All 20 postseason participants are locked in, yet 10 seed positions remain unclaimed as the NBA’s 2025/26 regular season ends on Sunday, April 12. Every team will be in action on the league’s final night, and several direct matchups will determine the last guaranteed playoff berth in the East as well as key positioning for the play-in tournament and draft-lottery odds.
Eastern Conference Picture
Current standings
1. Detroit Pistons (59-22)
2. Boston Celtics (55-26)
3. New York Knicks (53-28)
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)
5. Atlanta Hawks (46-35) – can finish 5th or 6th
6. Toronto Raptors (45-36) – can finish 5th, 6th, 7th or 8th
7. Orlando Magic (45-36) – can finish 6th, 7th or 8th
8. Philadelphia 76ers (44-37) – can finish 6th, 7th or 8th
9. Charlotte Hornets (43-38) – can finish 9th or 10th
10. Miami Heat (42-39) – can finish 9th or 10th
The last automatic playoff spot hinges on Brooklyn at Toronto. A Raptors victory guarantees they finish no worse than sixth; if the Hawks lose in Miami on the same night, Toronto would climb to No. 5 through the head-to-head tiebreaker, dropping Atlanta to No. 6. A split of wins keeps both clubs in their current slots.
Atlanta has already ruled out most regulars after clinching a top-six seed Friday, according to Brad Rowland of Locked on Hawks. That decision affects Miami’s outlook: a Heat win coupled with a Hornets loss at New York would push Miami to No. 9 via the season series. New York, however, will rest four of five starters.
If Toronto falters, Orlando can claim the No. 6 seed by winning in Boston; the Celtics expect to sit their top seven rotation pieces. Philadelphia needs both the Raptors and Magic to lose, plus a win at Milwaukee, to jump to sixth. Any scenario in which the Hawks, Raptors, Magic and 76ers all prevail leaves the table exactly as it sits now.
Western Conference Scenarios
Current standings
1. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-17)
2. San Antonio Spurs (62-19)
3. Denver Nuggets (53-28) – can finish 3rd or 4th
4. Los Angeles Lakers (52-29) – can finish 3rd or 4th
5. Houston Rockets (51-30)
6. Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
7. Phoenix Suns (44-37)
8. Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) – can finish 8th or 9th
9. Los Angeles Clippers (41-40) – can finish 8th or 9th
10. Golden State Warriors (37-44)
The West’s only unresolved top-six battle involves Denver and Los Angeles. A Nuggets win in San Antonio keeps them third; a loss combined with a Lakers victory over Utah flips the two teams.
Portland owns the tiebreaker on the Clippers, so a Trail Blazers win in Sacramento locks them into No. 8. Los Angeles can overtake Portland only by beating Golden State while the Blazers lose.
Lottery Stakes and Protected Picks
Washington (17-64) has secured the league’s worst record, giving the Wizards a 52.1% chance at a top-four pick and a floor of No. 5. Indiana (19-62) and Brooklyn (20-61) will also finish in the bottom three, each holding identical 52.1% odds of landing in the top four and a 14.0% chance at No. 1 overall. Should the Nets lose Sunday and the Pacers beat Detroit, the two clubs would tie, forcing a coin flip to decide the second-best lottery floor.
The Clippers monitor Indiana closely: the Pacers owe their 2026 first-rounder to Los Angeles unless it lands in the top four.
Several other races remain fluid. Utah and Sacramento share the fourth-worst record (22-59), Memphis and Dallas are even for sixth-worst (25-56), and New Orleans (26-55) could join that mix. Atlanta is tracking the Pelicans; the Hawks receive the better of New Orleans or Milwaukee’s first-round picks.
Utah will send its first to Oklahoma City if it falls outside the top eight, but even with the NBA’s fifth-worst record—or a coin-flip loss while tied for fourth—the Jazz have only a 0.6% chance of sliding to No. 9.
Chicago (31-50) and Milwaukee (32-49) could need a coin flip for ninth and 10th in the lottery order if the Bulls beat Dallas and the Bucks fall to Philadelphia.
The four remaining lottery slots will belong to the teams eliminated in next week’s play-in tournament.
Source: Hoops Rumors
