2022 NBA playoffs explained
The 2022 NBA playoffs was the postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association's 2021–22 season. The playoffs began on April 16 and ended on June 16 with the conclusion of the 2022 NBA Finals. The playoffs also returned to its normal April–June schedule for the first time since 2019, before the COVID-19 pandemic resulted in two postponements in 2020 and 2021.
Overview
Notable updates to postseason appearances
Notable occurrences
- Neither Los Angeles team qualified for the playoffs. The last time this occurred was in 2018. (The Los Angeles Clippers made the play-in as the eighth seed but did not advance.)
- This is the first time where both No. 8 seeds were eliminated in the Page-McIntyre stage by the No. 9 seeded teams.[1]
- A team with a losing record in the Western Conference (Pelicans) qualified for the playoffs. This previously occurred in 2020.
- For the first time in NBA playoff history, four players aged 22 or younger (Anthony Edwards, Ja Morant, Tyrese Maxey, and Jordan Poole) scored 30 or more points in a game in the same postseason.[2]
- Anthony Edwards joined Derrick Rose, Tyler Herro, and Magic Johnson in scoring at least 35 points in a playoff game before turning 21.[3]
- The Utah Jazz became the fifth team in the last 10 postseasons to win a playoff game after trailing by 4-plus points in the final 40 seconds. Teams were 4–701 in that span prior to the game.[4]
- The Boston Celtics swept the Brooklyn Nets, marking the 46th year in a row that a sweep occurred. The last time a sweep did not occur was in 1976. This was the 182nd series sweep in NBA playoffs history.
- The Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors series became the first Eastern Conference First Round series to go to a game 6 since 2018.
- The Memphis Grizzlies became the first team ever to have multiple comebacks wins after trailing by double-digits going into the fourth quarter in a single playoff series.[5]
- The Dallas Mavericks won a playoff series for the first time since their championship run in 2011.
- Chris Paul set a playoff record for most consecutive field goals made in a game without a miss, going 14-of-14 from the field.[6]
- For the first time since 2019, all top four teams in both the Eastern Conference and the Western Conference made it past the first round of the playoffs.
- For the first time since 2011, no first-round matchup went to a game 7.
- With a game 3 win at Denver, the Golden State Warriors have won a road game in 24 consecutive playoff series, beating the previous record set by the Miami Heat with 23. This record has since been extended to 27 consecutive playoff series with their road wins against Memphis, Dallas, and Boston.[7]
- Game 1 between the Golden State Warriors and Memphis Grizzlies was the first game in playoff history where three players age 22 or younger (Ja Morant, Jaren Jackson Jr., and Jordan Poole) each had 30-plus points.[8]
- Ja Morant became the third player in league history to have multiple 45-point games in the postseason before turning 23, joining LeBron James and Kobe Bryant.
- The Dallas Mavericks totaled nine assists against the Phoenix Suns in game 5, the lowest number of assists in a playoff game by a team since 2016.
- For the first time since 2015, every Conference semifinals series went to a game 6.
- The Mavericks–Suns series was the first of the 2022 playoffs to have a game 7, making it the 23rd consecutive NBA postseason to feature a game 7. The last time a game 7 did not occur in the playoffs was 1999. This was the 145th game 7 in NBA playoffs history.
- The Golden State Warriors became the first team to grab 70-plus rebounds in a playoff game since 1983.
- With the defending champion Milwaukee Bucks losing to the Boston Celtics, the 2022 playoffs was the third straight year where the defending champion was eliminated before the conference finals. After the Celtics defeated the Miami Heat, it was also the fifth straight year with a different EC champion.
- With the defending Western Conference champion Phoenix Suns losing to the Dallas Mavericks, this marked the second straight year both of the NBA Finals participants from the previous year were eliminated before the conference finals.
- The Dallas Mavericks made their first Conference finals since 2011.
- Neither the first-seeded team nor the second-seeded team made the Western Conference finals for the first time since 2011.
- In game 4 of the Eastern Conference finals, the Miami Heat failed to get a shot for more than eight minutes, until 3:22 remained in the first quarter. This marked the longest a team has gone with no field goals to start a game in the postseason in 25 years.[9] Subsequently, all starters for the Heat were outscored by a bench player (Victor Oladipo scored 23 points, more than 18 points from all of the starting five). The 18 points was the lowest number combined in a playoff game since starters were first tracked in 1971 and was also the first time in which a bench player outscores the entire starting lineup.[10]
- By advancing to the NBA Finals, the Golden State Warriors made their sixth Finals appearance in eight seasons, the first since 1990–98 Chicago Bulls (led by Michael Jordan) to have this feat.
- Stephen Curry joined LeBron James and Michael Jordan as the only players in NBA Finals to score 40 or more points at age 34 or older.
- Jayson Tatum set the all-time NBA record with 100 turnovers in a single postseason.[11]
- By beating the Celtics, the Warriors became the only team with a non-losing series record (1–1) against the Celtics in the Finals. The Celtics had winning series records in the Finals against the Lakers (9–3), the Hawks (3–1), the Rockets (2–0), the Bucks (1–0) and the Suns (1–0).
Format
Eight teams from each conference participated in the playoffs. The top six teams in each conference, based on winning percentage, directly qualified for the playoffs; the seeding order of those teams was also based on winning percentage. If two or more teams had the same record, standard NBA tiebreaker rules were used.
The NBA Board of Governors approved a format for the 2021–22 season to have a play-in tournament involving the teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The 7th-place team and 8th-place team participated in a "double-chance" game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the 7-seed. The loser then played the winner of the elimination game between the 9th-place and 10th-place teams to determine the playoff's 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeded as normal.[12]
Each conference's bracket was fixed with no reseeding. All rounds were best-of-seven series; a series ended when one team won four games, and that team advanced to the next round. All rounds, including the NBA Finals, were in a 2–2–1–1–1 format with regards to hosting. In the conference playoffs, home court advantage went to the higher-seeded team (number one being the highest). Conference seedings were ignored for the NBA Finals: home court advantage went to the team with the better regular season record, and, if needed, ties were broken based on head-to-head record, followed by intra-conference record.
Playoff qualifying
On March 9, 2022, the Phoenix Suns became the first team to clinch a playoff spot.[13] On April 5, the San Antonio Spurs and New Orleans Pelicans became the last two teams to qualify for postseason play, as both teams secured spots in the first-stage play-in tournament. On April 7, the Denver Nuggets became the final team to secure a direct berth in the playoff bracket, qualifying as the sixth seed in the Western Conference and relegating the Minnesota Timberwolves to the play-in tournament. While noted in the below tables, division titles have no bearing on seeding.[14]
Seeds 7 and 8 in each conference were determined via the first-stage play-in tournament, held April 12–15.
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched |
|---|
| Play-in berth | Playoff berth | Division title | Best record
in conference | Best record
in NBA |
|---|
| 1 | | 53–29 | — | March 30[15] | March 19[16] | April 7[17] | — |
| 2 | | 51–31 | — | March 31[18] | April 10[19] | — | — |
| 3 | | 51–31 | — | March 31 | April 5[20] | — | — |
| 4 | | 51–31 | — | April 3[21] | — | — | — |
| 5 | | 48–34 | — | April 5[22] | — | — | — |
| 6 | | 46–36 | — | April 5 | — | — | — |
| 7 | | 44–38 | April 2[23] | April 12[24] | — | — | — |
| 8 | | 43–39 | April 1[25] | April 15 | — | — | — | |
Cleveland (44–38) and Charlotte (43–39) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[26] [27]
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Clinched |
|---|
| Play-in berth | Playoff berth | Division title | Best record
in conference | Best record
in NBA |
|---|
| 1 | | 64–18 | — | March 9 | March 22[28] | March 24[29] | March 24 |
| 2 | | 56–26 | — | March 24[30] | March 30[31] | — | — |
| 3 | | 53–29 | — | April 2[32] | — | — | — |
| 4 | | 52–30 | — | March 30[33] | — | — | — |
| 5 | | 49–33 | — | April 5[34] | April 10[35] | — | — |
| 6 | | 48–34 | — | April 7[36] | — | — | — |
| 7 | | 46–36 | April 7[37] | April 12[38] | — | — | — |
| 8 | | 36–46 | April 5[39] | April 15 | — | — | — | |
The L.A. Clippers (42–40) and San Antonio (34–48) also secured play-in berths but did not advance to the playoffs.[40] [41]
Play-in tournament brackets
Western Conference
Bracket
Teams in bold advanced to the next round. The numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's seeding in its conference, and the numbers to the right indicate the number of games the team won in that round. The division champions are marked by an asterisk. Teams with home court advantage, the higher-seeded team, are shown in italics.
Notes and References
- Web site: Hawks and Pelicans complete NBA playoff field with play-in wins. April 15, 2022. April 16, 2022. The Guardian.
- Web site: Edwards, Morant, other young stars embrace NBA playoff stage. USA Today. April 16, 2022. April 17, 2022. April 18, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220418034612/https://www.usatoday.com/story/sports/nba/2022/04/17/edwards-morant-other-young-stars-embrace-nba-playoff-stage/50082169/. live.
- News: Walker. Teresa M.. Timberwolves stun Grizzlies, grab Game 1 with 130–117 win. The Washington Post. April 16, 2022. April 23, 2022.
- Trigg . Dalton . Tough Pill to Swallow: Mavs on Wrong Side of History with Game 4 Collapse . Sports Illustrated . April 24, 2022 . April 24, 2022 . April 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220424060607/https://www.si.com/nba/mavericks/news/dallas-mavs-collapse-luka-doncic-utah-jazz-playoffs-rudy-gobert . live .
- Web site: Comeback Grizzlies rally again from big deficit for 3–2 lead . MPR News . April 27, 2022 . April 27, 2022 . April 27, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220427115128/https://www.mprnews.org/story/2022/04/27/comeback-grizzlies-rally-again-from-big-deficit-for-32-lead . live .
- Web site: Chris Paul sets NBA Playoffs record, doesn't miss in 14 field-goal attempts . NBA.com . 29 April 2022 . May 30, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220530111915/https://www.nba.com/news/chris-paul-sets-nba-playoffs-record-doesnt-miss-in-14-field-goal-attempts . live .
- Web site: He . Eric . Warriors set NBA playoff record with road win in 24 straight series . NBC Sports . May 2, 2022 . April 22, 2022 . May 1, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220501130140/https://www.yahoo.com/video/warriors-set-nba-playoff-record-062343780.html . dead .
- Web site: Kaskey-Blomain . Michael . Warriors vs. Grizzlies score, takeaways: Stephen Curry, Jordan Poole lead Golden State to wild Game 1 win . CBS Sports . May 2, 2022 . May 2, 2022 . May 2, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220502012235/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/warriors-vs-grizzlies-score-takeaways-stephen-curry-jordan-poole-lead-golden-state-to-wild-game-1-win/live/amp/ . live .
- Web site: Heat make history with brutal start to Game 4 vs. Celtics. nbcsports.com/boston/celtics. 24 May 2022. Leger. Justin. May 23, 2022. May 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220524142453/https://www.nbcsports.com/boston/celtics/heat-make-history-horrendous-start-game-4-vs-celtics. live.
- Web site: Levin . Jake . May 23, 2022 . Celtics limit Heat starters to fewest points in playoff game since NBA-ABA merger . May 24, 2022 . sports.yahoo.com . May 24, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220524175119/https://sports.yahoo.com/celtics-limit-heat-starters-fewest-035712269.html . dead .
- Web site: Jayson Tatum finishes NBA Finals with unprecedented 100 playoff turnovers. Sports.Yahoo.com. Baer. Jack. June 17, 2022. June 17, 2022. June 17, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220617052754/https://sports.yahoo.com/jayson-tatum-nba-finals-celtics-unprecedented-100-playoff-turnovers-041958871.html. live.
- Web site: NBA Board of Governors approves Play-In Tournament for 2021–22 season. NBA.com. July 27, 2021. August 24, 2021. April 4, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220404145213/https://www.nba.com/news/play-in-tournament-returns-for-2021-22-season. live.
- Web site: Reynolds. Tim. Devin Booker scores 23 in return, Suns roll past Heat to clinch playoff spot. NBA.com. March 9, 2022. March 10, 2022. March 10, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220310153035/https://www.nba.com/news/devin-booker-scores-23-in-return-suns-roll-past-heat-to-clinch-playoff-berth. live.
- News: 5 Things to Know: NBA division winners not guaranteed playoff spot . Matt . Moore . . September 9, 2015 . April 6, 2022 . December 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203190054/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/5-things-to-know-nba-division-winners-not-guaranteed-playoff-spot/ . live .
- Web site: Beguiristain . Joe . March 30, 2022 . Miami HEAT Clinch Postseason Berth . March 31, 2022 . NBA.com . March 31, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220331180704/https://www.nba.com/heat/news/miami-heat-clinch-postseason-berth . live .
- Web site: Moton . Maurice . NBA Playoff Standings 2022: Latest Team Records, Seeds and Bracket Picture . Bleacher Report . 14 April 2022 . March 27, 2022 . December 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203190041/https://bleacherreport.com/articles/2954792-nba-playoff-standings-2022-latest-team-records-seeds-and-bracket-picture . live .
- Web site: April 7, 2022 . Miami Heat clinch No. 1 seed for Eastern Conference playoffs . April 14, 2022 . ESPN.com . April 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220408132538/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33694643 . live .
- Web site: NBA playoff updates: Bucks, Celtics clinch spots; Knicks officially eliminated. Maloney, Jack. April 5, 2022. April 5, 2022. CBS Sports. April 6, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220406004650/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-playoff-updates-bucks-celtics-clinch-spots-knicks-officially-eliminated/. live.
- Web site: 2022 NBA Playoff Picture: Celtics clinch No. 2, all East matchups set; West's 3–6 seeds still pending . CBS Sports . 14 April 2022 . Botkin . Brad . April 16, 2022 . April 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220414190037/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/2022-nba-playoffs-warriors-nuggets-76ers-raptors-among-first-round-matchups-on-tap-celtics-draw-nets/ . live .
- Web site: Daniels . Mark . Bucks beat Bulls to clinch 4th straight Division title . WTAQ . 14 April 2022 . April 6, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406185741/https://wtaq.com/2022/04/06/bucks-beat-bulls-to-clinch-4th-straight-division-title/ . live .
- Web site: Kaskey-Blomain . Michael . April 3, 2022 . 76ers clinch playoff spot, Joel Embiid sets personal milestone for games played in a season . April 4, 2022 . CBS Sports . April 4, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220404014044/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/76ers-clinch-playoff-spot-joel-embiid-sets-personal-milestone-for-games-played-in-a-season/ . live .
- Web site: NBA playoff picture: Lakers eliminated; Nets control destiny for 7 seed; Jazz, Bulls, Raptors clinch top six . 2022-04-06 . CBSSports.com . Botkin . Brad . April 6, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406054811/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/nba-playoff-picture-lakers-eliminated-nets-control-destiny-for-7-seed-jazz-bulls-raptors-clinch-top-six/ . live .
- News: Kevin Durant Drops Career High as Nets Clinch NBA Play-In Berth After Loss to Hawks . Erin . Walsh . . . April 2, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . May 26, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220526054041/https://currently.att.yahoo.com/att/kevin-durant-drops-career-high-021843322.html . live .
- Web site: Botkin . Brad . Cavaliers vs. Nets score: Kevin Durant, Kyrie Irving's dominance helps Brooklyn clinch No. 7 seed in East . CBS Sports . 13 April 2022 . April 13, 2022 . April 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413013752/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/cavaliers-vs-nets-score-kevin-durant-kyrie-irvings-dominance-helps-brooklyn-clinch-no-7-seed-in-east/live/ . live .
- News: Hawks ease by Cavs to seal play-in berth . bignewsnetwork.com . April 1, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406060205/https://www.bignewsnetwork.com/news/272441127/hawks-ease-by-cavs-to-seal-play-in-berth . live .
- Callihan . Schuyler . Hornets Bounced from Playoffs in Blowout Loss to Hawks . Sports Illustrated . 14 April 2022. April 13, 2022.
- News: Cleveland Cavaliers' season ended by Trae Young, Atlanta Hawks, 107–101 . Chris . Fedor . cleveland.com . April 15, 2022 . April 15, 2022 . April 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220416025830/https://www.cleveland.com/cavs/2022/04/cleveland-cavaliers-season-ended-by-trae-young-atlanta-hawks-107-101.html . live .
- Web site: Vinton . Jeff . Phoenix Suns clinch 2nd-straight Pacific Division title as Chris Paul gets closer to return . 12 Sports . 14 April 2022 . March 22, 2022 . December 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203190043/https://www.12news.com/article/sports/nba/suns/phoenix-suns-clinch-2nd-straight-pacific-division-title-chris-paul-closer-to-return/75-e935c006-7ded-4421-9496-4c7fc0d560a4 . live .
- Web site: Paul returns, helps Suns secure No. 1 seed. NBA.com. March 24, 2022. March 24, 2022. March 24, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220324201648/https://www.nba.com/news/suns-chris-paul-probable-return-nuggets. live.
- Web site: Postgame Report: Grizzlies earn wire-to-wire win with 133–103 rout of Pacers. NBA.com. March 24, 2022. March 31, 2022. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220331180706/https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/postgame/ind-220324. live.
- Web site: Postgame Report: Grizzlies fend off Spurs, clinch first division title in franchise history. NBA.com. March 30, 2022. March 31, 2022. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220331180703/https://www.nba.com/grizzlies/news/postgame/sas-220330. live.
- Web site: Andrews . Kendra . Kendra Andrews . April 2, 2022 . Golden State Warriors clinch playoff spot with high-stakes win over Utah Jazz . April 3, 2022 . ESPN.com . April 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220403170744/https://www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/33659433 . live .
- Web site: Price. Dwain. Mavs Beat Cavs, 120–112, Now Own the NO. 3 Seed Out West. mavs.com. March 30, 2022. March 31, 2022. March 31, 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220331083715/https://www.mavs.com/mavsathirdseed/. live.
- Web site: Hundman . Gabby . April 5, 2022 . Utah Jazz Clinch Spot in 2022 NBA Playoffs . 2022-04-06 . Utah Jazz . en . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406041911/https://www.nba.com/jazz/utah-jazz-clinch-spot-2022-nba-playoffs . live .
- Web site: April 11, 2022 . Jazz rout Blazers, clinch division, will be No. 5 seed . April 14, 2022 . SportsNaut . December 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203190048/https://sportsnaut.com/jazz-rout-blazers-clinch-division-will-be-no-5-seed/ . live .
- News: Nuggets clinch playoff berth with 122–109 rout of Grizzlies . Arnie . Stapleton . . ABC News . April 7, 2022 . April 7, 2022 . April 8, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220408040153/https://abcnews.go.com/Sports/wireStory/nuggets-clinch-playoff-berth-122-109-rout-grizzlies-83952372 . live .
- Web site: April 8, 2022 . NBA roundup: Nuggets seal playoff bid as Nikola Jokic makes history . April 13, 2022 . Reuters . December 3, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20221203190048/https://www.reuters.com/lifestyle/sports/nba-roundup-nuggets-seal-playoff-bid-nikola-jokic-makes-history-2022-04-08/ . live .
- Web site: Frederick . Jace . Anthony Edwards, D'Angelo Russell deliver as Timberwolves beat Clippers to reach playoffs . Pioneer Press . 13 April 2022 . April 13, 2022 . April 13, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220413043428/https://www.twincities.com/2022/04/12/anthony-edwards-dangelo-russell-deliver-as-timberwolves-beat-clippers-to-reach-playoffs/ . live .
- News: Pelicans beat Kings 123–109, clinch play-in spot in West . cbssports.com . April 5, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . April 6, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220406060442/https://www.cbssports.com/nba/news/pelicans-beat-kings-123-109-clinch-play-in-spot-in-west/ . live .
- Web site: King . Drew . San Antonio vs. New Orleans, Final Score: Spurs can't complete comeback, fall to Pelicans in play-in . SB Nation . 14 April 2022 . April 13, 2022 . April 14, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220414063446/https://www.poundingtherock.com/2022/4/13/23024592/san-antonio-vs-new-orleans-final-score-spurs-cant-complete-comeback-fall-to-pelicans-in-play-in . live .
- News: Guillory . William . Murray . Law . and . April 16, 2022 . 2022 NBA Play-In: Pelicans eliminate Clippers to be No. 8 seed, will play Suns in first round . April 16, 2022 . . April 16, 2022 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220416050604/https://theathletic.com/news/pelicans-eliminate-clippers/Kw0ppD5104fH/ . live .
