Before diving into the NBA games today, find out which squads are leading the current NBA standings.
Sportsnaut’s NBA power rankings and NBA playoff predictions will also provide additional perspective on where all 30 teams stand during the 2022-2023 82-game schedule.
NBA Standings
Who has the best record in NBA?
The 2022-2023 NBA standings are officially in the books. After 82 games the Milwaukee Bucks finished with the best record in the league at 58-24. They were followed by the Boston Celtics (57-25), and the Philadelphia 76ers (54-28).
The team with the best record in the Western Conference this past regular season was the Denver Nuggets as they finished two games ahead of the Memphis Grizzlies with a record of 53-29. Six of the top 10 teams in the league came out of the Eastern Conference in ’22-’23.
What does NBA stand for?
NBA stands for National Basketball Association, a professional basketball organization in the United States. The Basketball Association of America (BAA) was founded on June 6, 1946, and later changed its name to the National Basketball Association on August 3, 1949. This was done in conjunction with merging with the National Basketball League (NBL). Later, in 1976, the American Basketball Association (ABA) joined the fun.
The 2022-2023 basketball year will bring the 77th season in NBA Standings history. Sportsnaut will provide the latest NBA scores throughout the 2022 season, with NBA standings updated each day.
How many teams are in the NBA?
There are 30 teams in the NBA standings. The conferences are split by regional location with the Eastern Conference housing 15 NBA franchises and the Western adding another 15 NBA clubs
The Boston Celtics were originally founded in 1946, along with the New York Knicks, Philadelphia 76ers, and Atlanta Hawks. But the Detroit Pistons beat them all to the punch, being founded in 1941. The last team to join the Eastern Conference came via expansion, with the Toronto Raptors starting play in 1995.
The earliest teams in the Western Conference include the Sacramento Kings in 1923, Golden State Warriors in 1946, and the then-Minneapolis Lakers in 1947. The latest team to be added to both the Western Conference and the NBA, in general, is the New Orleans Pelicans, who are the latest NBA expansion team, being founded in 2002.
The NBA standings are broken down into six separate divisions, three each in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. Each division has five teams.
How many games are left in the NBA season?
The 2022-2023 NBA season is underway and most of the 32 teams around the Association have around 20 games left to play in their 82-game schedules.
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How many play-in teams are there in NBA?
During the past few years, the NBA has experimented with a play-in tournament. In 2022, this meant teams ranking 7-10 in both the Eastern Conference and Western Conference NBA standings would have to earn their way into the playoffs.
The 7th-seeded team plays the 8th-seeded team, with the winner earning the 7th playoff seed and the 9th-seeded team facing the 10th-seeded team. The winner of this second game plays the loser of the Seven-Eight game. Whoever wins this final contest earns the 8th seed in their respective conference.
All in all, eight teams from each conference make the playoffs, but teams earning the top six seeds are guaranteed a spot. Once the playoffs begin, the seeding is easier to understand.
- No. 1 seed vs No. 8 seed
- No. 2 seed vs No. 7 seed
- No. 3 seed vs No. 6 seed
- No. 4 seed vs No. 5 seed
All games of the NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven series, with each team needing four wins to advance to the next round. It begins with the First Round, then the Conference Semifinals, then the Conference Finals, and finally the NBA Finals to determine the NBA Championship winner.
Related: NBA playoff predictions
When are the NBA Finals?
The 2022 NBA Finals went to six out of a possible seven games. They ran from June 2 to June 13. This is a typical timeline for the NBA Finals, though the exact dates tend to fluctuate by a few days, if not weeks.
Shortly after the NBA Finals conclude, the NBA Draft begins, and shortly after that, NBA free agency gets underway. Below you can check out an overview of the 2023 NBA free-agent class.
Related: Top 2023 NBA free agents: LeBron James and Kyrie Irving could lead the charge
Who won the NBA Finals in 2022?
The Golden State Warriors won the NBA Finals in 2022, defeating the Boston Celtics in six games. Stephen Curry won the first NBA Finals MVP of his career after averaging 31.2 points per game while hitting 41.8% of his three-point shots. It was their fourth NBA Championship since 2015.
2021-2022 NBA Finals recap
- Game 1: Celtics 120, Warriors 108
- Game 2: Warriors 107, Celtics 88
- Game 3: Celtics 116, Warriors 100
- Game 4: Warriors 107, Celtics 97
- Game 5: Warriors 104, Celtics 94
- Game 6: Warriors 103, Celtics 90
Recent NBA Finals winners
- 2022: Golden State Warriors (6 games vs Boston Celtics)
- 2021: Milwaukee Bucks (6 games vs Phoenix Suns)
- 2020: Los Angeles Lakers (6 games vs Miami Heat)
- 2019: Toronto Raptors (6 games vs Golden State Warriors)
- 2018: Golden State Warriors (4 games vs Cleveland Cavaliers)
- 2017: Golden State Warriors (5 games vs Cleveland Cavaliers)
- 2016: Cleveland Cavaliers (7 games vs Golden State Warriors)
- 2015: Golden State Warriors (6 games vs Cleveland Cavaliers)
- 2014: San Antonio Spurs (5 games vs Miami Heat)
- 2013: Miami Heat (7 games vs San Antonio Spurs)