yahoo - 4/6/2026 10:23:27 PM - GMT (+2 )
The NBA's tanking issue has largely overshadowed the stretch run of the 2025-26 season and the race for seeding ahead of the postseason to this point. But the final week of the schedule has set the stage for some needed drama, with games every day that loom large as teams jockey for playoff position and try to avoid the play-in tournament.
Though the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs have locked up the top two spots in the Western Conference, and the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics are comfortably positioned atop the Eastern Conference, there's plenty at stake for the rest of the postseason bracket and several key injuries that could impact the next few days and the start of the 2026 NBA playoffs.
Here's a breakdown at some key storylines as the NBA begins the final week of the 2025-26 regular season:
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Perhaps the most compelling race entering the final week of the NBA regular season centers around the Western Conference teams that will hold home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder and Spurs are locked into the top two seeds, but the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets are in a logjam beneath them. The Lakers have the same record as the Nuggets (50-28) entering Monday, with the Rockets just one game behind after reeling off a sixth-straight win Sunday, April 5 against the Golden State Warriors.
Two games separate the No. 6 seed from the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference entering Monday's NBA slate as the Philadelphia 76ers try to fend off the Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in a race to avoid the play-in tournament. The Raptors and Heat notably play one another in back-to-back games in Toronto this week. There's also some intrigue playing out ahead of the Western Conference play-in tournament, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers tied in their pursuit of the No. 8 seed (and the luxury of only needing one win to make the playoffs).
The opponent awaiting the potential No. 6 seed in the East is also up in the air, with current No. 3 seed New York Knicks one game up on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Atlanta Hawks, currently occupying the No. 5 seed, moved two games ahead of the Sixers ahead of a matchup against the Knicks on Monday night. The Hawks play the Cavaliers twice and the Knicks in the coming days.
NBA PLAYOFF BRACKET: Where teams stand if postseason started today
Major injuries impacting contendersJust when it seemed like the Lakers were hitting their stride, recent injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have become significant roadblocks to a postseason run. Both are out for the remainder of the regular season, with Doncic reportedly seeking additional treatment in Europe for his Grade 2 hamstring strain and Reaves expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with an oblique injury.
The Golden State Warriors, meanwhile, welcomed back Stephen Curry on Sunday after a 27-game absence due to a knee injury. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also managing injury concerns, with both Anthony Edwards (knee) and Jaden McDaniels (knee) each missing games of late. McDaniels is considered "week-to-week," according to the Timberwolves.
In the Eastern Conference, Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham remains sidelined due to a collapsed lung, and the team announced he will be re-evaluated later this week. Cunningham hasn't played in a game since suffering the injury on March 17.
Who's hot?- Atlanta Hawks: 18-2 record over their past 20 games
- Denver Nuggets: Won eight games in a row entering Monday
- Houston Rockets: Currently on season-best six-game winning streak
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 20-2 record since Feb. 20
- San Antonio Spurs: 27-3 record since Feb. 1
- Golden State Warriors: 9-19 record since Feb. 1 (9-18 without Curry)
- Miami Heat: 3-8 record since March 14
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 6-9 record over past 15 games
- Phoenix Suns: 4-8 record since March 13
- Toronto Raptors: 9-12 record in March and April
The Charlotte Hornets have won at close to a 70% clip since Jan. 1, with recent victories over Eastern Conference contenders like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. The trio of Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are the most dangerous team in the play-in tournament, with the best chance to win a first-round playoff series. Potential playoff previews against the Celtics, Pistons and Knicks are on the schedule this week.
Though the Warriors have struggled after Jimmy Butler's season-ending injury and Curry's two-month injury setback, their longtime superstar provided hope in his return Sunday when he led a Golden State comeback that came up just short against the playoff-bound Rockets. The defending NBA champion Thunder will be favored in any first-round series they face, but going against Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors is probably the least desirable outcome.
Games to watchAll times Eastern
- Monday: New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. on Peacock
- Tuesday: Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.
- Tuesday: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns, 11 p.m. on Peacock
- Wednesday: Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on ESPN
- Thursday: Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m.
- Thursday: Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video
- Friday: Detroit Pistons at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.
- Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video
- Friday: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video
- Sunday: Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat, 6 p.m.
- Sunday: Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Playoff race, injuries linger over final week of NBA regular season
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