The 2026 NBA Playoffs are less than two weeks away, with the SoFi Play-In Tournament tipping off on April 14 and the first round officially underway on April 18. The playoff picture is rapidly taking shape, with 20 teams already locked in and the remaining seeds still up for grabs as the regular season winds down.
With just nine games remaining, every contest carries playoff implications as teams battle for position in the standings. The Atlanta Hawks face a pivotal matchup Wednesday, April 1, against the Orlando Magic, a must-win if they want to hold onto a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference and avoid the Play-In Tournament altogether.
The San Antonio Spurs travel to Golden State for their fourth meeting of the season, riding the momentum of Victor Wembanyama’s historic performance, a season-high 41 points and 16 rebounds in a win against the Chicago Bulls that marked the third-fastest double-double recorded since 1997-98. San Antonio is firmly in the hunt for the top seed in the Western Conference, and with the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder sitting atop the standings, every win from here on out could prove decisive heading into the postseason.
Here is the current brackets for the playoffs and the Play-In Tournament, and the NBA standings as of April 1:
NBA power rankings: Thunder, Spurs stay hot, but who took the No. 1 spot?
NBA playoffs bracket
(After games played on March 31)
Western Conference
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(1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. (8) Play-In Winner
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(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Play-In Winner
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(3) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (6) Houston Rockets
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(4) Denver Nuggets vs. (5) Minnesota Timberwolves
Eastern Conference
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(1) Detroit Pistons vs. (8) Play-In Winner
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(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Play-In Winner
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(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Toronto Raptors
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(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Atlanta Hawks
NBA Play-In Tournament
(After games played on March 31)
Western Conference
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(7) Phoenix Suns vs. (8) LA Clippers
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(9) Portland Trail Blazers vs. (10) Golden State Warriors
Eastern Conference
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(7) Philadelphia 76ers vs. (8) Orlando Magic
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(9) Miami Heat vs. (10) Charlotte Hornets
NBA standings
All 20 teams – 10 in each conference – that will participate in the postseason have been determined. Here are their records as of Wednesday, April 1, and what each of those teams have clinched so far:
Western Conference
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(1) Oklahoma City Thunder: 60-16
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(2) San Antonio Spurs: 57-18
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(3) Los Angeles Lakers: 50-26
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(4) Denver Nuggets: 48-28
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(5) Minnesota Timberwolves: 46-29
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(6) Houston Rockets: 46-29
Eastern Conference
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(1) Detroit Pistons: 55-21
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(2) Boston Celtics: 50-25
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(3) New York Knicks: 48-28
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(4) Cleveland Cavaliers: 47-29
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(6) Toronto Raptors: 42-33
When do the NBA playoffs begin?
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The NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Tuesday, April 14 and runs through Friday, April 17.
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The NBA playoffs start Saturday, April 18 and feature eight teams in each conference after teams are eliminated in the Play-In Tournament.
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Game 1 of the NBA Finals scheduled for Wednesday, June 3.
Which NBA teams have been eliminated from the playoffs?
Eastern Conference
Western Conference
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: NBA playoff bracket: Where teams stand in final stretch of season
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