Victor Wembanyama drained a game-winning jumper on Thursday to lift the Spurs past the the Suns and back into the playoffs for the first time since 2019. San Antonio is the second team to clinch a playoff spot, with the Thunder having done so on Tuesday.
Meanwhile, the Lakers won their eight straight behind 60 points from Luka Doncic and a triple-double from LeBron James in Miami, maintaining what is effectively a three-game lead for the West’s No. 3 seed with the tiebreaker over Minnesota and Houston secured.
In the East, the red-hot Hawks jumped above the play-in and into the No. 6 seed by virtue or Orlando’s loss to Charlotte. Just one loss separates the East’s 6-9 seeds.
This is but one of many seeding races across both conferences that look to be headed for a photo finish, as we are less than a month out from the close of the 2025-26 NBA regular season. The final day of games will be on Sunday, April 12. Between now and then, we will be updating this playoff picture each day to keep you up to date on the standings, important magic numbers, all relevant tiebreakers, and our SportsLine projections.
Here is where we stand entering play on Friday, March 20.
*Tiebreaker Note: All tiebreakers are included for teams currently within one game (or one seed) of each other, but will only be listed under the current higher seed’s section.
2026 NBA Playoff Picture
If the season ended today…
Play-In Tournament
East: No. 7 Magic vs. No. 8 Heat, No. 9 76ers vs. No. 10 Hornets
West: No. 7 Suns vs. No. 8 Clippers, No. 9 Trail Blazers vs. No. 10 Warriors
East first round
No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 8 76ers/Heat/Hawks/Hornets
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 Heat/76ers
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Hawks
No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Raptors
West first round
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Clippers/Suns/Blazers/Warriors
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 Suns/Clippers
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Nuggets
No. 4 Timberwolves vs. No. 5 Rockets
Western Conference standings
As mentioned above, the Spurs clinched their first playoff berth since 2019 by way of Victor Wembanyama’s game-winner against the Suns on Thursday.
The No. 2 Spurs still have an outside shot to catch the No. 1 Thunder (who have also clinched a playoff spot), but one way or another those are going to be the top two teams, with the Lakers in pretty firm control of the No 3 seed. After that, just one loss separates the 4-6 seeds.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (55-15)
- Tiebreaker vs. Spurs: Spurs clinched
- SportsLine projection: No. 1 seed
2. San Antonio Spurs (52-18)
- Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: Spurs clinched
- SportsLine projection: No. 2 seed
3. Los Angeles Lakers (45-25)
- Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: Lakers own
- Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: Lakers own
- SportsLine projection: No. 3 seed
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (43-27)
- Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: Rockets lead 1-0
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: Nuggets own
- SportsLine projection: No. 5 seed
5. Houston Rockets (41-27)
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: Nuggets own
- SportsLine projection: No. 4 seed
6. Denver Nuggets (42-28)
- Tiebreaker vs. Suns: Nuggets own
- SportsLine projection: No. 6 seed
7. Phoenix Suns (39-31)
- Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: Suns own
- SportsLine projection: No. 7 seed
8. Los Angeles Clippers (34-36)
- Tiebreaker vs. Blazers: Clippers lead 2-0
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Clippers lead 2-1
- SportsLine projection: No. 8 seed
9. Portland Trail Blazers (34-36)
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Blazers own
- SportsLine projection: No. 9 seed
10. Golden State Warriors (33-36)
- SportsLine projection: No. 10 seed
Eastern Conference standings
In the East, Detroit has a firm hold on the top spot over Boston with a four-game lead and the tiebreaker already clinched. The Celtics are focused on holding their two-game lead on the No. 3 Knicks, who have a two-game lead on the No. 4 Cavs, who are trying to hold their two-game on the No. 5 Raptors, who have a two-game lead on the new No. 6 seed, the Atlanta Hawks, who have won 11 straight.
1. Detroit Pistons (50-19)
- Tiebreaker vs. Celtics: Pistons own
- SportsLine projection: No. 1 seed
2. Boston Celtics (46-23)
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Knicks lead 2-1
- SportsLine projection: No. 2 seed
3. New York Knicks (45-25)
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavaliers: Knicks own
- SportsLine projection: No. 3 seed
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (43-27)
- Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: Raptors own
- SportsLine projection: No. 4 seed
5. Toronto Raptors (39-29)
- Tiebreaker vs. Hawks: Raptors own
- SportsLine projection: No. 5 seed
6. Atlanta Hawks (38-31)
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Hawks own
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Miami owns
- Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: 76ers own
- SportsLine projection: No. 7 seed
7. Orlando Magic (38-31)
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Miami owns
- SportsLine projection: No. 8 seed
8. Miami Heat (38-32)
- Tiebreaker vs. Sixers: Series tied 1-1
- SportsLine projection: No. 6 seed
9. Philadelphia 76ers (38-32)
- Tiebreaker vs. Hornets: Series tied 1-1
- SportsLine projection: No. 9 seed
10. Charlotte Hornets (36-34)
- SportsLine projection: No. 10 seed
Notable magic numbers
- OKC’s magic number to clinch West’s No. 1 seed: 10
- Detroit’s magic number to clinch East’s No. 1 seed: 9
