As the 2025-26 NBA regular season enters its final two weeks, the 20-team postseason field is set, but seeding and play-in tournament positioning remain highly fluid. The Boston Celtics and Detroit Pistons have clinched playoff berths in the Eastern Conference, with the Celtics also securing the top seed. In the West, the Denver Nuggets have clinched a playoff spot and are in contention for the top seed alongside the Oklahoma City Thunder and Minnesota Timberwolves.
The race for the final guaranteed playoff spots and favorable play-in tournament positions is intense. In the East, teams like the New York Knicks, Milwaukee Bucks, and Cleveland Cavaliers are jockeying for position behind Boston. The play-in picture involves several teams separated by mere games, including the Atlanta Hawks, Chicago Bulls, and Brooklyn Nets.
Out West, the battle to avoid the play-in tournament is fierce, with the Phoenix Suns, Dallas Mavericks, and New Orleans Pelicans among those in a tight cluster. The play-in zone features a scramble involving the Golden State Warriors, Houston Rockets, and others. Key matchups in the coming days will directly impact these standings, making for a dramatic conclusion to the regular season.
The final games will determine first-round matchups and which teams must navigate the single-elimination pressure of the play-in tournament, which begins on April 11, 2026.
