The Cavaliers will be in the 2023-24 NBA postseason. Whether they’re in the play-in tournament still remains to be seen.
Cleveland has fluctuated throughout much of the season. It got off to an 18-15 start, and trade rumors began to bubble up around Donovan Mitchell. Then, the Cavaliers won 17 of 18 games to race up the standings, reaching as high as second in the Eastern Conference.
However, Cleveland has again endured some woes coming down the stretch. Between Feb. 22 and April 7, the Cavs have posted a 10-16 record, including a 121-84 drubbing by the Heat on March 24 and blowing a 26-point lead to the Clippers on April 7.
Many of their issues can be attributed to injuries. Mitchell, forward Evan Mobley, and guard Darius Garland have all missed extensive time this season, and Mitchell, in particular, has been given more opportunities to rest to stay healthy for the playoffs.
If the Cavaliers can return to full health for the postseason, they have the potential to be a scary team in the playoffs.
Here’s a look at how the Cavaliers playoff picture could look with the regular season winding down.
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Cavaliers playoff scenarios 2024
Cleveland is currently the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference with three games still left to play. They sit a half-game back of the Knicks and a game up on the Pacers.
It is still theoretically possible for the Cavaliers to wind up in the play-in tournament, though it’s unlikely. They would need to lose out and either the 76ers or Heat (or both) would need to win out in order to push Cleveland to the play-in. Philadelphia could get in ahead of Cleveland based on the records of each team, while the Heat would tie on record and get the tiebreaker with a 3-1 series advantage.
As for potential matchups, Cleveland could wind up facing several different teams. The Knicks, their current matchup, are a possible option. It’s also possible the Cavaliers could play the Magic, Pacers, 76ers, or Heat. There’s a chance Cleveland could reach the No. 2 seed and play the top team from the play-in tournament, but that would require the Cavaliers passing the Bucks, Magic, and Knicks in the standings.
Of the teams Cleveland could wind up in a tie with, they would lose the tiebreaker with the Heat (1-3), Knicks (1-2), Magic (2-2, division leader), and are undetermined with the Bucks (2-2), Pacers (1-2, one game left), and 76ers (2-2, conference record unfinished).
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Cavaliers standings 2024
The Cavaliers are currently the No. 5 seed in the Eastern Conference. They are 1.5 games back of the Bucks for the No. 2 seed and are leading the No. 7 seeded 76ers by two games.
| Seed | Team | Record | Games back |
| 1 | Celtics | 62-16 | – |
| 2 | Bucks | 47-31 | 15 |
| 3 | Magic | 46-32 | 16 |
| 4 | Knicks | 46-32 | 16 |
| 5 | Cavaliers | 46-33 | 16.5 |
| 6 | Pacers | 45-34 | 17.5 |
| 7 | 76ers | 44-35 | 18.5 |
| 8 | Heat | 43-35 | 19 |
| 9 | Bulls | 37-41 | 25 |
| 10 | Hawks | 36-42 | 26 |
Cavaliers remaining schedule
Cleveland has three games left in the 2023-24 regular season. One matchup will hold major tiebreaker implications. The other two come against teams ranked 13th in their respective conferences.
Each game will be at home.
| Date | Opponent | Time (ET) |
| April 10 | vs. Grizzlies | 7 p.m. |
| April 12 | vs. Pacers | 7:30 p.m. |
| April 14 | vs. Hornets | 1 p.m. |
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
With the start of the play-in tournament, there are now 10 teams that make the NBA postseason in each conference. That’s two-thirds of each conference that will have a chance to win a title by the time the regular season comes to a close.
That also means it is harder for the seven and eight seeds to win it all. The play-in tournament means teams seeded No. 7-10 play for the last two spots rather than automatic bids for the No. 7 and 8 teams.
The matchups are high stakes with each one lasting only one game.
Round 1
- Game 1: No. 8 seed at No. 7 seed
- Game 2: No. 10 seed at No. 9 seed
Round 2
- Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1
The tournament begins with the No. 7 seed hosting the No. 8 seed. The winner of that game earns a trip to the playoffs to face the No. 2 seed. The No. 9 and 10 seeds will also square off, and the loser is eliminated.
The team that loses Game 1 will host the team that wins Game 2, and the winner of that team will play the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.
