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Atlantic Division (NBA)
Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association
Division in the Eastern Conference of the National Basketball Association
| Field | Value |
|---|---|
| title | Atlantic Division |
| conference | Eastern Conference |
| league | National Basketball Association |
| sport | Basketball |
| inaugural | 1970–71 season |
| teams | 5 |
| champion | Boston Celtics |
| (26th title) | |
| most_champs | Boston Celtics |
| (26 titles) |
(26th title) (26 titles)
| mark-coord1 = | label-pos1 = top | label-color1 = black | mark-coord2 = | label-pos2 = right | label-color2 = black | mark-coord3 = | label-pos3 = top | label-color3 = black | mark-coord4 = | label-pos4 = top | label-color4 = black | mark-coord5 = | label-pos5 = top | label-color5 = black
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).
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. The Celtics, the Knicks and the 76ers all joined from the Eastern Division.
The Celtics have won the most Atlantic Division titles with 26. Ten NBA champions have come from the Atlantic Division. The Celtics have won seven NBA championships while in the Division, 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%).
Since the 2021–22 season, the Atlantic Division champion has received the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy, named after Hall of Famer Nathaniel Clifton.
1970–1976
- Boston Celtics
- Buffalo Braves
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
Changes from the 1969–70 season
- The Atlantic Division is formed after a realignment.
- The Boston Celtics, the New York Knicks and the Philadelphia 76ers come from the Eastern Division.
- The Buffalo Braves joined as an expansion team.
1976–1977
- Boston Celtics
- Buffalo Braves
- New York Knicks
- New York Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
Changes from the 1975–76 season
- The New York Nets joined the division from the American Basketball Association.
1977–1978
- Boston Celtics
- Buffalo Braves
- New York Knicks
- New York Nets
- Philadelphia 76ers
Changes from the 1976–77 season
- The New York Nets relocated and became the New Jersey Nets.
1978–
2004–present
--
2025–26 standings
Main article: 2025–26 NBA season
Notes
- y – Clinched division title
- x – Clinched playoff spot
Teams
| Team | City | Year | From | Joined |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | Boston, Massachusetts | Eastern Division | ||
| Brooklyn Nets (–present) | ||||
| New Jersey Nets (–) | ||||
| New York Nets (–) | Brooklyn, New York | |||
| Piscataway/East Rutherford/Newark, New Jersey | ||||
| Uniondale, New York | ABA | |||
| New York Knicks | New York City, New York | Eastern Division | ||
| Philadelphia 76ers | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | Eastern Division | ||
| Toronto Raptors | Toronto, Ontario | 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 (now the Los Angeles Clippers) | Buffalo, New York | — | Pacific Division | |||||
| (as San Diego Clippers) | Pacific Division | |||||||
| Charlotte Hornets | Charlotte, North Carolina | — | Midwest Division | Southeast Division | ||||
| Miami Heat | Miami, Florida | Midwest Division | Southeast Division | Southeast Division | ||||
| Orlando Magic | Orlando, Florida | Midwest Division | Southeast Division | Southeast Division | ||||
| Washington Wizards (–present) | ||||||||
| Washington Bullets (–) | Washington, D.C. | Central Division | Southeast Division | Southeast Division |
;Notes
- denotes an expansion team.
Team Timeline
| Denotes team that has left the division |
|---|
DateFormat = yyyy ImageSize = width:800 height:auto barincrement:25 Period = from:1970 till:2021 TimeAxis = orientation:horizontal PlotArea = right:20 left:20 bottom:20 top:0
Colors = id:barcolor value:rgb(0.99,0.7,0.7) id:line value:black id:bg value:white
PlotData = width:15 textcolor:black shift:(5,-5) anchor:from fontsize:s bar:1 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:Boston Celtics (1970–present) bar:2 color:tan2 from:1970 till:1978 text:Buffalo Braves (1970–1978) bar:3 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:New York Knicks (1970–present) bar:4 color:tan1 from:1970 till:end text:Philadelphia 76ers (1970–present) bar:5 color:tan1 from:1976 till:end text:New York/New Jersey/Brooklyn Nets (1976–present) bar:6 color:tan2 from:1978 till:2004 text:Washington Bullets/Wizards (1978–2004) bar:7 color:tan2 from:1988 till:1989 text:Charlotte Hornets (1988–1989) bar:8 color:tan2 from:1989 till:2004 text:Miami Heat (1989–2004) bar:9 color:tan2 from:1991 till:2004 text:Orlando Magic (1991–2004) bar:10 color:tan1 from:2004 till:end text:Toronto Raptors (2004–present)
Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy
Beginning with the 2021–22 season, the Atlantic Division champion has received the Nat "Sweetwater" Clifton Trophy. As with the other division championship trophies, it is named after one of the African American pioneers from NBA history. Nathaniel Clifton was one of the first African American players to sign an NBA contract when he joined the New York Knicks in 1950. The Clifton Trophy consists of a 200 crystal ball.
Division champions
| ^ | Had or tied for the best regular season record for that season |
|---|
| Season | Team | Record | Playoffs result |
|---|---|---|---|
| New York Knicks | 52–30 (.634) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 68–14 (.829) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 60–22 (.732) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 54–28 (.659) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 50–32 (.610) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 55–27 (.671) | Lost conference finals | |
| Washington Bullets^ | 54–28 (.659) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 61–21 (.744) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 62–20 (.756) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost conference finals | |
| Philadelphia 76ers^ | 65–17 (.793) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 62–20 (.756) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 63–19 (.768) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 67–15 (.817) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 59–23 (.720) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 57–25 (.695) | Lost conference finals | |
| New York Knicks | 52–30 (.634) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 53–29 (.646) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Boston Celtics | 51–31 (.622) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| New York Knicks | 60–22 (.732) | Lost conference finals | |
| New York Knicks | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Orlando Magic | 57–25 (.695) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Orlando Magic | 60–22 (.732) | Lost conference finals | |
| Miami Heat | 61–21 (.744) | Lost conference finals | |
| Miami Heat | 55–27 (.671) | Lost First round | |
| Miami Heat | 33–17 (.660) | Lost First round | |
| Miami Heat | 52–30 (.634) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 56–26 (.683) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| New Jersey Nets | 52–30 (.634) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| New Jersey Nets | 49–33 (.598) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| New Jersey Nets | 47–35 (.573) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Boston Celtics | 45–37 (.549) | Lost First round | |
| New Jersey Nets | 49–33 (.598) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Toronto Raptors | 47–35 (.573) | Lost First round | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 66–16 (.805) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 62–20 (.756) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Boston Celtics | 50–32 (.610) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 56–26 (.683) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Boston Celtics | 39–27 (.591) | Lost conference finals | |
| New York Knicks | 54–28 (.659) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Toronto Raptors | 48–34 (.585) | Lost First round | |
| Toronto Raptors | 49–33 (.598) | Lost First round | |
| Toronto Raptors | 56–26 (.683) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 53–29 (.646) | Lost conference finals | |
| Toronto Raptors | 59–23 (.720) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Toronto Raptors | 58–24 (.707) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Toronto Raptors | 53–19 (.736) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 49–23 (.681) | Lost conference semifinals | |
| Boston Celtics | 51–31 (.622) | Lost NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 57–25 (.695) | Lost conference finals | |
| Boston Celtics^ | 64–18 (.780) | Won NBA Finals | |
| Boston Celtics | 61–21 (.744) | Lost conference semifinals |
Titles by team
| ^ | Denotes team that has left the division |
|---|
| Team | Titles | Season(s) won |
|---|---|---|
| Boston Celtics | 26 | , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , |
| Toronto Raptors | 7 | , , , , , , |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 6 | , , , , , |
| New York Knicks | 5 | , , , , |
| Brooklyn Nets | 4 | , , , |
| Miami Heat^ | 4 | , , , |
| Orlando Magic^ | 2 | , |
| Washington Bullets^ (now Washington Wizards) | 1 |
Season results
| × | Denotes team that qualified for the NBA play-in tournament |
|---|
| † | Denotes team that did not qualify for the 2020 NBA Bubble season restart |
|---|
| Season | colspan="7" | Team (record) | 1st | width=150px | 2nd | width=150px | 3rd | width=150px | 4th | width=150px | 5th | width=150px | 6th | width=150px | 7th | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| New York* (52–30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (56–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (68–14) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (56–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (60–22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (54–28) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia+ (50–32) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia* (55–27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Washington+ (54–28) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (61–21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (62–20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (63–19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia^ (65–17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (62–20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston+ (63–19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (67–15) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston+ (59–23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (57–25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York* (52–30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia* (53–29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (56–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (51–31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York* (60–22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York+ (57–25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Orlando+ (57–25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Orlando* (60–22) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami* (61–21) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami* (55–27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami* (33–17) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Miami* (52–30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia+ (56–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Jersey+ (52–30) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Jersey+ (49–33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Jersey* (47–35) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (45–37) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New Jersey* (49–33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto* (47–35) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (66–16) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (62–20) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston+ (50–32) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (56–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (39–27) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| New York* (54–28) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto* (48–34) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto* (49–33) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto* (56–26) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (53–29) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto* (59–23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto^ (58–24) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Toronto* (53–19) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Philadelphia* (49–23) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston+ (51–31) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (57–25) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston^ (64–18) | ||||||||||||||||||||||
| Boston* (61–21) |
Rivalries
Main article: National Basketball Association rivalries#Atlantic Division
Boston Celtics vs. New York Knicks
Main article: Celtics–Knicks rivalry
Boston Celtics vs. Philadelphia 76ers
Main article: 76ers–Celtics rivalry
New York Knicks vs. Brooklyn Nets
Main article: Knicks–Nets rivalry
Notes
- 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.
- 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.
- 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.
References
Specific
General
References
- "1970–71 Season Overview: Kareem Rules the League". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.
- (May 12, 2022). "Best Current Boston Celtics Players".
- (April 11, 2022). "NBA unveils new trophies for division winners named after 6 NBA legends". Turner Sports Interactive, Inc.
- Conway, Tyler. (April 11, 2022). "NBA Unveils Division Winner Trophies Named After Black Pioneers from League History".
- Donovan, John. (February 4, 1999). "Let the semi-season begin: Expect injuries, intensity and a new champion in '99". Time Warner Company.
- Jenkins, Lee. (December 5, 2011). "'tis The Season". Time Warner Company.
- "NBA cancels game between Celtics and Pacers after Boston Marathon blasts | the Point Forward - SI.com".
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