NBA Playoff Picture 2026, Standings, Bracket Predictions After Warriors vs. Knicks

The New York Knicks are still hanging around in the hunt for a top-two seed in the Eastern Conference.

Jalen Brunson and Co. beat the Golden State Warriors on Sunday night to remain within a game of the Boston Celtics for the No. 2 seed.

New York and Boston both gained some ground on the Detroit Pistons, as the top team in the Eastern Conference fell to the Toronto Raptors.

The Oklahoma City Thunder are comfortably in charge of the Western Conference, where the real drama begins in the race for the No. 3 seed.

OKC's Sunday opponent, the Minnesota Timberwolves now holds the last spot in the top six in the West after defeat to the Thunder.

Eastern Conference

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1 Detroit (48-19)

2. Boston (44-23)

3. New York (44-25)

4. Cleveland (41-27)

5. Orlando (38-28)

6. Toronto (38-29)

7. Miami (38-30)

8. Philadelphia (37-31)

9. Atlanta (36-31)

10. Charlotte (34-34)

Sunday's significant movement in the Eastern Conference came in the middle of the standings.

The Knicks remained within one game of the Celtics with their home win over the Warriors.

Toronto knocked off Detroit to inch a half-game ahead of the Heat for the last spot in the top six.

Miami and Toronto play each other twice in the final week of the regular season, and with the way things are playing out in the East, those two contests will have massive implications on seeding.

Philadelphia gained ground on Miami with an unexpected win over Portland without Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and Paul George.

The Sixers are still 1.5 games off the Raptors for the No. 6 seed. They aren't expected to win in Denver on Tuesday, but should beat Sacramento and Utah on the rest of its road swing in the coming week.

Charlotte has an important week ahead in its attempt to jump out of the No. 10 seed. It hosts Miami and Orlando on Tuesday and Thursday.

The Magic and the Hawks play the first big game in the East this week on Monday night in Atlanta. An Orlando win could set the stage for Charlotte to make a charge closer to the No. 9 seed by the end of the week.

Western Conference

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1 Oklahoma City (53-15)

2. San Antonio (49-18)

3. Los Angeles Lakers (42-25)

4. Houston (41-25)

5. Denver (41-27)

6. Minnesota (41-27)

7. Phoenix (39-28)

8. LA Clippers (34-33)

9. Golden State (32-35)

10. Portland (32-36)

Oklahoma City beat another contender in the West on Sunday, as it beat Minnesota by double digits.

The Thunder own a 3.5-game lead over the Spurs for the No. 1 seed in the West. That's a lead that doesn't look like it will be relinquished anytime soon.

San Antonio is 6.5 games clear of the rest of the pack and seems destined to land the No. 2 seed.

The Lakers, Rockets, Nuggets and Wolves will change positions plenty more times before the end of the regular season. Minnesota's loss dropped it down to the No. 6 seed.

The Lakers and Rockets square off on Monday and Wednesday night in Texas, while Denver and Minnesota have easier weeks at home.

A pair of victories by either the Lakers or Rockets would create a bit of separation, but if a split happens, nothing much will change in the race for the No. 3 seed.

Phoenix is still hanging around in the battle for the top six, but the Suns have a tough three-game road swing this week in Boston, Minnesota and San Antonio.

Golden State and Portland both lost on the east coast on Sunday, so the Warriors are still ahead in the race to host to the No. 9-versus-No. 10 play-in game.