New NBA Playoff Bracket Prediction With 2 Weeks To Go
The best part of the NBA calendar is nearly here.
Apologies to fans of the draft, free agency and trade deadline, but there's nothing like the NBA playoffs. With just a week left of regular season action to go before the play-in tournament begins, we have a better picture than ever of what every first-round matchup will look like.
Based on current records, players missing/returning due to injury, remaining strength of schedule and other factors, here's a best guess at how the 2026 NBA playoff bracket will look.
East: (4) New York Knicks vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
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New York Knicks
Current Record/Seed: 50-28, 3rd in East
The Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are in a battle for the No. 3 seed in the East, or are they actually trying to "win" the fourth spot? That depends on if you'd rather play the Detroit Pistons or Boston Celtics in Round 2.
New York is in the lead to finish fourth, as they haven't beat a team with a winning record in nearly a month (March 6 vs. Denver Nuggets). New York only has one remaining game this season against a team with a losing record (Chicago Bulls).
The Knicks will fall to the No. 4 seed, which may not actually be a bad thing.
Atlanta Hawks
Current Record/Seed: 44-33, 5th in East
The Hawks own the best record in the East since the All-Star break (18-3 overall) and possess the NBA's third-highest net rating (plus-11.2) over this stretch, even higher than the Oklahoma City Thunder.
Jumping up to the No. 5 spot is quite the accomplishment, although Atlanta doesn't have enough time to close the four-game gap between them and the Cleveland Cavaliers. This is going to be a dangerous team for the Knicks to face in Round 1.
East: (3) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (6) Philadelphia 76ers
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Cleveland Cavaliers
Current Record/Seed: 48-29, 4th in East
The Cavs have the NBA's easiest-remaining schedule, meaning they should have no problem passing the New York Knicks, who hold just a 1.5-game lead for the rights to the No. 3 seed.
The Atlanta Hawks are the last remaining team for the Cavaliers to play who own a winning record, as the Indiana Pacers, Washington Wizards and Memphis Grizzlies are in full tank mode.
This could mean a tougher overall playoff road, however, as the Sixers are mostly healthy and the Boston Celtics would await in Round 2.
Philadelphia 76ers
Current Record/Seed: 43-35, 7th in East
The 76ers were always going to be a dangerous team if they could only get all their pieces back on the court at the same time. We may finally be at this point.
Paul George has returned from a 25-game suspension and just dropped 39 points on the Washington Wizards. Tyrese Maxey, Joel Embiid and VJ Edgecombe are all (mostly) healthy as well.
Philly is 21-12 when Embiid and Maxey both play this year. They will beat out the Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets and others to stay at No. 6 and clinch a playoff spot.
East: (2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Charlotte Hornets
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Boston Celtics
Current Record/Seed: 52-25, 2nd in East
The Celtics gave away 40 percent of their starting lineup from the 2024 championship, were without Jayson Tatum for the majority of the season and are still going to finish in the same spot in the East as they did a year ago.
No one will want to face Boston in a playoff series, especially with Tatum looking more and more like his old self (25.5 points, 11.8 rebounds, 7.8 assists, 37.8 percent from three over his last four games).
Charlotte Hornets
Current Record/Seed: 42-36, 8th in East
Charlotte has been red hot over the last few months and owns the NBA's second-highest net rating since the All-Star break (plus-12.7).
They'll still fall short of catching the equally hot Atlanta Hawks or healthy Philadelphia 76ers, however. The Hornets will win their 7-8 play-in matchup to ultimately finish as the No. 7 seed in the East and earn the "privilege" of playing the Celtics in Round 1.
East: (1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Orlando Magic
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Detroit Pistons
Current Record/Seed: 57-21, 1st in East
The Pistons have gone 7-2 since Cade Cunningham was sidelined with a collapsed lung, putting to rest any fear about not hanging on to the No. 1 seed in the East. Their only two losses (both in overtime) were to the Oklahoma City Thunder and Atlanta Hawks, both of whom have top-3 records in the NBA since the trade deadline.
Currently up 4.5 games over the Boston Celtics, the Pistons will finish with the best record in the East for the first time since 2006-07.
Orlando Magic
Current Record/Seed: 41-36, 9th in East
Currently just 2-8 over their last 10 games, why exactly do we expect the Magic to beat out the Toronto Raptors and Miami Heat for the final spot in the West?
Franz Wagner just returned from a sprained ankle. The Magic have a net rating of plus-9.3 when their starting five of Wagner, Paolo Banchero, Jalen Suggs, Desmond Bane and Wendell Carter Jr. all play together this season.
Orlando has accumulated some playoff experience the past two years with this core and will ultimately win a pair of play-in games with a healthy Wagner to get them the No. 8 seed.
West: (4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Houston Rockets
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Denver Nuggets
Current Record/Seed: 50-28, 4th in West
This could be the best matchup of the entire first round as two West powers collide.
Denver could technically still get the No. 3 seed in the West, although they have the hardest remaining schedule of any NBA team. Playing the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs three total times over their final five games should be considered cruel and unusual punishment.
The Nuggets fight their way just to keep the No. 4 seed in the West and get to open up at home against Kevin Durant's Rockets.
Houston Rockets
Current Record/Seed: 48-29, 5th in West
Houston finally made the smart move by inserting Reed Sheppard into the starting lineup as of late, a decision that should have been made long ago. The Rockets are now 13-4 with Sheppard as a starter this season, as Houston needs his ball-handling, passing and three-point shooting.
This move was made too late to allow the Rockets to climb any higher than No. 5, however, although they'll still fight off the Minnesota Timberwolves for overall positioning.
West: (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
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Los Angeles Lakers
Current Record/Seed: 50-27, 3rd in West
The Lakers have gone 15-3 since the beginning of March, an impressive run that will allow them to remain at No. 3 overall in the West even as injuries have struck.
Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves will both miss the remainder of the regular season with hamstring and oblique injuries, although a motivated LeBron James and company should be enough to keep the team's current seed given the cushy remaining schedule.
Los Angeles only plays one more game against the 12 teams currently in playoff position.
Minnesota Timberwolves
Current Record/Seed: 46-31, 6th in West
The Wolves are just one game behind the Houston Rockets for the No. 5 seed, but may actually prefer to stay at six and draw a Lakers team with a hobbled Dončić vs. a full-strength Denver Nuggets team.
Minnesota plays four of its remaining six games against teams who are still trying to win games and Anthony Edwards is battling a right knee injury and illness. This marks the first time Edwards hasn't played in at least 72 games in his six seasons.
West: (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Phoenix Suns
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San Antonio Spurs
Current Record/Seed: 59-19, 2nd in West
The Spurs are 27-2 with a net rating of plus-14.5 since Feb. 1 and somehow still won't catch the Oklahoma City Thunder for the No. 1 seed in the West.
This has been an unbelievable run of basketball for San Antonio, a franchise that finished 13th in the West just one year ago. A lack of playoff experience is the only thing holding the Spurs back right now.
Phoenix Suns
Current Record/Seed: 42-35, 7th in West
Dillon Brooks has returned from a broken hand, although it's too late for Phoenix to climb out of the play-in tournament in the West.
Still, a healthy Brooks combined with Devin Booker, Jalen Green and others is enough to win their first play-in game and get the No. 7 seed in the West playoffs. The Suns are 24-15 this season with both Booker and Brooks in the lineup.
Going up against Victor Wembanyama and the sizzling Spurs will lead to a short playoff trip, however.
West: (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Golden State Warriors
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Oklahoma City Thunder
Current Record/Seed: 61-16, 1st in West
For the third straight season the Thunder will claim the No. 1 seed in the brutally-tough Western Conference.
Following a sluggish (by their standards) middle of the season, OKC is 19-2 since the All-Star break and looking like the favorites to win the NBA title once again. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is going to win his second-straight MVP award, the Thunder will finish with the best defense in the NBA and no team features a deeper roster.
RIP to whatever team ends up winning the No. 8 seed.
Golden State Warriors
Current Record/Seed: 36-41, 10th in West
It's going to be quite the battle for the final playoff seed in the West, as the Warriors will have to outduel the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers.
So, why Golden State? A certain No. 30 is due back on the court this weekend, giving this offense new life. The Warriors are 23-16 this season with Stephen Curry, compared to just 13-25 without the greatest shooter of all time.
Golden State certainly has the big-game experience over the Trail Blazers and this new-look Clippers roster, giving them the edge to make it out of the play-in tournament.
