1996-97 NBA Season Standings
The Chicago Bulls (69-13) turned in the second-best regular-season record in NBA history and went on to win their fifth championship in six years, beating the first-time-Finalist Utah Jazz 4-2. As the two division winners, Chicago (Central) and Miami (Atlantic) were seeded 1-2 in the East despite Miami's much lower win total, while in the West, Utah (Midwest) and Seattle (Pacific) took the top two seeds even though Houston matched Seattle's 57-25 record. The Los Angeles Clippers snapped a long playoff drought by claiming the West's 8 seed.
Sourcing caveat: Conference seed order reflects the era's rule that each division winner is guaranteed a top-2 conference seed (ranked between the two winners by record), with all other teams seeded strictly by conference record; verified against actual first-round bracket pairings (e.g. Bulls-Bullets, Jazz-Clippers).
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | CBChicago Bulls | 69 | 13 | .841 | - |
| 2 | MHMiami Heat | 61 | 21 | .744 | 8 |
| 3 | NYKNew York Knicks | 57 | 25 | .695 | 12 |
| 4 | AHAtlanta Hawks | 56 | 26 | .683 | 13 |
| 5 | DPDetroit Pistons | 54 | 28 | .659 | 15 |
| 6 | CHCharlotte Hornets | 54 | 28 | .659 | 15 |
| 7 | OMOrlando Magic | 45 | 37 | .549 | 24 |
| 8 | WBWashington Bullets | 44 | 38 | .537 | 25 |
| 9 | CCCleveland Cavaliers | 42 | 40 | .512 | 27 |
| 10 | IPIndiana Pacers | 39 | 43 | .476 | 30 |
| 11 | MBMilwaukee Bucks | 33 | 49 | .402 | 36 |
| 12 | TRToronto Raptors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 39 |
| 13 | NJNNew Jersey Nets | 26 | 56 | .317 | 43 |
| 14 | P7Philadelphia 76ers | 22 | 60 | .268 | 47 |
| 15 | BCBoston Celtics | 15 | 67 | .183 | 54 |
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | W | L | PCT | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | UJUtah Jazz | 64 | 18 | .780 | - |
| 2 | SSSeattle SuperSonics | 57 | 25 | .695 | 7 |
| 3 | HRHouston Rockets | 57 | 25 | .695 | 7 |
| 4 | LALLos Angeles Lakers | 56 | 26 | .683 | 8 |
| 5 | PTBPortland Trail Blazers | 49 | 33 | .598 | 15 |
| 6 | MTMinnesota Timberwolves | 40 | 42 | .488 | 24 |
| 7 | PSPhoenix Suns | 40 | 42 | .488 | 24 |
| 8 | LACLos Angeles Clippers | 36 | 46 | .439 | 28 |
| 9 | SKSacramento Kings | 34 | 48 | .415 | 30 |
| 10 | GSWGolden State Warriors | 30 | 52 | .366 | 34 |
| 11 | DMDallas Mavericks | 24 | 58 | .293 | 40 |
| 12 | DNDenver Nuggets | 21 | 61 | .256 | 43 |
| 13 | SASSan Antonio Spurs | 20 | 62 | .244 | 44 |
| 14 | VGVancouver Grizzlies | 14 | 68 | .171 | 50 |
Sources
Data last verified: 11 August 2026.
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