NBA playoff watch: Is Thunder-Celtics a Finals preview?ESPN staffMar 25, 2026, 06:40 AM ETMultiple Authors
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The NBA schedule ramps up with 12 games on Wednesday, including a potential Finals preview in Boston as the past two NBA champions face off.
The West-leading Oklahoma City Thunder take on the Boston Celtics (7:30 p.m. ET), who are currently clinging to second place in the Eastern Conference. ESPN’s BPI gives Oklahoma City a 65% chance of reaching the Finals, while Boston has a 14.8% chance, fourth-best among Eastern Conference teams behind the Detroit Pistons (25.9%), Cleveland Cavaliers (25.3%) and New York Knicks (24.5%). Fresh off their win against the Los Angeles Lakers, the Pistons play host to the red-hot Atlanta Hawks (7 p.m. ET, ESPN), who’ve won 13 of their past 14 games to move up to sixth in the East.
There are three other games on Wednesday’s schedule between two projected postseason teams. The Miami Heat, currently ninth in the East, visit the fourth-place Cleveland Cavaliers (7:30 p.m. ET), with Miami trailing Atlanta by two games for the sixth and final guaranteed playoff spot. The Houston Rockets visit the Minnesota Timberwolves (9:30 p.m. ET, ESPN), in a game that could go a long way toward determining seeding in the West. Minnesota is tied with the Denver Nuggets for fourth place, with both teams a half-game ahead of the sixth-place Rockets. In the night’s final game, the Toronto Raptors visit the LA Clippers (10:30 p.m. ET), with Toronto holding just a half-game lead on Atlanta for fifth in the East.
For those paying more attention to the opposite end of the standings, there’s a key matchup for draft positioning with the Washington Wizards taking on the Utah Jazz (9 p.m. ET). Washington has lost 16 consecutive games, and is one loss away from matching the Indiana Pacers for the worst record in the league. The Jazz are just 3-13 since the All-Star break, giving them the fourth-worst record overall. If they can hold onto that spot, they’d be guaranteed of keeping their top-eight protected pick, regardless of what happens in May’s draft lottery.
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Current playoff matchups
Today’s schedule | Monday’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. Charlotte Hornets vs. 10. Miami Heat
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
Wednesday’s games
Atlanta Hawks at Detroit Pistons, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Los Angeles Lakers at Indiana Pacers, 7 p.m. ET
Chicago Bulls at Philadelphia 76ers, 7 p.m. ET
Oklahoma City Thunder at Boston Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET
Miami Heat at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7:30 p.m. ET
San Antonio Spurs at Memphis Grizzlies, 8 p.m. ET
Washington Wizards at Utah Jazz, 9 p.m. ET
Houston Rockets at Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. ET
Dallas Mavericks at Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
Brooklyn Nets at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. ET
Milwaukee Bucks at Portland Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET
Toronto Raptors at LA Clippers, 10:30 p.m. ET
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Full upcoming schedule
NBA Playoff Challenge
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Tuesday’s scores
Hornets 134, Kings 90
Knicks 121, Pelicans 116
Cavaliers 136, Magic 131
Nuggets 125, Suns 123
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Full NBA scoreboard
Most important games left
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Clinching scenarios
There are no clinching or elimination scenarios at stake in Wednesday’s games.
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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
