The 2025-26 NBA regular season is nearing its conclusion, with less than a month remaining until games wrap up on Sunday, April 12. Until then, we will be providing daily updates to this playoff preview, covering current standings, critical magic numbers, all pertinent tie-breaking scenarios, and our SportsLine forecasts.
As of Monday, March 16, this is the current situation.
2026 NBA Playoff Picture
If the season ended today…
Play-In Tournament
East: No. 7 Heat vs. No. 8 76ers, No. 9 Hawks vs. No. 10 Hornets
West: No. 7 Suns vs. No. 8 Clippers, No. 9 Warriors vs. No. 10 Trail Blazers
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 Raptors
No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Magic
West first round
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 Clippers/Suns/Warriors/Blazers
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 Suns/Clippers
No. 3 Lakers vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Rockets vs. No. 5 Nuggets
Western Conference standings
In the Western Conference, while the second-seeded San Antonio still has a slim chance to overtake the top-ranked Thunder, these two teams are definitively set to hold the first and second spots. Below them, five distinct teams are fiercely competing for seeds 3 through 7.
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (53-15)
- Tiebreaker vs. Spurs: The Spurs have clinched this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine record projection: A 63-19 record, with a 100% probability of making the playoffs.
2. San Antonio Spurs (49-18)
- Tiebreaker vs. Thunder: The Spurs have clinched this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine record projection: A 60-22 record, with a 100% probability of making the playoffs.
3. Los Angeles Lakers (42-25)
- Tiebreaker vs. Rockets: The Rockets hold a 1-0 lead.
- SportsLine record projection: A 50-32 record, with a 98.1% probability of making the playoffs.
4. Houston Rockets (41-25)
- Tiebreaker vs. Lakers: The Rockets hold a 1-0 lead.
- SportsLine projections: A 51-31 record, with a 99.6% probability of making the playoffs.
5. Denver Nuggets (41-27)
- Tiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: The Nuggets possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Suns: The Nuggets possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 49-33 record, with a 97.8% probability of making the playoffs.
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (41-27)
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: The Nuggets possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Suns: The Suns possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 50-32 record, with a 98.1% probability of making the playoffs.
7. Phoenix Suns (39-28)
- Tiebreaker vs. Nuggets: The Nuggets possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Timberwolves: The Suns possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 47-35 record, with an 85.4% probability of making the playoffs.
8. L.A. Clippers (34-33)
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: L.A. leads 2-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Blazers: The Clippers lead 2-0.
- SportsLine projections: A 43-39 record, with a 48.1% probability of making the playoffs.
9. Golden State Warriors (32-35)
- Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: L.A. leads 2-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Blazers: Portland possesses this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 41-41 record, with a 48.2% probability of making the playoffs.
10. Portland Trail Blazers (32-36)
- Tiebreaker vs. Warriors: Portland possesses this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Clippers: L.A. leads 2-0.
- SportsLine projections: A 39-43 record, with a 24.7% probability of making the playoffs.
Eastern Conference standings
In the East, the Detroit Pistons currently maintain a strong lead at the top of the conference over Boston, having already secured the tiebreaker. The Celtics’ main objective is to fend off the third-place Knicks, who, in turn, are striving to keep ahead of the fourth-place Cavaliers. The Cavaliers, similarly, are working to distance themselves from the fifth-place Magic. Consequently, the race is quite competitive.
1. Detroit Pistons (48-19)
- Tiebreaker vs. Celtics: The Pistons possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 58-24 record, with a 100% probability of making the playoffs.
2. Boston Celtics (44-23)
- Tiebreaker vs. Pistons: The Pistons possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: The Knicks lead 2-1.
- SportsLine projections: A 54-28 record, with a 100% probability of making the playoffs.
3. New York Knicks (44-25)
- Tiebreaker vs. Celtics: The Knicks lead 2-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavaliers: The Knicks possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 54-28 record, with a 100% probability of making the playoffs.
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (41-27)
- Tiebreaker vs. Knicks: The Knicks possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: The Cavs lead 2-1.
- SportsLine projections: A 51-31 record, with a 100% probability of making the playoffs.
5. Orlando Magic (38-28)
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: The Cavs lead 2-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: The series is tied 1-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: Miami possesses this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 45-37 record, with a 68.5% probability of making the playoffs.
6. Toronto Raptors (38-29)
- Tiebreaker vs. Cavs: The Cavs lead 2-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: The series is tied 1-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: The Raptors lead 2-0.
- Tiebreaker vs. Sixers: Philadelphia leads via division record.
- Tiebreaker vs. Hawks: The Raptors possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 47-35 record, with a 97.8% probability of making the playoffs.
7. Miami Heat (38-30)
- Tiebreaker vs. Magic: Miami possesses this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: The Raptors lead 2-0.
- Tiebreaker vs. Sixers: The series is tied 1-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Hawks: The Heat lead 2-1.
- SportsLine projections: A 45-37 record, with a 79% probability of making the playoffs.
8. Philadelphia 76ers (37-31)
- Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: Philadelphia leads via division record.
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: The series is tied 1-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Hawks: The 76ers possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 43-39 record, with a 53.1% probability of making the playoffs.
9. Atlanta Hawks (36-31)
- Tiebreaker vs. Raptors: The Raptors possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Heat: The Heat lead 2-1.
- Tiebreaker vs. Sixers: The 76ers possess this tiebreaker.
- SportsLine projections: A 43-39 record, with a 48.9% probability of making the playoffs.
10. Charlotte Hornets (34-34)
- Tiebreaker vs. Hawks: The Hornets possess this tiebreaker.
- Tiebreaker vs. Sixers: The series is tied 1-1.
- SportsLine projections: A 42-40 record, with a 49.1% probability of making the playoffs.
Notable magic numbers
- The Oklahoma City Thunder need 12 more wins or opponent losses to secure the top seed in the Western Conference.
- The Detroit Pistons need 11 more wins or opponent losses to clinch the top seed in the Eastern Conference.