NBA Playoffs 2026 Known Schedule, Bracket Picture Before Final Games of Season

Kristopher KnoxApr 12, 2026

It's that time, NBA fans. The 2025-26 regular season will wrap with its final games on Sunday, and the playoffs will begin just a couple of days after that. As one might expect, the fields in the Eastern and Western Conferences are almost set.

However, that doesn't mean that Sunday's slate will be meaningless. The Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder have locked up the top spots in their respective conferences, but some seeding is still in play for the East and the West.

How will everything shake out? Let's take a look at where every team stands, Sunday's playoff scenarios, and the known schedule for the 2026 NBA postseason.

NBA Standings Entering Final Day

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Tobias Harris of the Detroit Pistons

Eastern Conference

1. Detroit Pistons* 59-22 (c)

2. Boston Celtics* 55-26 (a)

3. New York Knicks* 53-28

4. Cleveland Cavaliers* 51-30

5. Atlanta Hawks* 46-35 (se)

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 (w)

2. San Antonio Spurs* 62-19 (sw)

3. Denver Nuggets* 53-28

4. Los Angeles Lakers* 52-29 (p)

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) = clinched Eastern Conference, (w) = clinched Western Conference, (a) = clinched Atlantic division, (se) = clinched Southeast Division, (sw) = clinched Southwest division, (p) = clinched Pacific division.

Known Playoff Schedule

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Golden State Warriors v Sacramento Kings

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Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors

Play-In Tournament

April 14

East No. 7 vs. East No. 8 at 7:30 p.m. ET

7. Phoenix vs. 8. Clippers/Portland at 10 p.m. ET

April 15

East No. 9 vs. East No. 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET

9. Clippers/Portland vs. 10. Golden State at 10 p.m. ET

April 17

East: 7/8 Loser vs. 9/10 Winner at 7:30 p.m. ET

West: 7/8 Loser vs. 9/10 Winner at 10 p.m. ET

Playoff Schedule (dates/times to be announced after regular season)

April 18

Round 1 Begins

June 1

NBA Finals Game 1

Playoff Outlook and Final Scenarios

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Los Angeles Lakers v Golden State Warriors

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LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers

As previously noted, the Pistons and Thunder are locked into the top spots in the East and West, respectively. The San Antonio Spurs have clinched the No. 2 seed in the West, and the top four seeds in the East are all set.

In the East, the Atlanta Hawks have secured one of the final two guaranteed playoff spots. They'll either be the fifth or the sixth seed when the playoffs proper get underway. The Toronto Raptors can finish as high as fifth, and they're still alive for the playoffs, along with the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers.

Essentially, the Hawks and Raptors have win-and-in scenarios on Sunday, while Philly needs help. The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are locked into the play-in tournament.

In the West, the playoff and play-in teams are already set. The Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Golden State Warriors will need to navigate the play-in to reach the playoffs. The top six seeds in the conference are guaranteed to bypass the play-in.

However, some seeding is still in play in the Western Conference.

The Denver Nuggets currently hold a one-game lead over the Los Angeles Lakers for the No. 3 seed. A win over the San Antonio Spurs or a Lakers loss to the Utah Jazz will give Denver the third spot. However, the Lakers own the tiebreaker over the Nuggets and can take the No. 3 seed with a win and a Denver loss.

The Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves are locked into the fifth and sixth seeds, respectively.

The Trail Blazers and Clippers, meanwhile, are still alive for the eight seed, which would mean bypassing the bottom of the play-in bracket. The Blazers will clinch it with a win, while the Clippers need a win and a Portland loss.

This all means that the following games on Sunday will still matter:

Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics (6 p.m. ET)

Charlotte Hornets at New York Knicks (6 p.m. ET)

Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat (6 p.m. ET)

Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers (6 p.m. ET)

Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors (6 p.m. ET)

Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs (8:30 p.m. ET)

Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers (8:30 p.m. ET)

Golden State Warriors at Los Angeles Clippers (8:30 p.m. ET)

Sacramento Kings at Portland Trail Blazers (8:30 p.m. ET)