2008 NBA playoffs
The 2008 NBA Playoffs will be the postseason to the National Basketball Association's 2007-2008 season.
Format
The 2008 format will be the same as 2007's format.
- The top 8 teams from each conference qualify for the playoffs.
- The top 4 seeded teams are the three division winners and the best division runner-up all ranked on the basis of their standings.
- The bottom 4 seeded teams are seeded by basis of their standings.
- All series are in a best-of-seven format with the Games 1-2, 5 and 7 on the home court of the team with the better record.
- Exception: For the NBA Finals, the team with the better record will play Games 1-2 and 6-7 on their home court.
- The Playoffs begin on Saturday April 19th, with a single game on ABC and a tripleheader on ESPN.
- The Eastern Conference Finals will be televised by ABC and ESPN, and the Western Conference Finals will be televised by TNT.
- The NBA Finals will be televised on ABC, beginning Thursday June 5th. The latest possible end date for the NBA Finals will be Thursday June 19th.
Playoff qualifying
Eastern Conference
The following teams have clinched a playoff berth in the East:
- Boston Celtics (clinched berth on March 5)
- Clinched home court advantage throughout the playoffs.
- Detroit Pistons (clinched berth on March 8)
- Clinched Central Division title.
- Orlando Magic (clinched berth on March 15)
- Clinched Southeast Division title.
- Cleveland Cavaliers (clinched berth on March 29)
- Philadelphia 76ers (clinched berth on April 4)
- Washington Wizards (clinched berth on April 4)
- Toronto Raptors (clinched berth on April 4)
Western Conference
The following teams have clinched a playoff berth in the West:
- New Orleans Hornets (clinched berth on April 4)
- San Antonio Spurs (clinched berth on April 5)
- Los Angeles Lakers (clinched berth on April 4)
- Utah Jazz (clinched berth on April 6)
- Clinched Northwest Division title.
- Houston Rockets (clinched berth on April 6)
- Phoenix Suns (clinched berth on April 6)
The following three teams are competing for the last two playoff spots:
- Dallas Mavericks is within 6 and a half games of the Hornets.
- Denver Nuggets is within 8 and a half games of the Hornets.
- Golden State Warriors is within 8 and a half games of the Hornets.
Bracket
This is the outlook for the 2007 NBA playoffs. Teams in italics have home court advantage. Teams in bold advance to the next round. Numbers to the left of each team indicate the team's original playoffs seeding in their respective conferences. Numbers to the right of each team indicate the number of games the team won in that round. {{16TeamBracket | | RD1=First Round | RD2=Conference Semifinals | RD3=Conference Finals | RD4=NBA Finals | group1=Eastern Conference | group2=Western Conference
| RD1-seed01=1 | RD1-team01=Celtics | RD1-score01= | RD1-seed02=8 | RD1-team02= | RD1-score02=
| RD1-seed03=4 | RD1-team03= | RD1-score03= | RD1-seed04=5 | RD1-team04= | RD1-score04=
| RD1-seed05=2 | RD1-team05= | RD1-score05= | RD1-seed06=7 | RD1-team06= | RD1-score06=
| RD1-seed07=3 | RD1-team07= | RD1-score07= | RD1-seed08=6 | RD1-team08= | RD1-score08=
| RD1-seed09=1 | RD1-team09= | RD1-score09= | RD1-seed10=8 | RD1-team10= | RD1-score10=
| RD1-seed11=4 | RD1-team11= | RD1-score11= | RD1-seed12=5 | RD1-team12= | RD1-score12=
| RD1-seed13=2 | RD1-team13= | RD1-score13= | RD1-seed14=7 | RD1-team14= | RD1-score14=
| RD1-seed15=3 | RD1-team15= | RD1-score15= | RD1-seed16=6 | RD1-team16= | RD1-score16=