Atlantic Division (NBA)
The Atlantic Division is one of the three divisions in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The division consists of five teams, the Boston Celtics, the Brooklyn Nets, the New York Knicks, the Philadelphia 76ers and the Toronto Raptors. All teams, except the Raptors, are located on the East Coast of the United States. However, Toronto sports teams have over the years enjoyed rivalries with teams in the Northeastern United States (particularly, Toronto teams also share divisions with Boston and New York teams in Major League Baseball and the National Hockey League.
| Conference | Eastern Conference |
|---|---|
| League | National Basketball Association |
| Sport | Basketball |
| Inaugural season | 1970–71 season |
| No. of teams | 5 |
| Most recent champion(s) | Boston Celtics (23rd title) |
| Most titles | Boston Celtics (23 titles) |
The division was created at the start of the 1970–71 season, when the league expanded from 14 to 17 teams with the addition of the Buffalo Braves, the Cleveland Cavaliers and the Portland Trail Blazers. The league realigned itself into two conferences, the Western Conference and the Eastern Conference, with two divisions in each conference. The Atlantic Division began with four inaugural members, the Celtics, the Braves, the Knicks and the 76ers.[1] The Celtics, the Knicks and the 76ers all joined from the Eastern Division.
The Celtics have won the most Atlantic Division titles with 23. Nine NBA champions have come from the Atlantic Division. The Celtics have won seventeen championships,[2] while the Knicks, the 76ers and the Raptors have won one championship each. All of them, except the 1972–73 Knicks, were division champions. In the 1983–84 season, all five teams from the division qualified for the playoffs. In the 1982–83 season, all teams in the division had winning percentages above 0.500 (50%).
Starting with the 2021–22 season, the Atlantic Division champions would receive the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy, named after Hall of Famer Nathaniel Clifton.[3]
Current standings
| Atlantic Division | W | L | PCT | GB | Home | Road | Div | GP |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 6 | 3 | .667 | 3.0 | 3–1 | 3–2 | 2–0 | 9 |
| Toronto Raptors | 5 | 4 | .556 | 4.0 | 3–1 | 2–3 | 1–2 | 9 |
| New York Knicks | 4 | 5 | .444 | 5.0 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 1–1 | 9 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 4 | 6 | .400 | 5.5 | 1–4 | 3–2 | 1–3 | 10 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 4 | 6 | .400 | 5.5 | 2–4 | 2–2 | 1–0 | 10 |
Teams
| Team | City | Year | From |
|---|---|---|---|
| Joined | |||
| Boston Celtics | Boston | 1970 | Eastern Division |
| Brooklyn Nets (2012–present) New Jersey Nets (1977–2012) New York Nets (1976–1977) |
Brooklyn, New York City Piscataway/East Rutherford/Newark, New Jersey Uniondale, New York |
1976 | ABA |
| New York Knicks | New York City | 1970 | Eastern Division |
| Philadelphia 76ers | Philadelphia | 1970 | Eastern Division |
| Toronto Raptors | Toronto | 2004 | Central Division |
- Notes
- denotes a team that merged from the American Basketball Association (ABA).
Former teams
| Team | City | Year | From | Year | To | Current division |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Joined | Left | |||||
| Buffalo Braves (1970–1978, now Los Angeles Clippers) | Buffalo, New York | 1970 | — |
1978 | Pacific Division (as San Diego Clippers) |
Pacific Division |
| Charlotte Hornets (1988–2002; 2004–present, formerly Charlotte Bobcats) | Charlotte, North Carolina | 1988 | — |
1989 | Midwest Division | Southeast Division |
| Miami Heat | Miami | 1989 | Midwest Division | 2004 | Southeast Division | Southeast Division |
| Orlando Magic | Orlando, Florida | 1991 | Midwest Division | 2004 | Southeast Division | Southeast Division |
| Washington Wizards (1997–present) Washington Bullets (1974–1997) |
Washington, D.C. Landover, Maryland |
1978 | Central Division | 2004 | Southeast Division | Southeast Division |
- Notes
- denotes an expansion team.
Team timeline
| Denotes team that is currently in the division | |
| Denotes team that has left the division |
Division champions
| ^ | Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season |
| Season | Team | Record | Playoffs result |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1970–71 | New York Knicks | 52–30 (.634) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1971–72 | Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1972–73 | Boston Celtics^ | 68–14 (.829) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1973–74 | Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1974–75 | Boston Celtics^ | 60–22 (.732) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1975–76 | Boston Celtics | 54–28 (.659) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1976–77 | Philadelphia 76ers | 50–32 (.610) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1977–78 | Philadelphia 76ers | 55–27 (.671) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1978–79 | Washington Bullets^ | 54–28 (.659) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1979–80 | Boston Celtics^ | 61–21 (.744) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1980–81 | Boston Celtics^ | 62–20 (.756) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1981–82 | Boston Celtics^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1982–83 | Philadelphia 76ers^ | 65–17 (.793) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1983–84 | Boston Celtics^ | 62–20 (.756) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1984–85 | Boston Celtics^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1985–86 | Boston Celtics^ | 67–15 (.817) | Won NBA Finals |
| 1986–87 | Boston Celtics | 59–23 (.720) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1987–88 | Boston Celtics | 57–25 (.695) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1988–89 | New York Knicks | 52–30 (.634) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia 76ers | 53–29 (.646) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1990–91 | Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1991–92 | Boston Celtics | 51–31 (.622) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 1992–93 | New York Knicks | 60–22 (.732) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1993–94 | New York Knicks | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1994–95 | Orlando Magic | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 1995–96 | Orlando Magic | 60–22 (.732) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1996–97 | Miami Heat | 61–21 (.744) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 1997–98 | Miami Heat | 55–27 (.671) | Lost First Round |
| 1998–99[a] | Miami Heat | 33–17 (.660) | Lost First Round |
| 1999–00 | Miami Heat | 52–30 (.634) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2000–01 | Philadelphia 76ers | 56–26 (.683) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2001–02 | New Jersey Nets | 52–30 (.634) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2002–03 | New Jersey Nets | 49–33 (.598) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2003–04 | New Jersey Nets | 47–35 (.573) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2004–05 | Boston Celtics | 45–37 (.549) | Lost First Round |
| 2005–06 | New Jersey Nets | 49–33 (.598) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2006–07 | Toronto Raptors | 47–35 (.573) | Lost First Round |
| 2007–08 | Boston Celtics^ | 66–16 (.805) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2008–09 | Boston Celtics | 62–20 (.756) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2009–10 | Boston Celtics | 50–32 (.610) | Lost NBA Finals |
| 2010–11 | Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2011–12[b] | Boston Celtics | 39–27 (.591) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 2012–13 | New York Knicks | 54–28 (.659) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2013–14 | Toronto Raptors | 48–34 (.585) | Lost First Round |
| 2014–15 | Toronto Raptors | 49–33 (.598) | Lost First Round |
| 2015–16 | Toronto Raptors | 56–26 (.683) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 2016–17 | Boston Celtics | 53–29 (.646) | Lost Conference Finals |
| 2017–18 | Toronto Raptors | 59–23 (.720) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2018–19 | Toronto Raptors | 58–24 (.707) | Won NBA Finals |
| 2019–20 | Toronto Raptors | 53–19 (.736) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2020–21 | Philadelphia 76ers | 49–23 (.681) | Lost Conference Semifinals |
| 2021–22 | Boston Celtics | 51–31 (.622) | Lost NBA Finals |
Titles by team
| ^ | Denotes team that has left the division |
| Team | Titles | Season(s) won |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 23 | 1971–72, 1972–73, 1973–74, 1974–75, 1975–76, 1979–80, 1980–81, 1981–82, 1983–84, 1984–85, 1985–86, 1986–87, 1987–88, 1990–91, 1991–92, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2008–09, 2009–10, 2010–11, 2011–12, 2016–17, 2021–22 |
| Toronto Raptors | 7 | 2006–07, 2013–14, 2014–15, 2015–16, 2017–18, 2018–19, 2019–20 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 6 | 1976–77, 1977–78, 1982–83, 1989–90, 2000–01, 2020–21 |
| New York Knicks | 5 | 1970–71, 1988–89, 1992–93, 1993–94, 2012–13 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 4 | 2001–02, 2002–03, 2003–04, 2005–06 |
| Miami Heat^ | 4 | 1996–97, 1997–98, 1998–99, 1999–00 |
| Orlando Magic^ | 2 | 1994–95, 1995–96 |
| Washington Bullets^ (now Washington Wizards) | 1 | 1978–79 |
Season results
| ^ | Denotes team that won the NBA championships |
| + | Denotes team that won the Conference Finals, but lost the NBA Finals |
| * | Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Playoffs |
| × | Denotes team that qualified for the NBA Play-In Tournament |
| † | Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart |
| Season | Team (record) | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1st | 2nd | 3rd | 4th | 5th | 6th | 7th | |
| |||||||
| 1970–71 | New York* (52–30) | Philadelphia* (47–35) | Boston (44–38) | Buffalo (22–60) | |||
| 1971–72 | Boston* (56–26) | New York+ (48–34) | Philadelphia (30–52) | Buffalo (22–60) | |||
| 1972–73 | Boston* (68–14) | New York^ (57–25) | Buffalo (21–61) | Philadelphia (9–73) | |||
| 1973–74 | Boston^ (56–26) | New York* (49–33) | Buffalo* (42–40) | Philadelphia (25–57) | |||
| 1974–75 | Boston* (60–22) | Buffalo* (49–33) | New York* (40–42) | Philadelphia (34–48) | |||
| 1975–76 | Boston^ (54–28) | Philadelphia* (46–36) | Buffalo* (46–36) | New York (38–44) | |||
| |||||||
| 1976–77 | Philadelphia+ (50–32) | Boston* (44–38) | NY Knicks (40–42) | Buffalo (30–52) | NY Nets (22–60) | ||
| |||||||
| 1977–78 | Philadelphia* (55–27) | New York* (43–39) | Boston (32–50) | Buffalo (27–55) | New Jersey (24–58) | ||
| |||||||
| 1978–79 | Washington+ (54–28) | Philadelphia* (47–35) | New Jersey* (37–45) | New York (31–51) | Boston (29–53) | ||
| 1979–80 | Boston* (61–21) | Philadelphia+ (59–23) | Washington* (39–43) | New York (39–43) | New Jersey (34–48) | ||
| 1980–81 | Boston^ (62–20) | Philadelphia* (62–20) | New York* (50–32) | Washington (39–43) | New Jersey (24–58) | ||
| 1981–82 | Boston* (63–19) | Philadelphia+ (58–24) | New Jersey* (44–38) | Washington* (43–39) | New York (33–49) | ||
| 1982–83 | Philadelphia^ (65–17) | Boston* (56–26) | New Jersey* (49–33) | New York* (44–38) | Washington (42–40) | ||
| 1983–84 | Boston^ (62–20) | Philadelphia* (52–30) | New York* (47–35) | New Jersey* (45–37) | Washington* (35–47) | ||
| 1984–85 | Boston+ (63–19) | Philadelphia* (58–24) | New Jersey* (42–40) | Washington* (40–42) | New York (24–58) | ||
| 1985–86 | Boston^ (67–15) | Philadelphia* (54–28) | Washington* (39–43) | New Jersey* (39–43) | New York (23–59) | ||
| 1986–87 | Boston+ (59–23) | Philadelphia* (45–37) | Washington* (42–40) | New Jersey (24–58) | New York (24–58) | ||
| 1987–88 | Boston* (57–25) | Washington* (38–44) | New York* (38–44) | Philadelphia (36–46) | New Jersey (19–63) | ||
| |||||||
| 1988–89 | New York* (52–30) | Philadelphia* (46–36) | Boston* (42–40) | Washington (40–42) | New Jersey (26–56) | Charlotte (20–62) | |
| |||||||
| 1989–90 | Philadelphia* (53–29) | Boston* (52–30) | New York* (45–37) | Washington (31–51) | Miami (18–64) | New Jersey (17–65) | |
| 1990–91 | Boston* (56–26) | Philadelphia* (44–38) | New York* (39–43) | Washington (30–52) | New Jersey (26–56) | Miami (24–58) | |
| |||||||
| 1991–92 | Boston* (51–31) | New York* (51–31) | New Jersey* (40–42) | Miami* (38–44) | Philadelphia (35–47) | Washington (25–57) | Orlando (21–61) |
| 1992–93 | New York* (60–22) | Boston* (48–34) | New Jersey* (43–39) | Orlando (41–41) | Miami (36–46) | Philadelphia (26–56) | Washington (22–60) |
| 1993–94 | New York+ (57–25) | Orlando* (50–32) | New Jersey* (45–37) | Miami* (42–40) | Boston (32–50) | Philadelphia (25–57) | Washington (24–58) |
| 1994–95 | Orlando+ (57–25) | New York* (55–27) | Boston* (35–47) | Miami (32–50) | New Jersey (30–52) | Philadelphia (24–58) | Washington (21–61) |
| 1995–96 | Orlando* (60–22) | New York* (47–35) | Miami* (42–40) | Washington (39–43) | Boston (33–49) | New Jersey (30–52) | Philadelphia (18–64) |
| 1996–97 | Miami* (61–21) | New York* (57–25) | Orlando* (45–37) | Washington* (44–38) | New Jersey (26–56) | Philadelphia (22–60) | Boston (15–67) |
| |||||||
| 1997–98 | Miami* (55–27) | New York* (43–39) | New Jersey* (43–39) | Washington (42–40) | Orlando (41–41) | Boston (36–46) | Philadelphia (31–51) |
| 1998–99[a] | Miami* (33–17) | Orlando* (33–17) | Philadelphia* (28–22) | New York+ (27–23) | Boston (19–31) | Washington (18–32) | New Jersey (16–34) |
| 1999–00 | Miami* (52–30) | New York* (50–32) | Philadelphia* (49–33) | Orlando (41–41) | Boston (35–47) | New Jersey (31–51) | Washington (29–53) |
| 2000–01 | Philadelphia+ (56–26) | Miami* (50–32) | New York* (48–34) | Orlando* (43–39) | Boston (36–46) | New Jersey (26–56) | Washington (19–63) |
| 2001–02 | New Jersey+ (52–30) | Boston* (49–33) | Orlando* (44–38) | Philadelphia* (43–39) | Washington (37–45) | Miami (36–46) | New York (30–52) |
| 2002–03 | New Jersey+ (49–33) | Philadelphia* (48–34) | Boston* (44–38) | Orlando* (42–40) | Washington (37–45) | New York (37–45) | Miami (25–57) |
| 2003–04 | New Jersey* (47–35) | Miami* (42–40) | New York* (39–43) | Boston* (36–46) | Philadelphia (33–49) | Washington (25–57) | Orlando (21–61) |
| |||||||
| 2004–05 | Boston* (45–37) | Philadelphia* (43–39) | New Jersey* (42–40) | Toronto (33–49) | New York (33–49) | ||
| 2005–06 | New Jersey* (49–33) | Philadelphia (38–44) | Boston (33–49) | Toronto (27–55) | New York (23–59) | ||
| 2006–07 | Toronto* (47–35) | New Jersey* (41–41) | Philadelphia (35–47) | New York (33–49) | Boston (24–58) | ||
| 2007–08 | Boston^ (66–16) | Toronto* (41–41) | Philadelphia* (40–42) | New Jersey (34–48) | New York (23–59) | ||
| 2008–09 | Boston* (62–20) | Philadelphia* (41–41) | New Jersey (34–48) | Toronto (33–49) | New York (32–50) | ||
| 2009–10 | Boston+ (50–32) | Toronto (40–42) | New York (29–53) | Philadelphia (27–55) | New Jersey (12–70) | ||
| 2010–11 | Boston* (56–26) | New York* (42–40) | Philadelphia* (41–41) | New Jersey (24–58) | Toronto (22–60) | ||
| 2011–12[b] | Boston* (39–27) | New York* (36–30) | Philadelphia* (35–31) | Toronto (23–43) | New Jersey (22–44) | ||
| |||||||
| 2012–13 | New York* (54–28) | Brooklyn* (49–33) | Boston* (41–40) | Philadelphia (34–48) | Toronto (34–48) | ||
| 2013–14 | Toronto* (48–34) | Brooklyn* (44–38) | New York (37–45) | Boston (25–57) | Philadelphia (19–63) | ||
| 2014–15 | Toronto* (49–33) | Boston* (40–42) | Brooklyn* (38–44) | Philadelphia (18–64) | New York (17–65) | ||
| 2015–16 | Toronto* (56–26) | Boston* (48–34) | New York (32–50) | Brooklyn (21–61) | Philadelphia (10–72) | ||
| 2016–17 | Boston* (53–29) | Toronto* (51–31) | New York (31–51) | Philadelphia (28–54) | Brooklyn (20–62) | ||
| 2017–18 | Toronto* (59–23) | Boston* (55–27) | Philadelphia* (52–30) | New York (29–53) | Brooklyn (28–54) | ||
| 2018–19 | Toronto^ (58–24) | Philadelphia* (51–31) | Boston* (49–33) | Brooklyn* (42–40) | New York (17–65) | ||
| 2019–20 | Toronto* (53–19) | Boston* (48–24) | Philadelphia* (43–30) | Brooklyn* (35–37) | New York† (21–45) | ||
| 2020–21 | Philadelphia* (49–23) | Brooklyn* (48–24) | New York* (41–31) | Boston* (36–36) | Toronto (27–45) | ||
| 2021–22 | Boston+ (51–31) | Philadelphia* (51–31) | Toronto* (48–34) | Brooklyn* (44–38) | New York (37–45) | ||
Rivalries
Notes
- a 1 2 Because of a lockout, the season did not start until February 5, 1999, and all 29 teams played a shortened 50-game regular season schedule.[4]
- b 1 2 Because of a lockout, the season did not start until December 25, 2011, and all 30 teams played a shortened 66-game regular season schedule.[5]
- In the aftermath of the Boston Marathon bombing, the NBA canceled the April 16 game scheduled in Boston between the Celtics and the Pacers; the game was not rescheduled because it would have had no impact on either team's playoff seedings.[6]
References
- General
- "NBA & ABA League Index". Basketball-Reference.com.
- "Atlantic Division Blog". NBAAtlanticTwine.com. Atlantic Twine. Archived from the original on June 18, 2012.
- Specific
- "1970–71 Season Overview: Kareem Rules the League". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Archived from the original on November 19, 2010. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- "Best Current Boston Celtics Players". May 12, 2022.
- "NBA unveils new trophies for division winners named after 6 NBA legends". NBA.com. Turner Sports Interactive, Inc. Retrieved April 23, 2022.
- Donovan, John (February 4, 1999). "Let the semi-season begin: Expect injuries, intensity and a new champion in '99". CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Archived from the original on June 22, 2011. Retrieved May 20, 2012.
- Jenkins, Lee (December 5, 2011). "'tis The Season". CNN Sports Illustrated. Time Warner Company. Retrieved April 30, 2012.
- "NBA cancels game between Celtics and Pacers after Boston Marathon blasts | the Point Forward - SI.com". Archived from the original on April 19, 2013. Retrieved April 19, 2013.
External links
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