ties in the regular season via NBA.com.

(-) Tie breaker not needed (better overall winning percentage)
(1) Division leader wins tie from team not leading a division (this criterion is applied regardless of whether the tied teams are in the same division)
(2) Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams
(3) Division won-lost percentage (only if all teams are in same division)
(4) Conference won-lost percentage
(5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for the playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position)
(6) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”)

Currently, we are seeing three-way or four-way ties in the regular season. If it happens, usually the first tiebreaker decides the winner. The division leader gets the advantage and the other two teams follow the next tiebreakers.

How playoff standings are determined for 2025 Play-In games?

The NBA Play-In Tournament is contested between the teams that finish No. 7-10 in each conference. Only two teams will join the playoff round from this competition. They will get the seventh and eighth playoff seeds in each conference for the NBA playoffs.

Let’s understand how it works:

Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winner of this game will qualify for the NBA playoffs as the No. 7 seed.
The loser of the previously mentioned game will get a final chance for the qualification. The team has to wait for the second game of the competition where the No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winners of this game will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament.
The final game of the competition will be played between the loser of the first game (No. 7 vs No. 8) and the winner of the second game (No. 9 vs No. 10). The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups. The winner of the game will get the No. 8 seeding and they will meet the top seed in the playoffs.

This year’s Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, April 15 to Friday, April 18 with the games played before the first round of the NBA playoffs begins.

Image Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports

NBA Play-In Tournament

NBA Playoffs

NBA tiebreakers

Gulshan Sharma

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A native of Jaipur, Rajasthan, journalist, and a complete soccer and basketball fan, he found the huge interest with basketball by watching videos of Allen Iverson and Tony Parker, but fell head over heels in love with the sport during the Warriors’ championship era (2015-2018). A sports game addict since his late PS1, he’s also passionate about the Eagles, Inter Miami and the Fever. He’s fortunate to have seen all his favorite teams win championships. He also has a special love for cricket and football (soccer), where he is a fan of Royal Challengers Bangalore and Barcelona.