NBA 2024–2025: A Regular Season Full of Highs, Lows, and Big Surprises
The 2024–2025 NBA regular season has officially wrapped up, giving way to the playoffs. The past few months have delivered expected confirmations, fresh surprises, and some bitter disappointments. Here’s a complete breakdown of the season’s major takeaways.
Conference Champions
Eastern Conference: The Cleveland Cavaliers (64-18) claimed the top seed, thanks to elite defense and a solid team structure—achieving their best season since the LeBron James era.
Western Conference: The Oklahoma City Thunder (65-17) posted the best overall record in the league, led by MVP candidate Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and a young, energetic core.
Teams That Qualified Directly for the Playoffs
Eastern Conference: Cleveland, Boston, New York, Indiana, Milwaukee, and Detroit (their first appearance since 2019).
Western Conference: Oklahoma City, Houston, Lakers, Denver, Clippers, and Minnesota.
Play-In Teams
Eastern Conference:
Orlando Magic (7th)
Miami Heat (10th) – made history as the first-ever 10th seed to advance to the playoffs via the play-in tournament.
Western Conference:
Golden State Warriors (7th)
Memphis Grizzlies (8th)
Teams That Missed the Playoffs
Eastern Conference: Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Toronto, Chicago, Charlotte.
Western Conference: Dallas, Phoenix, Sacramento, New Orleans, San Antonio, Utah, Portland.
Biggest Disappointments of the Season
Dallas Mavericks: After reaching the Western Conference Finals in 2024, Dallas collapsed this season following Luka Dončić’s departure. Injuries and poor depth doomed their campaign.
Phoenix Suns: Despite having stars like Durant and Booker, the Suns finished well below expectations. Owner Mat Ishbia called the season “embarrassing,” and coach Mike Budenholzer was dismissed.
Philadelphia 76ers: A shocking collapse for a team that hadn’t missed the playoffs since 2017. Between Joel Embiid’s injury, inconsistent performances, and locker room issues, the Sixers fell apart despite being built for postseason success. A major disappointment for a city that had high hopes.
