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The final week of the 2025-26 NBA regular season is here, and the playoff picutre is coming into a clear focus. Nine teams have clinched playoff spots so far, and three more will be decided in the coming days. The Hawks and 76ers are in position to grab the final two spots in the East, while the Timberwolves need just one more win to earn a top-six seed in the West.

LeBron James did all he could with 30 points and 15 assists, but the absence of both Luka Donċić and Austin Reaves was too much to overcome as the Lakers fell to the tanking Mavericks on Sunday. The loss dropped the Lakers into a tie with the No. 4 Nuggets. The Lakers own the tiebreaker so they stay at No. 3 for now — but with Doncic and Reaves both out for the remainder of the regular season our SportsLine projections (based on 10,000 simulations of the remaining schedules) have the Nuggets ultimately jumping the Lakers. 

If that happens, it looks like it would set up a first-round 4-5 matchup between the Lakers and the Rockets. But there’s still a long way to go. Only one game in the loss column separates the West’s 3-5 seeds. In the East, the 76ers jumped into the No. 6 seed by way of Toronto’s loss to Boston on Sunday. 

The final day of the regular season 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 Monday, April 6. 

*Tiebreaker note: All tiebreakers are included for teams currently within one game (or one seed) of each other, but will only be listed in the current higher seed’s section.

2026 NBA Playoff Picture

If the season ended today…

Play-In Tournament

  • East: No. 7 Raptors vs. No. 8 Hornets | No. 9 Magic vs. No. 10 Heat
  • 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 TBD
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 76ers
No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Hawks

West first round
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Nuggets vs. No. 5 Rockets

Western Conference standings

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Spurs: Spurs clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 1 seed

2. San Antonio Spurs (59-19)

  • SportsLine projection: No. 2 seed

3. Los Angeles Lakers (50-28)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: Lakers clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: Lakers clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: Lakers clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 4 seed

4. Denver Nuggets (50-28)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: Nuggets clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: Nuggets clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 3 seed

5. Houston Rockets (49-29)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Wolves: Tied with one game remaining
  • SportsLine projection: No. 5 seed

6. Minnesota Timberwolves (46-32)

  • SportsLine projection: No. 6 seed

7. Phoenix Suns (43-35)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: Series hold via division record
  • SportsLine projection: No. 7 seed

8. Los Angeles Clippers (40-38)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Blazers: Clippers lead 2-1
  • Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Clippers lead 2-1
  • SportsLine projection: No. 9 seed

9. Portland Trail Blazers (40-38)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Blazers clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 8 seed

10. Golden State Warriors (36-41)

  • SportsLine projection: No. 10 seed

Eastern Conference standings

1. Detroit Pistons (57-21)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Celtics: Pistons clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 1 seed

2. Boston Celtics (53-25)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: Knicks lead 2-1
  • SportsLine projection: No. 2 seed

3. New York Knicks (50-28)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Cavaliers: Knicks clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 3 seed

4. Cleveland Cavaliers (49-29)

  • SportsLine projection: No. 4 seed

5. Atlanta Hawks (45-33)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: Raptors clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. 76ers: Hawks clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 5 seed

6. Philadelphia 76ers (43-35)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: 76ers via division record
  • Tiebreaker vs. Hornets: 76ers clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. Magic: 76ers clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Series tied 1-1
  • SportsLine projection: No. 7 seed

7. Toronto Raptors (43-35)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Hornets: Raptors via conference record
  • Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Raptors own
  • Tiebreaker vs. Miami: Raptors lead 2-0 (two to play)
  • SportsLine projection: No. 6 seed

8. Charlotte Hornets (43-36)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Hornets clinched
  • Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Heat clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 8 seed

9. Orlando Magic (42-36)

  • Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Magic clinched
  • SportsLine projection: No. 9 seed

10. Miami Heat (41-37)

  • SportsLine projection: No. 10 seed

Who’s clinched?

  • The Pistons, Celtics, Knicks and Cavaliers have clinched playoff spots in the East.
  • The Pistons have clinched the No. 1 seed in the East.
  • The Thunder, Spurs, Lakers, Nuggets and Rockets have clinched playoff spots in the West.
  • The Clippers, Trail Blazers and Warriors are locked into the West’s Play-In Tournament.

Notable magic numbers

  • Hawks’ magic number to clinch playoff spot: 1
  • Thunder’s magic number to clinch West’s No. 1 seed: 2
  • Wolves’ magic number to clinch playoff spot: 2
  • 76ers’ magic number to clinch playoff spot: 4