The NBA wrapped up its 2025/26 regular season on Sunday, locking in the top six teams in each conference and lining up the teams and seeds for this year’s play-in tournament.
While most of the top seeds had already been secured ahead of Sunday’s regular season finale, there were still some meaningful outcomes in today’s games. Most notably, the Raptors’ win over Brooklyn secured their first playoff berth in four years and moved them up to No. 5 in the Eastern Conference standings while ensuring that the Sixers and Magic will have to book their playoff tickets via the play-in tournament.
Over in the West, the Trail Blazers’ victory over Sacramento locked up the No. 8 seed for Portland. That means the Blazers will get two opportunities to win a play-in game and make the playoffs, while the Clippers, bumped down to No. 9, will have to win a pair of play-in contests to advance to the first round.
Here are the play-in matchups:
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, April 14
- Game 1: Miami Heat (10) at Charlotte Hornets (9), 7:30 pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Wednesday, April 15
- Game 2: Orlando Magic (8) at Philadelphia 76ers (7), 7:30 pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Friday, April 17
- Winner of Game 1 at Loser of Game 2, 7:30 pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Western Conference
Tuesday, April 14
- Game 1: Portland Trail Blazers (8) at Phoenix Suns (7), 10:00 pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays on Friday.
Wednesday, April 15
- Game 2: Golden State Warriors (10) at Los Angeles Clippers (9), 10:00 pm ET
- Winner plays on Friday; loser is eliminated.
Friday, April 17
- Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1, 10:00 pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Once the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference are set later this week, the eight first-round matchups will be finalized. Those first-round series will tip off on April 18 and 19.
Here are the top six seeds in each conference, along with the matchups that are set so far (and Game 1 info, per the NBA):
Eastern Conference
- Detroit Pistons (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- Boston Celtics (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
- New York Knicks (3) vs. Atlanta Hawks (6) *
- Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Toronto Raptors (5) *
* Series begins on April 18.
^ Series begins on April 19.
Western Conference
- Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in) ^
- San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in) ^
- Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6) *
- Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5) *
* Series begins on April 18.
^ Series begins on April 19.
sorry for my confusion: Wednesdays Dubs clipper game……..single elimination?
Warriors lose. They go home. Clips play Blazers or Suns.
clips lose….they go home?
I think so. It is 10 vs 9 and 8 vs 7.
Yes, if you’re in the 9 v 10 game and you lose.., you go home.
If you win, you get a chance to win again and remain in the playoffs. But if you lose that 2nd game, you go home.
The 9 and 10 seed has to win twice to make the playoffs.
Yeah. It breaks down like this:
Suns-Blazers winner gets 7th seed
Clips-Warriors loser is out
Clips-Warriors winner vs. Suns-Blazers loser – winner gets 8th seed, loser is out
So the Clips have to win 2 in a row, for the “prize” of playing OKC in the first round lol
thanx Weller…..I got it now.
Came down to last game of season Bulls fans. Can’t get better than that. Clippers beat the Warriors Blazers beat the Kings. That pick is coming LOLS 😱
Final Standings Impact: Following their win over the Sacramento Kings on April 12, 2026, the Blazers clinched the 8th seed, forcing the Clippers into the No. 9 spot.
You got two chances left. Odds are with Chicago. Imo Blazers beating Suns for 7th seed. Life is good.
Also the Bulls lost big and edged out Milwauklee for 9th. It was a lose-lose but win-win kind a day for Bulls fans. Ament and Cenac come to Chicago.
IVE NEVER BEEN SO HAPPY GETTING THE 15th pick lmao
I know. But face it, the way that idiot AK worded the deal that was as good as it was ever going to get!
Yeah I know but atleast it’s in a LOADED draft lol.
Absolutely right. Two very nice picks. Plus FA money. You can build a good young core this year.
Al, this is an average FA class at best for the amount of money we will have. Not taking into rookie deals, and buyouts and trades. There is legit nobody they should spend big money on to field a roster that will still be middle of the pact. I rather have them save that money for 2027, that FA class will change teams futures.
Few guys notable that will be a FA in summer of 2027.
Michael Porter Jr
Jalen Green
Trae Young
Donavan Mitchell
Keldon Johnson
Not a bad core to add with 9/15th picks along with Buzelis and Giddey/Essengue.
Yeah your right about that. Even a solid rotation guy is a great addition. With two picks and Essengue, Buzelis. You need young vets next to them.
Serious question lol. Don’t get crazy.
Grimes at SG. Solid 2way guy who can avg 20.
I strongly consider it. Like him. Imo he would sign three yrs 50 mill. Guaranteed to start. You can still draft a SG to learn and back him up. Burries bring around slowly. Like Spurs doing Harper.
K Johnson is legit lol. Love him but he has one more yr. Rooting for Blazers.
I wouldn’t mind having Keldon Johnson, but it seems like he’s a “glue guy” for Spurs. Someone who’s been thru the “lean years” and played the game the right way. I’m sure he’s a good teammate as well in that locker room otherwise he’d be out. I wonder what’s his starting AAV after his current contract expires. As for Grimes, I like him but he’s also one of those “unknown” guys. We’ve seen what he can do in glimpses with the minutes he gets, but can he sustain it over a 82 game season? I know most players don’t go 82 anymore but still had to say it lol. We do need a shooter around Giddey/Buzelis. People forget Giddey is 6’8 so he’s a bigger guard than Grimes who is listed as 6’4. 3/50M isn’t bad if you actually draft a BIG with the 9th pick or whatever you end up with. I do love the combo of Mikel Brown and Quintance at 15. We need size and JQ looks likes he’s beast on the defensive end when healthy. I think he’ll have a strong combine and shoot up to possibly 11-14 status for certain teams who value his game/skill set. I’m eager to see what Essengue does. What drives me nuts is they draft these guys so high but they refuse to either send them to GLeague to earn the minutes and also develop a feel
For the NBA or they just ride the bench until an injury goes down. It stunts their rhythm and growth. Donavan and AK played with Buzelis first half of last year too much and it drove me insane. Essengue prior to his injury, same thing as Buzelis. I’m hoping the front office realizes and makes a decision one way or another because the last thing you want to do is destroy a young kid’s confidence especially coming into the league, then you have a Patrick Williams situation. We do need veterans too I agree. That’s why I am a big fan of the Jones for Gafford deal, especially if you are hoping Dillingham develops over the summer as your 2nd unit PG behind Giddey. One veteran I’d love to acquire would be Olynyk. He’s grown older but his influence on a Raptors team cannot be overstated. He’s a winner everywhere he played in. Guys like that I value when your trying to figure out your core and develop winning habits both in game and during practice.
I can clearly say I know Grimes. I have watched him since UH. And seen his progression under Thibs. Seen him come into his own in Dallas. Finally wake up and go for his. He is a starter in this L. Can be a solid 2way guy imo. Still young man 25 yrs old. Better than Coby and I like Coby.
K Johnson can start in NBA. He is not staying in SA. Why you put his name up. He’s a FA after this year. So I see Spurs trading him by TD next yr. If not sooner. Easily will get 20-25 mill. Grimes is a FA lol
OK first you can’t expect 19-22 yr olds to save the Bulls. Or become impactful. Even Cooper makes plenty of mistakes. The NBA is next level and these guys don’t have a man bod yet. So you need to think progression and getting better. Buzelis is still yrs away. Thats how you look all of them.
Imo you go SG first. Even if you sign Grimes. Then you go best available if they are gone. There is no center worth a lottery pick. I’m telling you lol, you can get one in second rd. And you are not valuing Richard enough. Richard and Reid from UConn would be great. Chk out 2 rd talent. Plenty of bigs there.
First lets see Blazers win lol. Then you can start celebrating. Grimes, Burries, Imo is great additions.
Lose lose … thats funny
Sixers healthy would have been a tough out in first rd. Unfortunately you can’t trust the “WalkingInjured”
Hawks are legit so Knicks better be ready. All the HATERS better be watching. Funny how all the trolls are gone now. Second rd in NBA will be Epic this year.
Playoffs are here. Lets Di This ….
Knicks are 30-10 at home and the Hawks are 22-19 on the road. Trends say Knicks in 7
Good to hear. And I feel confident. I never count my chickens before they hatch lol. I want to see how ready they are. NYK
So don’t forget to bet the farm on Wednesday’s Warriors Clippers game. Warriors lose guaranteed.
Then in 2 weeks Maybe they can win the lotto and draft Dy-gangsta #1 ??
worse thing is the game is on amazon prime. So the NBA is treating the fans again very bad.
Just in case you didn’t know, Amazon offers a free 30 day subscription to Prime, and with all the play-in games but 1 being exclusive, it’s worth it.
You just have to cancel on the 30th day to avoid being charged.
I can’t stand Bezos. I hate trying to cancel any of those 30 day trials. its not worth it.
I hate rich aholes like Bezos too, but it’s actually super easy to subscribe and cancel Prime online.
Takes less than a minute.
I don’t see the warriors getting past Clippers. The warriors defense has been real bad lately. Unless Curry has a 40 plus game you got to go with Clippers. Lue is too good of a coach and will double team Curry all game long.
They have a slim chance if Kerr starts Horford and Porzingis (and uses Bassey as the backup 5), since Lopez is past his use by date and they don’t really have a backup center.
But I agree, Lue always traps and grabs Steph, Kawhi almost always plays well against GSW, and as we saw last night the Clippers have some shooters on the bench.
I like what I seen from Bassey and warriors should sign him to a 1 year deal for next year. Please no spencer his defense is so bad.
Oh now they need a big. But you didn’t want tge best big draft. Brilliant
If everyone plays it should be a game. Kawhi has been awesome this yr. No Jimmy Warriors can’t stop him.
green will be on kawhi. horford will be playing center with KP.
Green is done as a perimeter defender. Thats why you need true bigs they extend guys like Greens career lol.
There is nobody in the warriors system to replace Green. Why drafting a PF is a must for the warriors. Green still can defend but with age he can’t play extended minutes if needed.
I agree, and he has volumes of knowledge. Its why I been saying Lendeborg for Warriors. I hope you have seen his YouTube analysis. Go check out Steinbach. Cause Lendeborg may be gone.
If the warriors want to compete next year Lendeborg is the best choice. I am not sure he makes it down to the 11th pick. The draft is full of PGs and a couple good raw centers.
Seriously chk out Steinbach. Tough German player. Can ball man.
And he’s much younger than Yaxel – he’d be a smart pick. Could be the next Franz!
such negatively. sir….bad juju!
Quick correction !! DON’T bet the farm on a Warriors loss Wednesday night.
With help from NBA is OK, I just realized that if the Warriors WIN Wednesday night, but still LOSE Friday night, they’ll be out of the playoff picture.., and their 37 wins during the regular season will lock them into the 11th pick (before the lottery happens in a couple of weeks.)
So the Warriors could play spoilers and actually take down the Clippers .., and not lose their draft position AHEAD of the Clippers.
I can’t think of a better way to go into the off-season than by sending the Clippers home early and out of the playoffs.
Go Warriors !!!
All this talk about unethical hoopers and they name SGA. Yet once again here come Mikal Bridges yet again with a start yet zero minutes played to extend his streak of games played.
Is Mikal Bridges making a farce out of the consecutive games streak tonight any different than all those who were up in arms about Bam‘s 83 points?
23 seconds and he’s pulled? Ridiculous.., such an “Iron Man.”
If you want a night off, take a night off.
Don’t make it about you !!
“Your” streak, “your” durability, “your” ability to play every game.
Seriously? 23 seconds?
That was on the coach. Who cares if he only made a token appearance, the reason was risk of injury avoidance.
Uhh huh …. I think he did take the day off. Yeah its all about him. Excellent hate analysis. Bridges avg over 33 mins a game this yr. There isn’t a Warrior who played over 31 mins. Bridges led the NBA in mins last year (3.036). Followed by another Knick Kosh Hart (2,897), then AD at (2,871). Bridges has to be the most unselfish player in NBA. You know Bridges like you know Raynaud. 👏👏
Amen Thomson most minutes played this year, I believe. Then, Durant and with J Smith 5th, Houston has three of the top 5. Not sure what the Warriors comment is about, but are minutes played a good gauge for playoff performance?
I’d say it’s a good gauge of roster depth. If your stars are playing that many minutes it’s either a mismanagement by the coach, or the coach has to play his players that much to have a chance at a W. Amen is young and should be fine, KD with his injury history could be a little questionable. The season is a grind, especially at age 37.
More the opposite. Players need rest. The playoff is more energy draining than any thing close to regular season. If rockets get pass the first round it can effect them in round 2 of confrence finals.
I will be shocked if the Rockets can’t get past the Lakers missing 2 starters.
Rockets should get past the lakers but you never know with an injury. We all know the whistle will be in Lakers favor. Rockets has not played very well the past month.
Rockets are 15-8 since March 1st, and had a 8 gm win streak.
Hopefully no teams in the play-in have an injury impacting them.
Rockets last 10 games they only played 2 playoff teams and split those games. Rest were against lotto teams and play in teams. Rockets should win but you never know.
1 of the reasons i don’t see warriors winning the clippers because their only wins were against 4 lotto teams out of the last 20 games they played. All 4 less than 10 points. They been real bad if it was not for tanking teams they would be bottom 3 team.
I take it as you don’t trust your bench. Thats not a good sign for playoffs.
Spurs deserve to get beat by the nuggets in R2. What a waste to not beat them last game and have a lock to Conf finals.
I see the top 4 after round 1 will be Spurs, Nuggets, OKC and Rockets. If lakers were healthy they would squeeze by Rockets.
Anyone that watched the game saw the Spurs guards choke the 4th Q:
Fox 2-10/0-6
Castle 0-2
Vassell 1-3/0-2
Spurs as a team bricked 10-27 overall and 1-14 from three in the 4th. Nuggets were 0-3 from three but 13-23 overall.
I just thought of an interesting scenario.
The Warriors are the 10 seed and have 37 wins. They’ll play the Clippers the 9 seed with 41 wins. This game is Wednesday night and the winner plays Friday night.
Here’s the scenario. If the Warriors win Wednesday night, they’re still not “in” the playoffs. They have to win again Friday night or else they’re out of the playoff picture.
If the Warriors beat the Clippers Wednesday night, the Clippers are out of the playoff picture completely but have 41 wins.
Should the Warriors win that Wednesday game but LOSE Friday night, they’ll still be out of the playoff picture because the 9/10 seed in both conferences need to win TWICE.
Here’s my question. The Dubs have 37 wins and the Clippers 41 wins. IF the Warriors beat the Clippers Wednesday night, do they still KEEP their 11th pick in the draft because of their regular season record? Even though they beat the Clippers in the play-in game?
That throws my entire bold statement from last week in the trash. (Warriors guaranteed to lose Wednesday.)
Watch the Warriors stomp the Clippers Wednesday in the 9/10 game just to say they did it, then purposely lose Friday and still keep the 11th pick lol.
See what I’m getting it?
Hi Gary,
The answer is yes, beating the Clippers in the play-in game won’t affect the draft position.
Ok !!! Great news !!
Stomp the LA Clippers Wednesday night.., send them home.., let’s go !!!!
In other words, do NOT bet the farm on the Warriors losing Wednesday night as I so confidently proclaimed for the past week lol !!
Why does it matter. I doubt he knows who’s going 10-13. Cause that’s who will be there.
Yaxel Lendeborg ——. Great fit for Warriors. But I been seeing a lot stories and chatter about other teams taking him. He might not last till Warriors pick.
I know Kerr wants a ball handler/PG with size. I just not sure there is who is ready now. Imo an NBA ready player is what Warriors need. If they plan on making a run next year. I would be looking at Steinbach then. He is more ready than most. And is a tough kid that can shoot play both ways with size.