The brackets for the 2026 NBA Playoffs are almost set, with all 30 teams set to play their final game of the 2025-26 regular season on Sunday. Out of the teams that are in action, 11 have locked their place in the postseason already, while 10 teams have been eliminated.
Heading into the final gameday on Sunday, the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Portland Trail Blazers and LA Clippers could still see their position change in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, in the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks, Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, Philadelphia 76ers, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat have also yet to lock in their final position.
Let’s take a look at the current seeds and clinching scenarios for the 2026 NBA Playoffs.
NBA Playoff Matchups: Western Conference
#1 seed
OKC Thunder (64-17)
#2 seed
San Antonio Spurs (62-19)
#3 seed
Denver Nuggets (53-28) or LA Lakers (52-29)
#4 seed
Denver Nuggets or LA Lakers
#5 seed
Houston Rockets (51-30)
#6 seed
Minnesota Timberwolves (48-33)
#7 seed
Phoenix Suns (44-37)
#8 seed
Portland Trail Blazers (41-40) or LA Clippers (41-40)
#9 seed
Portland Trail Blazers or LA Clippers
#10 seed
Golden State Warriors (37-44)
The Lakers can take over the third seed from the Nuggets if Denver loses Sunday’s game while Los Angeles defeats the Utah Jazz.
NBA Playoff Matchups: Eastern Conference
#1 seed
Detroit Pistons (59-22)
#2 seed
Boston Celtics (55-26)
#3 seed
New York Knicks (53-28)
#4 seed
Cleveland Cavaliers (51-30)
#5 seed
Atlanta Hawks (46-35) or Toronto Raptors (45-36)
#6 seed
Atlanta Hawks or Toronto Raptors or Orlando Magic (45-36) or Philadelphia 76ers (44-37)
#7 seed
Toronto Raptors or Orlando Magic or Philadelphia 76ers
#8 seed
Toronto Raptors or Orlando Magic or Philadelphia 76ers
#9 seed
Charlotte Hornets (43-38) or Miami Heat (42-39)
#10 seed
Charlotte Hornets or Miami Heat
Three teams, the Raptors, the Magic and the 76ers have the chance to clinch the sixth seed in the East on Sunday. Here are the scenarios for each.
- Raptors: Win on Sunday while the Magic and 76ers lose.
- Magic: Win on Sunday while the Raptors lose.
- 76ers: Win on Sunday while the Raptors and Magic lose.
NBA Playoff Matchups: Play-in Tournament
The Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors will meet in the play-in tournament to determine the seventh to 10th seeds in the Western Conference.
Meanwhile, the Miami Heat and Charlotte Hornets will participate in the play-in tournament for the Eastern Conference standings. The Toronto Raptors, Orlando Magic, or Philadelphia 76ers could join the play-in, depending on Sunday’s results.
If the Warriors advance through the play-in, they will become this season’s only team to reach the playoffs with a losing record.
Read More: LA Lakers NBA Playoffs Picture: Updated Standings, Best Case Scenario After Win Over Suns (Apr. 11)
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