NBA playoff watch: With postseason teams set, seeding battles beginESPN staffMar 29, 2026, 06:39 AM ETMultiple Authors
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When the Milwaukee Bucks were officially eliminated Saturday afternoon, the NBA had its 20 postseason teams set. However, there is still plenty to be decided in the playoff races, with battles for seeding heating up in both conferences.
The Boston Celtics take to the road to face the Charlotte Hornets, who lost to the Philadelphia 76ers Saturday night to fall back into a tie for ninth place in the Eastern Conference. Charlotte is looking to make the playoffs for the first time since 2016, the NBA’s longest active drought.
The Hornets are currently a half-game behind the eighth-place Orlando Magic, who travel north of the border to take on the Toronto Raptors. Scottie Barnes & Co. are tied with the Atlanta Hawks for fifth in the East, but just two games ahead of the Magic.
The marquee game of the night sees the West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder play host to the New York Knicks, who will be looking to close the margin between them and the Celtics. Meanwhile OKC, which has the league’s second-hardest remaining schedule per ESPN’s Basketball Power Index, has seen its lead over the San Antonio Spurs cut to just two games — with San Antonio holding the tiebreaker.
Here’s a look at the current and projected NBA playoff picture, the most important games left in the regular season and how the race for the No. 1 pick in June’s draft is shaping up:
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Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule | Friday’s scores
<!– Clinching scenarios | –>Critical remaining games
Projected standings | Race for No. 1 pick
Current NBA playoff matchups
Eastern Conference playoffs
1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Atlanta Hawks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Toronto Raptors
Eastern Conference play-in
7. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 8. Orlando Magic
9. Miami Heat vs. 10. Charlotte Hornets
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Conference playoffs
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 6. Houston Rockets
4. Denver Nuggets vs. 5. Minnesota Timberwolves
Western Conference play-in
7. Phoenix Suns vs. 8. LA Clippers
9. Portland Trail Blazers vs. 10. Golden State Warriors
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
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Full standings and playoff matchups
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Odds to win the NBA Finals
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ESPN BPI’s playoff projections
NBA Playoff Challenge
Pick the winners and crown your NBA champion! Create A Bracket
Sunday’s games
Clippers at Bucks, 3:30 p.m. ET (NBA TV)
Heat at Pacers, 5 p.m. ET
Kings at Nets, 6 p.m. ET
Celtics at Hornets, 6 p.m. ET
Magic at Raptors, 6 p.m. ET
Wizards at Trail Blazers, 6 p.m. ET
Rockets at Pelicans, 7 p.m. ET
Knicks at Thunder, 7:30 p.m. ET (NBC)
Warriors at Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET (NBC)
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Full upcoming schedule
Saturday’s scores
Spurs 127, Bucks 95
Pistons 109 Timberwolves 87
76ers 118, Hornets 114
Hawks 123, Kings 113
Grizzlies 125, Bulls 124
Suns 134, Jazz 109
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Full NBA scoreboard
Most important games left
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Clinching scenarios
The Boston Celtics will clinch a spot in the playoffs a loss by either the Philadelphia 76ers or Atlanta Hawks.
The Milwaukee Bucks will be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss.
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Who has clinched so far?
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Projected end-of-season standings
Projected Eastern Conference StandingsSeedTeamProjected Final Record1Detroit Pistons
Projected Western Conference StandingsSeedTeamProjected Final Record1Oklahoma City Thunder
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Current NBA standings
Race for the No. 1 pick
The NBA uses a draft lottery to determine the order of the first four picks. All 14 teams that fail to make the playoffs are eligible to move up to the top four. After the order of the top four picks is set via the draw, the remainder of the first round is set in inverse order of the teams’ regular-season records. The three teams with the worst records each have an equal 14% chance of winning the lottery, with the odds for the non-playoff teams decreasing from there.
Among the projected lottery teams, there are multiple trades that could impact picks. The Atlanta Hawks will get the better of the picks from the New Orleans Pelicans and Milwaukee Bucks, with the lesser of the two picks going to Milwaukee. If the Indiana Pacers’ pick falls between five and nine, it will go to the LA Clippers. The Utah Jazz will send their pick to the Oklahoma City Thunder if it falls outside the top eight.
The Portland Trail Blazers will send their pick to the Chicago Bulls if it falls outside the lottery (if they make the playoffs through the play-in tournament). The Washington Wizards’ pick is top-eight protected, and the probability of their selection ending up ninth or worse is extremely low.
Projected 2026 Lottery OrderNo.TeamCurrent RecordChance ForNo. 1 Pick1Indiana Pacers
