NBA Playoff Update: Team Standings and Today’s Clinching Scenarios
The NBA regular season is entering its final days with fewer than two weeks left in 2025-26. All postseason berths are set, but teams are still fighting for seeding and Play-In positioning.
Key clinching scenarios
The Detroit Pistons can secure the Eastern Conference top seed. They need a Boston Celtics loss on Friday, April 3, to clinch it.
The Celtics visit the Milwaukee Bucks on April 3. The Pistons are off that night.
In the West, each division has a winner. Oklahoma City won the Northwest. San Antonio claimed the Southwest. The Los Angeles Lakers took the Pacific.
The Spurs are pressing the Thunder for the West’s top seed. Meanwhile, Luka Dončić’s hamstring issue raises questions. It could affect whether the Nuggets overtake the Lakers for third.
Standings snapshot
Twenty teams—10 per conference—will enter the postseason. Below are the records and clinches through games on Thursday night.
Eastern Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Detroit Pistons | 56-21 | d |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | 51-25 | x (4.5 GB) |
| 3 | New York Knicks | 49-28 | x (7 GB) |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 48-29 | x (8 GB) |
| 5 | Atlanta Hawks | 44-33 | |
| 6 | Philadelphia 76ers | 42-34 | |
| 7 | Toronto Raptors | 42-34 | |
| 8 | Charlotte Hornets | 41-36 | |
| 9 | Orlando Magic | 40-36 | |
| 10 | Miami Heat | 40-37 |
Western Conference
| Seed | Team | Record | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 61-16 | d |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs | 59-18 | d (2 GB) |
| 3 | Los Angeles Lakers | 50-27 | d (11 GB) |
| 4 | Denver Nuggets | 49-28 | x (12 GB) |
| 5 | Houston Rockets | 47-29 | x (13.5 GB) |
| 6 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 46-30 | |
| 7 | Phoenix Suns | 42-35 | |
| 8 | Portland Trail Blazers | 40-38 | |
| 9 | Los Angeles Clippers | 39-38 | |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | 36-41 |
Only four games separate the East’s fifth-seed Hawks and the tenth-seed Heat. That gap keeps the conference race intense.
Playoff bracket and Play-In matchups
The bracket below reflects games through Thursday, April 2. Play-In winners will fill the final slots.
- East: (1) Detroit vs (8) Play-In Winner
- East: (4) Cleveland vs (5) Atlanta
- East: (3) New York vs (6) Philadelphia
- East: (2) Boston vs (7) Play-In Winner
- West: (1) Oklahoma City vs (8) Play-In Winner
- West: (4) Denver vs (5) Houston
- West: (3) Los Angeles Lakers vs (6) Minnesota
- West: (2) San Antonio vs (7) Play-In Winner
Play-In Tournament matchups
- West: (7) Phoenix vs (8) Portland
- West: (9) LA Clippers vs (10) Golden State
- East: (7) Toronto vs (8) Charlotte
- East: (9) Orlando vs (10) Miami
The Play-In runs April 14 to April 17. The playoffs start April 18. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for June 3.
Friday, April 3 schedule (Eastern times)
Here is the slate of games for April 3. Times are Eastern.
- 7:00 p.m. — Indiana Pacers at Charlotte Hornets
- 7:00 p.m. — Minnesota Timberwolves at Philadelphia 76ers
- 7:30 p.m. — Atlanta Hawks at Brooklyn Nets
- 7:30 p.m. — Chicago Bulls at New York Knicks
- 8:00 p.m. — Utah Jazz at Houston Rockets
- 8:00 p.m. — Toronto Raptors at Memphis Grizzlies
- 8:00 p.m. — Boston Celtics at Milwaukee Bucks
- 8:30 p.m. — Orlando Magic at Dallas Mavericks
- 10:00 p.m. — New Orleans Pelicans at Sacramento Kings
Teams already eliminated
Several clubs missed the postseason. They include teams from both conferences.
- Eastern Conference: Brooklyn Nets, Chicago Bulls, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks, Washington Wizards
- Western Conference: Dallas Mavericks, Memphis Grizzlies, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Utah Jazz
For a concise NBA Playoff Update: Team Standings and Today’s Clinching Scenarios, Filmogaz.com will monitor the closing days. Expect daily standings and scenario breakdowns through the postseason.
