Atlantic Division (NBA) explained

Atlantic Division
Conference:	Eastern Conference
League:	National Basketball Association
Sport:	Basketball
Inaugural:	1970–71 season
Teams:	5
Champion:	Boston Celtics (25th title)
Most Champs:	Boston Celtics (25 titles)

The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Toronto Raptors. All teams, except the Raptors, are located on the East Coast of the United States. However, Toronto sports teams have over the years enjoyed rivalries with teams in the Northeastern United States (particularly, Toronto teams also share divisions with Boston and New York teams in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League).

The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 to 17 teams with the addition of the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigned itself into two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, with two divisions in each conference. The Atlantic Division began with four inaugural members, the Celtics, the Braves, the Knicks and the 76ers.^[1] The Celtics, the Knicks and the 76ers all joined from the Eastern Division.

The Celtics have won the most Atlantic Division titles with 25. Nine NBA champions have come from the Atlantic Division. The Celtics have won seventeen championships,^[2] while the Knicks, the 76ers and the Raptors have won one championship each. All of them, except the 1972–73 Knicks, were division champions. In the 1983–84 season, all five teams from the division qualified for the playoffs. In the 1982–83 season, all teams in the division had winning percentages above 0.500 (50%).

Since the 2021–22 season, the Atlantic Division champion has received the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy, named after Hall of Famer Nathaniel Clifton.^[3]

2023–24 standings

See main article: article and 2023–24 NBA season. Notes

z – Clinched home court advantage for the entire playoffs
x – Clinched playoff spot
pi – Clinched play-in tournament spot

Teams

Team	City	Year	From
Team	City	Joined
Boston Celtics	Boston		Eastern Division
Brooklyn Nets (–present) New Jersey Nets (–) New York Nets (–)	Brooklyn, New York City Piscataway/East Rutherford/Newark, New Jersey Uniondale, New York		ABA
New York Knicks	New York City		Eastern Division
Philadelphia 76ers	Philadelphia		Eastern Division
Toronto Raptors	Toronto		Central Division

Notes

denotes a team that merged from the American Basketball Association (ABA).

Former teams

Team	City	Year	From	Year	To	Current division
Team	City	Joined		Left		Current division
Buffalo Braves (–, now Los Angeles Clippers)	Buffalo, New York		—		Pacific Division (as San Diego Clippers)	Pacific Division
Charlotte Hornets (–; –present, formerly Charlotte Bobcats)	Charlotte, North Carolina		—		Midwest Division	Southeast Division
Miami Heat	Miami		Midwest Division		Southeast Division	Southeast Division
Orlando Magic	Orlando, Florida		Midwest Division		Southeast Division	Southeast Division
Washington Wizards (–present) Washington Bullets (–)	Washington, D.C. Landover, Maryland		Central Division		Southeast Division	Southeast Division

Notes

denotes an expansion team.

Team Timeline

bgcolor=#E5D3C9 align=center width=10px		Denotes team that is currently in the division
bgcolor=#B29999 align=center width=10px		Denotes team that has left the division

DateFormat = yyyyImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25Period = from:1970 till:2021TimeAxis = orientation:horizontalPlotArea = right:20 left:20 bottom:20 top:0

Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white

PlotData = width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:Boston Celtics (1970–present) bar:2 color:tan2 from:1970 till:1978 text:Buffalo Braves (1970–1978) bar:3 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:New York Knicks (1970–present) bar:4 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:Philadelphia 76ers (1970–present) bar:5 color:tan1 from:1976 till:end text:New York/New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (1976–present) bar:6 color:tan2 from:1978 till:2004 text:Washington Bullets/Wizards (1978–2004) bar:7 color:tan2 from:1988 till:1989 text:Charlotte Hornets (1988–1989) bar:8 color:tan2 from:1989 till:2004 text:Miami Heat (1989–2004) bar:9 color:tan2 from:1991 till:2004 text:Orlando Magic (1991–2004) bar:10 color:tan1 from:2004 till:end text:Toronto Raptors (2004–present)

Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy

Beginning with the 2021–22 season, the Atlantic Division champion has received the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy. As with the other division championship trophies, it is named after one of the African American pioneers from NBA history. Nathaniel Clifton was one of the first African American players to sign an NBA contract when he joined the New York Knicks in 1950. The Clifton Trophy consists of a NaN200 crystal ball.^[4]

Division champions

bgcolor=#FFFF99 align=center width=10px	^	Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season

Team	Record	Playoffs result
New York Knicks	52–30 (.634)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics	56–26 (.683)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics^	68–14 (.829)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics	56–26 (.683)	Won NBA Finals
Boston Celtics^	60–22 (.732)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics	54–28 (.659)	Won NBA Finals
Philadelphia 76ers	50–32 (.610)	Lost NBA Finals
Philadelphia 76ers	55–27 (.671)	Lost conference finals
Washington Bullets^	54–28 (.659)	Lost NBA Finals
Boston Celtics^	61–21 (.744)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics^	62–20 (.756)	Won NBA Finals
Boston Celtics^	63–19 (.768)	Lost conference finals
Philadelphia 76ers^	65–17 (.793)	Won NBA Finals
Boston Celtics^	62–20 (.756)	Won NBA Finals
Boston Celtics^	63–19 (.768)	Lost NBA Finals
Boston Celtics^	67–15 (.817)	Won NBA Finals
Boston Celtics	59–23 (.720)	Lost NBA Finals
Boston Celtics	57–25 (.695)	Lost conference finals
New York Knicks	52–30 (.634)	Lost conference semifinals
Philadelphia 76ers	53–29 (.646)	Lost conference semifinals
Boston Celtics	56–26 (.683)	Lost conference semifinals
Boston Celtics	51–31 (.622)	Lost conference semifinals
New York Knicks	60–22 (.732)	Lost conference finals
New York Knicks	57–25 (.695)	Lost NBA Finals
Orlando Magic	57–25 (.695)	Lost NBA Finals
Orlando Magic	60–22 (.732)	Lost conference finals
Miami Heat	61–21 (.744)	Lost conference finals
Miami Heat	55–27 (.671)	Lost First round
Miami Heat	33–17 (.660)	Lost First round
Miami Heat	52–30 (.634)	Lost conference semifinals
Philadelphia 76ers	56–26 (.683)	Lost NBA Finals
New Jersey Nets	52–30 (.634)	Lost NBA Finals
New Jersey Nets	49–33 (.598)	Lost NBA Finals
New Jersey Nets	47–35 (.573)	Lost conference semifinals
Boston Celtics	45–37 (.549)	Lost First round
New Jersey Nets	49–33 (.598)	Lost conference semifinals
Toronto Raptors	47–35 (.573)	Lost First round
Boston Celtics^	66–16 (.805)	Won NBA Finals
Boston Celtics	62–20 (.756)	Lost conference semifinals
Boston Celtics	50–32 (.610)	Lost NBA Finals
Boston Celtics	56–26 (.683)	Lost conference semifinals
Boston Celtics	39–27 (.591)	Lost conference finals
New York Knicks	54–28 (.659)	Lost conference semifinals
Toronto Raptors	48–34 (.585)	Lost First round
Toronto Raptors	49–33 (.598)	Lost First round
Toronto Raptors	56–26 (.683)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics	53–29 (.646)	Lost conference finals
Toronto Raptors	59–23 (.720)	Lost conference semifinals
Toronto Raptors	58–24 (.707)	Won NBA Finals
Toronto Raptors	53–19 (.736)	Lost conference semifinals
Philadelphia 76ers	49–23 (.681)	Lost conference semifinals
Boston Celtics	51–31 (.622)	Lost NBA Finals
Boston Celtics	57–25 (.695)	Lost conference finals
Boston Celtics^	64–18 (.780)	Won NBA Finals

Titles by team

bgcolor=#FBCEB1 align=center width=10px	^	Denotes team that has left the division

Team	Titles	Season(s) won
	25	,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,
	7	,,,,,,
	6	,,,,,
	5	,,,,
	4	,,,
Miami Heat^	4	,,,
Orlando Magic^	2	,
Washington Bullets^ (now Washington Wizards)	1

Season results

bgcolor=#FFCC00 align=center width=10px	^	Denotes team that won the NBA championships
bgcolor=#C0C0C0 align=center width=10px	⁺	Denotes team that won the Conference finals, but lost the NBA Finals
bgcolor=#CCFFCC align=center width=10px		Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Playoffs
bgcolor=#FFCCFF align=center width=10px	×	Denotes team that qualified for the NBA play-in tournament

align=center width=10px	†	Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart

Season	Team (record)
Season	width=150px	1st	width=150px	2nd	width=150px	3rd	width=150px	4th	width=150px	5th	width=150px	6th	width=150px	7th
1970: The Atlantic Division was formed with four inaugural members. An expansion team, the Buffalo Braves, joined the division. The Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers joined from the Eastern Division.
	New York (52–30)	Philadelphia (47–35)	Boston (44–38)	Buffalo (22–60)
	Boston (56–26)	New York⁺ (48–34)	Philadelphia (30–52)	Buffalo (22–60)
	Boston (68–14)	New York^ (57–25)	Buffalo (21–61)	Philadelphia (9–73)
	Boston^ (56–26)	New York (49–33)	Buffalo (42–40)	Philadelphia (25–57)
	Boston (60–22)	Buffalo (49–33)	New York (40–42)	Philadelphia (34–48)
	Boston^ (54–28)	Philadelphia (46–36)	Buffalo (46–36)	New York (38–44)
1976: An American Basketball Association (ABA) team that merged with the NBA, the New York Nets, joined the division.
	Philadelphia⁺ (50–32)	Boston (44–38)	NY Knicks (40–42)	Buffalo (30–52)	NY Nets (22–60)
1977: The New York Nets relocated and became the New Jersey Nets.
	Philadelphia (55–27)	New York (43–39)	Boston (32–50)	Buffalo (27–55)	New Jersey (24–58)
1978: The Washington Bullets joined from the Central Division. The Buffalo Braves, who relocated and became the San Diego Clippers, left to join the Pacific Division.
	Washington⁺ (54–28)	Philadelphia (47–35)	New Jersey (37–45)	New York (31–51)	Boston (29–53)
	Boston (61–21)	Philadelphia⁺ (59–23)	Washington (39–43)	New York (39–43)	New Jersey (34–48)
	Boston^ (62–20)	Philadelphia (62–20)	New York (50–32)	Washington (39–43)	New Jersey (24–58)
	Boston (63–19)	Philadelphia⁺ (58–24)	New Jersey (44–38)	Washington (43–39)	New York (33–49)
	Philadelphia^ (65–17)	Boston (56–26)	New Jersey (49–33)	New York (44–38)	Washington (42–40)
	Boston^ (62–20)	Philadelphia (52–30)	New York (47–35)	New Jersey (45–37)	Washington (35–47)
	Boston⁺ (63–19)	Philadelphia (58–24)	New Jersey (42–40)	Washington (40–42)	New York (24–58)
	Boston^ (67–15)	Philadelphia (54–28)	Washington (39–43)	New Jersey (39–43)	New York (23–59)
	Boston⁺ (59–23)	Philadelphia (45–37)	Washington (42–40)	New Jersey (24–58)	New York (24–58)
	Boston (57–25)	Washington (38–44)	New York (38–44)	Philadelphia (36–46)	New Jersey (19–63)
1988: An expansion team, the Charlotte Hornets, joined the division temporarily for one season.
	New York (52–30)	Philadelphia (46–36)	Boston (42–40)	Washington (40–42)	New Jersey (26–56)	Charlotte (20–62)
1989: The Miami Heat joined from the Midwest Division. The Charlotte Hornets left to join the Midwest Division temporarily for one season, then the Central Division permanently thereafter.
	Philadelphia (53–29)	Boston (52–30)	New York (45–37)	Washington (31–51)	Miami (18–64)	New Jersey (17–65)
	Boston (56–26)	Philadelphia (44–38)	New York (39–43)	Washington (30–52)	New Jersey (26–56)	Miami (24–58)
1991: The Orlando Magic joined from the Midwest Division.
	Boston (51–31)	New York (51–31)	New Jersey (40–42)	Miami (38–44)	Philadelphia (35–47)	Washington (25–57)	Orlando (21–61)
	New York (60–22)	Boston (48–34)	New Jersey (43–39)	Orlando (41–41)	Miami (36–46)	Philadelphia (26–56)	Washington (22–60)
	New York⁺ (57–25)	Orlando (50–32)	New Jersey (45–37)	Miami (42–40)	Boston (32–50)	Philadelphia (25–57)	Washington (24–58)
	Orlando⁺ (57–25)	New York (55–27)	Boston (35–47)	Miami (32–50)	New Jersey (30–52)	Philadelphia (24–58)	Washington (21–61)
	Orlando (60–22)	New York (47–35)	Miami (42–40)	Washington (39–43)	Boston (33–49)	New Jersey (30–52)	Philadelphia (18–64)
	Miami (61–21)	New York (57–25)	Orlando (45–37)	Washington (44–38)	New Jersey (26–56)	Philadelphia (22–60)	Boston (15–67)
1997: The Washington Bullets was renamed the Washington Wizards.
	Miami (55–27)	New York (43–39)	New Jersey (43–39)	Washington (42–40)	Orlando (41–41)	Boston (36–46)	Philadelphia (31–51)
	Miami (33–17)	Orlando (33–17)	Philadelphia (28–22)	New York⁺ (27–23)	Boston (19–31)	Washington (18–32)	New Jersey (16–34)
	Miami (52–30)	New York (50–32)	Philadelphia (49–33)	Orlando (41–41)	Boston (35–47)	New Jersey (31–51)	Washington (29–53)
	Philadelphia⁺ (56–26)	Miami (50–32)	New York (48–34)	Orlando (43–39)	Boston (36–46)	New Jersey (26–56)	Washington (19–63)
	New Jersey⁺ (52–30)	Boston (49–33)	Orlando (44–38)	Philadelphia (43–39)	Washington (37–45)	Miami (36–46)	New York (30–52)
	New Jersey⁺ (49–33)	Philadelphia (48–34)	Boston (44–38)	Orlando (42–40)	Washington (37–45)	New York (37–45)	Miami (25–57)
	New Jersey (47–35)	Miami (42–40)	New York (39–43)	Boston (36–46)	Philadelphia (33–49)	Washington (25–57)	Orlando (21–61)
2004: The Toronto Raptors joined from the Central Division. The Miami Heat, the Orlando Magic and the Washington Wizards left to join the Southeast Division.
	Boston (45–37)	Philadelphia (43–39)	New Jersey (42–40)	Toronto (33–49)	New York (33–49)
	New Jersey (49–33)	Philadelphia (38–44)	Boston (33–49)	Toronto (27–55)	New York (23–59)
	Toronto (47–35)	New Jersey (41–41)	Philadelphia (35–47)	New York (33–49)	Boston (24–58)
	Boston^ (66–16)	Toronto (41–41)	Philadelphia (40–42)	New Jersey (34–48)	New York (23–59)
	Boston (62–20)	Philadelphia (41–41)	New Jersey (34–48)	Toronto (33–49)	New York (32–50)
	Boston⁺ (50–32)	Toronto (40–42)	New York (29–53)	Philadelphia (27–55)	New Jersey (12–70)
	Boston (56–26)	New York (42–40)	Philadelphia (41–41)	New Jersey (24–58)	Toronto (22–60)
	Boston (39–27)	New York (36–30)	Philadelphia (35–31)	Toronto (23–43)	New Jersey (22–44)
2012: The New Jersey Nets relocated and became the Brooklyn Nets.
	New York (54–28)	Brooklyn (49–33)	Boston (41–40)	Philadelphia (34–48)	Toronto (34–48)
	Toronto (48–34)	Brooklyn (44–38)	New York (37–45)	Boston (25–57)	Philadelphia (19–63)
	Toronto (49–33)	Boston (40–42)	Brooklyn (38–44)	Philadelphia (18–64)	New York (17–65)
	Toronto (56–26)	Boston (48–34)	New York (32–50)	Brooklyn (21–61)	Philadelphia (10–72)
	Boston (53–29)	Toronto (51–31)	New York (31–51)	Philadelphia (28–54)	Brooklyn (20–62)
	Toronto (59–23)	Boston (55–27)	Philadelphia (52–30)	New York (29–53)	Brooklyn (28–54)
	Toronto^ (58–24)	Philadelphia (51–31)	Boston (49–33)	Brooklyn (42–40)	New York (17–65)
	Toronto (53–19)	Boston (48–24)	Philadelphia (43–30)	Brooklyn (35–37)	New York† (21–45)
	Philadelphia (49–23)	Brooklyn (48–24)	New York (41–31)	Boston (36–36)	Toronto (27–45)
	Boston⁺ (51–31)	Philadelphia (51–31)	Toronto (48–34)	Brooklyn (44–38)	New York (37–45)
	Boston (57–25)	Philadelphia (54–28)	New York (47–35)	Brooklyn (45–37)	Toronto× (41–41)
	Boston^ (64–18)	New York (50–32)	Philadelphia (47–35)	Brooklyn (32–50)	Toronto (25–57)

Rivalries

See main article: article.

Notes

Because of a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, and all 29 teams played a shortened 50-game regular season schedule.^[5]
Because of a lockout, the season did not start until December 25, 2011, and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule.^[6]
In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, the NBA canceled the April 16 game scheduled in Boston between the Celtics and the Pacers; the game was not rescheduled because it would have had no impact on either team's playoff seedings.^[7]

References

General

Web site: NBA & ABA League Index. Basketball-Reference.com.

Web site: Atlantic Division Blog . NBAAtlanticTwine.com . Atlantic Twine . dead . https://web.archive.org/web/20120618004615/http://nbaatlantictwine.com/ . June 18, 2012 .

Specific

External links

NBA.com Team Index

Notes and References

Web site: 1970–71 Season Overview: Kareem Rules the League. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. May 20, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20101119020355/http://www.nba.com/history/season/19701971.html. November 19, 2010. dead.
Web site: Best Current Boston Celtics Players . May 12, 2022 .
Web site: NBA unveils new trophies for division winners named after 6 NBA legends. NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. April 11, 2022. January 28, 2023.
Web site: Conway . Tyler . April 11, 2022 . NBA Unveils Division Winner Trophies Named After Black Pioneers from League History . January 28, 2023 . Bleacher Report.
Web site: Let the semi-season begin: Expect injuries, intensity and a new champion in '99. John. Donovan. February 4, 1999. CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. May 20, 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20110622084237/http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/basketball/nba/1999/nba_preview/news/1999/02/03/nba_expectations/. June 22, 2011 . live.
Web site: 'tis The Season. Lee. Jenkins. December 5, 2011. CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. April 30, 2012.
Web site: NBA cancels game between Celtics and Pacers after Boston Marathon blasts | the Point Forward - SI.com . April 19, 2013 . https://web.archive.org/web/20130419013916/http://nba.si.com/2013/04/15/boston-marathon-bombing-terror-attack-celtics-pacers-game-cancelled-nba/ . April 19, 2013 . dead .