The final week of the 2025-26 NBA regular season has arrived, setting the stage for dramatic playoff positioning battles across the league. With the postseason set to begin on April 18, teams are fighting for every advantage in the standings.
Under the current playoff format, the top six teams in each conference earn automatic playoff berths, while seeds 7-10 enter the play-in tournament from April 14-17 to determine the final two postseason spots in each conference.
Twenty teams have secured either playoff positioning or play-in tournament spots, while ten franchises have been mathematically eliminated from contention. Remarkably, only one team has locked in its specific seed, meaning 19 of the 20 postseason seeds remain undecided heading into Tuesday's critical slate of games.
In the Western Conference, five teams have already clinched playoff berths: the Oklahoma City Thunder (62-16), San Antonio Spurs (60-19), Denver Nuggets (51-28), Los Angeles Lakers (50-28), and Houston Rockets (49-29). The Eastern Conference features four clinched teams: Detroit Pistons (57-22), Boston Celtics (53-25), New York Knicks (51-28), and Cleveland Cavaliers (50-29).
Several franchises face elimination from postseason possibilities, including the Western Conference's Dallas Mavericks (25-53), New Orleans Pelicans (25-54), Memphis Grizzlies (25-54), Sacramento Kings (21-58), and Utah Jazz (21-58). Eastern Conference eliminated teams include Milwaukee Bucks (31-47), Chicago Bulls (29-49), Brooklyn Nets (19-59), Indiana Pacers (18-60), and Washington Wizards (17-61).
Tuesday's games carry significant implications for several teams still fighting for positioning. The Minnesota Timberwolves can secure a playoff berth with a victory combined with a Phoenix Suns loss. Conversely, the Suns would be locked into the play-in tournament with a defeat coupled with a Timberwolves win.
In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat face potential play-in tournament lockdown with a loss on Tuesday. The outcomes will dramatically affect the final playoff picture with just days remaining in the regular season.
As teams make their final push, the coming days will determine not only who qualifies for the postseason but also crucial seeding advantages that could prove decisive in playoff series matchups. The play-in tournament adds another layer of drama, giving borderline teams one last chance to extend their seasons.
