NBA live playoff picture: Updated standings, clinching scenarios for 2026 bracket on final weekend originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
The NBA is about to take center stage, with new and old faces set to star in the playoffs.
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In the East, another critical matchup between the Celtics and Knicks could help determine who represents the conference in the NBA Finals, but the final weekend of the season will determine the likelihood of such a matchup. The Pistons, meanwhile, are locked into the No. 1 seed in the East and believe they are ready for a deep run.
In the West, the Thunder remain the kings but will be joined by the Spurs as Victor Wembanyama prepares to make his playoff debut. Elsewhere, the Lakers could enter the playoffs with 41-year-old LeBron James shouldering much of the responsibility due to injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves.
The NBA playoffs so often come down to how the matchups shake out, and the final weekend of the regular season will set the stage for those matchups.
Here’s a live look at the NBA playoff picture in both the East and West as the regular season wraps up.
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Eastern Conference playoff picture
|
Seed |
Team |
Wins |
Losses |
Games Back |
|
1 |
Pistons* |
58 |
22 |
— |
|
2 |
Celtics* |
54 |
25 |
3.5 |
|
3 |
Knicks* |
51 |
28 |
6.5 |
|
4 |
Cavaliers* |
51 |
29 |
7 |
|
5 |
Hawks |
45 |
35 |
13 |
|
6 |
Raptors |
44 |
35 |
13.5 |
|
7 |
Magic |
44 |
36 |
14 |
|
8 |
76ers |
43 |
36 |
14.5 |
|
9 |
Hornets |
43 |
37 |
15 |
|
10 |
Heat** |
41 |
38 |
16.5 |
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*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Bucks, Bulls, Nets, Pacers, Wizards
Western Conference playoff picture
|
Seed |
Team |
Wins |
Losses |
Games Back |
|
1 |
Thunder* |
64 |
16 |
— |
|
2 |
Spurs* |
61 |
19 |
3 |
|
3 |
Nuggets* |
52 |
28 |
12 |
|
4 |
Lakers* |
50 |
29 |
13.5 |
|
5 |
Rockets* |
50 |
29 |
13.5 |
|
6 |
Timberwolves* |
47 |
33 |
17 |
|
7 |
Suns** |
44 |
36 |
20 |
|
8 |
Clippers** |
41 |
39 |
23 |
|
9 |
Trail Blazers** |
40 |
40 |
24 |
|
10 |
Warriors** |
37 |
42 |
26.5 |
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*clinched NBA Playoff berth
**clinched Play-In Tournament berth
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Pelicans, Grizzlies, Mavericks, Kings, Jazz
MORE:Cases for and against every MVP candidate
2026 NBA Playoffs matchups
Tentative matchups through games on April 8.
Eastern Conference Playoffs
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(1) Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner
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(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Hawks
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(3) Knicks vs. (6) Raptors
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(2) Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament
-
(9) Hornets vs. (10) Heat
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Western Conference Playoffs
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(1) Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
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(4) Lakers vs. (5) Rockets
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(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Timberwolves
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(2) Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner
Western Conference Play-In Tournament
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(7) Suns vs. (8) Clippers
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(9) Trail Blazers vs. (10) Warriors