NBA Playoff Push 2026: Twenty Hungry Teams

Hard to believe that there are only two weeks remaining in the NBA season. Just fourteen short days to go. And even crazier, with that much time left, all 20 postseason spots have been filled. Yes, you read that right. The last eliminated team was the Milwaukee Bucks, and their ousting came on Saturday, March 28 when they were horrendously blasted by the San Antonio Spurs. Milwaukee's loss allowed the Charlotte Hornets, the Orlando Magic, and the Miami Heat to advance to this year's postseason play.

So yes, all 20 postseason spots are filled, but there's still positioning to be determined. As of now, who's officially in the playoffs? Who's officially in the Play-In Tournament? Here's a look at the playoff picture:

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons are still #1, and are one win (or one more Cavs loss) away from clinching the Central Division. Because they won the season series over the #2 Boston Celtics, Detroit's magic number to clinch the #1 seed is actually at four. The Celtics locked in a playoff spot on Sunday with their win over the Charlotte Hornets, and at #3, it's the New York Knicks at 48-27. The Cleveland Cavaliers sit at #4 in the conference, the Toronto Raptors are still at #5, and the Southeast Division-leading Atlanta Hawks are at #6.

In the Play-In picture, the Philadelphia 76ers hold the coveted #7 spot at 41-33, two games ahead of the Orlando Magic at #8. The Magic are 39-35, and the Miami Heat and the Charlotte Hornets are both a half game behind Orlando at 39-36. Via tiebreaker, the Heat sit at #9, while the Hornets are at #10.

In the Western Conference, the defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder are closing in on another 60-win season, and they are currently three games ahead of the San Antonio Spurs, who won the season series over the Thunder. OKC's magic number to get the #1 seed in the West is currently at six. The Thunder and Spurs are officially playoff bound, while the Los Angeles Lakers sit at #3 with a 48-26 record, a game ahead of the #4 ranked Denver Nuggets at 48-28. Both teams have the same magic number for clinching a Top 6 playoff spot: two. The Minnesota Timberwolves and the Houston Rockets are both 45-29, with Minnesota seated at #5, while Houston is ranked sixth. Minnesota and Houston have the same magic number for clinching a Top 6 playoff spot: five.

In the Play-In picture, the Phoenix Suns continue to hold the #7 spot at 41-33. At #8, it's the Los Angeles Clippers at 39-36, the Portland Trail Blazers are at #9 with a 38-38 record, and the Golden State Warriors are at #10 with a 36-39 record. The Blazers and Warriors are the first teams to be locked into the Play-In Tournament, as neither of them can finish higher than seventh in the West.

This is what the current bracket looks like now, and not much has really changed from a week prior. Only two matchups have changed from last week, due to the Rockets, Nuggets, and Timberwolves changing positions. The other unchanged matchups do look interesting, especially the Play-In games. Imagine the Hornets winning twice to make it into the eighth seed. That could happen. The Hornets could also move up to eighth and play for the seventh seed. That could also happen. I do like this Play-In Tournament format, but with the story out now that Las Vegas and Seattle could get NBA teams, I do sense a change to the format coming once the NBA reaches 32 teams.

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The regular season ends in just two weeks. The Play-In Tournament starts on April 14 with the #7 seed games. The following day, April 15, will feature the elimination games between #9 and #10 in the conferences. On April 17, it's the #8 seed games, and finally, the overall playoffs start on April 18. The 20 teams are set, but the final two weeks will decide where they will officially stand. It will be quite the amazing finish to the season!