Latest 2026 NBA Playoff Standings, Bracket Scenarios, Records, Postseason Predictions
The 2025-26 NBA regular season has reached its final stage. All 30 teams were in action on Friday night. Saturday will bring a break before all 30 are back for their final games on Sunday.
While we've known which teams won't qualify for the postseason for some time, the penultimate slate brought plenty of playoff-related stakes to the proverbial table. Now that the dust has settled, we have a clearer, if incomplete, playoff picture.
In the East, only one spot in the postseason proper remains up for grabs. In the West, the postseason and play-in teams have been determined, though seeding is still in play.
Here's a look at where things stand, the remaining playoff scenarios for Sunday, and a few predictions.
Updated NBA Standings
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Eastern Conference
1. Detroit Pistons* 59-22
2. Boston Celtics* 55-26
3. New York Knicks* 53-28
4. Cleveland Cavaliers* 51-30
5. Atlanta Hawks* 46-35
6. Toronto Raptors 45-36
7. Orlando Magic 45-36
8. Philadelphia 76ers 44-37
9. Charlotte Hornets 43-38
10. Miami Heat 42-39
11. Milwaukee Bucks 32-49 (e)
12. Chicago Bulls 31-50 (e)
13. Brooklyn Nets 20-61 (e)
14. Indiana Pacers 19-62 (e)
15. Washington Wizards 17-64 (e)
Western Conference
1. Oklahoma City Thunder* 64-17
2. San Antonio Spurs* 62-19
3. Denver Nuggets* 53-28
4. Los Angeles Lakers* 52-29
5. Houston Rockets* 51-30
6. Minnesota Timberwolves* 48-33
7. Phoenix Suns 44-36
8. Portland Trail Blazers 41-40
9. Los Angeles Clippers 41-40
10. Golden State Warriors 37-44
11. New Orleans Pelicans 26-55 (e)
12. Memphis Grizzlies 25-56 (e)
13. Dallas Mavericks 25-56 (e)
14. Sacramento Kings 22-25 (e)
15. Utah Jazz 22-59 (e)
* = clinched playoff berth, (e) = eliminated
Playoff Bracket
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Eastern Conference
8. Play-In Winner vs. 1. Detroit Pistons
7. Play-In Winner vs. 2. Boston Celtics
6. Toronto Raptors vs. 3. New York Knicks
5. Atlanta Hawks vs. 4. Cleveland Cavaliers
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament
8. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 7. Orlando Magic
10. Miami Heat vs. 9. Charlotte Hornets
Western Conference
8. Play-In Winner vs. 1. Oklahoma City Thunder
7. Play-In Winner vs. 2. San Antonio Spurs
6. Minnesota Timberwolves vs. 3. Denver Nuggets
5. Houston Rockets vs. 4. Los Angeles Lakers
Western Conference Play-In Tournament
8. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 7. Phoenix Suns
10. Golden State Warriors vs. 9. Los Angeles Clippers
Playoff Scenarios and Postseason Predictions
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The top four teams in the East are locked, and the Atlanta Hawks clinched a top-six seed with Friday's 124-102 win over the Cleveland Cavaliers. However, the battle for the final postseason spot will come down to the wire.
The Hawks sit one game ahead of the Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic, who have identical records. The Philadelphia 76ers sit just one game behind the Raptors and Magic.
A win over the Miami Heat will keep the Hawks in the fifth seed, while a win over the Brooklyn Nets will keep Toronto in the No. 6 slot—the Raptors own the head-to-head tiebreaker over Orlando. The 76ers will need losses by Toronto and Philly plus a win over the Milwaukee Bucks to avoid the play-in tournament.
On Friday, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Los Angeles Clippers 116-97 to take the No. 8 seed and one of two top play-in spots in the West. A win over the Sacramento Kings on Sunday will put Portland one win away from the playoffs proper.
The Los Angeles Lakers, who are without Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves due to injuries, managed to beat the Phoenix Suns on Friday, 101-73, keeping them in play for the No. 3 seed in the West. LeBron James and Co. will need to beat the Utah Jazz and get a Denver Nuggets loss against the San Antonio Spurs to take it, though.
Denver's win over the Oklahoma City Thunder allowed the Nuggets to take a one-game lead for the No. 3 seed, though L.A. owns the tiebreaker. The Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are locked into the top two seeds, respectively, in the West.
The prediction here is that the Nuggets manage to hold onto the No. 3 seed in the West, while the Raptors and Hawks take the final two seeds in the East. The Magic 76ers, Suns, and Trail Blazers will emerge from the play-in tournaments, though none of them will make it past the first round.
Don't be surprised if the No. 4 seeds fall in both conferences. The Hawks match up well with the Cavaliers, while the Lakers' injuries may be too much to overcome. A New York Knicks and Boston Celtics semifinal would be fun, and a showdown between Victor Wembanyama and Nikola Jokić in a Nuggets-San Antonio Spurs semifinal would be epic.
