NBA Playoffs 2026 Seedings Set As Regular Season Ends

The NBA regular season finished on 13 April 2026 with major changes in both conferences. Denver Nuggets closed with a 12-game winning run to lock the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. Toronto Raptors climbed to fifth in the East, while several teams dropped into the NBA Play-In Tournament picture.

Denver’s 128-118 win over the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs pushed Los Angeles Lakers down to the No. 4 spot. At the lower end of the Western standings, Portland Trail Blazers secured eighth place with a final-day victory. Portland now face the No. 7 Phoenix Suns in the NBA Play-In Tournament.

In the East, Toronto benefited from both results and rivals’ defeats. A win in the Raptors’ finale, combined with losses for the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic, lifted Toronto into the No. 5 seed. Atlanta slipped to sixth, while Orlando dropped to No. 8 and now meet the No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers in the Play-In.

The NBA confirmed the full post-season field as results settled on 13 April. The league’s official account shared the final picture with the message "THE BRACKET IS SET" on social media, underlining how every seed is now decided ahead of the NBA Play-In Tournament and the NBA playoffs.

Elsewhere, Milwaukee Bucks moved into the off-season facing big questions after a 32-50 campaign. Reports indicate head coach Doc Rivers is not expected back for 2026-27. The situation has been closely watched because of the presence of superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo and ongoing talk around the future structure of the Bucks.

Antetokounmpo, a two-time league MVP and 2021 NBA Finals MVP, featured in only 36 games because of injuries. Trade rumours also followed Antetokounmpo before the deadline. After Milwaukee’s season ended on 13 April, Antetokounmpo said he had been fit to play over recent weeks and considered the decision to rest Antetokounmpo "disrespectful". The final year of Antetokounmpo’s contract now overlaps with an expected coaching change, leaving Milwaukee’s plans uncertain.

The NBA Play-In Tournament opens the post-season schedule and decides the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference. The format gives No. 7 and No. 8 teams two chances to qualify for the NBA playoffs, while No. 9 and No. 10 must win twice. The play-in games run from 14 to 17 April.

On Tuesday, 14 April, Charlotte Hornets host Miami Heat in the East 9-10 game after finishing 44-38 and 43-39 respectively. In the West, Phoenix Suns welcome Portland Trail Blazers in the 7-8 game, after records of 45-37 and 42-40. Winners and losers from those games feed directly into later NBA Play-In Tournament ties.

Wednesday, 15 April features the Eastern 7-8 clash between Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic, who both ended 45-37. The Western 9-10 meeting sets Los Angeles Clippers, at 42-40, against Golden State Warriors, who closed 37-45. Winners of 7-8 games reach the NBA playoffs as No. 7 seeds, while 9-10 losers are eliminated.

The NBA Play-In Tournament finishes on Friday, 17 April. On that night, each conference’s 7-8 loser hosts the 9-10 winner. The winners of those final ties claim the No. 8 seeds and advance to the first round of the NBA playoffs. Those matchups then complete the bracket against the top seeds in East and West.

The Eastern Conference side of the NBA playoffs bracket features Detroit Pistons as the No. 1 seed after a 60-22 season. Detroit will face the winner of the East No. 8 spot from the NBA Play-In Tournament. Boston Celtics, who finished 56-26, wait for the eventual No. 7 seed emerging from the play-in process.

New York Knicks earned the No. 3 seed in the East with a 53-29 record and will face the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, who finished 46-36. Fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers, at 52-30, take on the No. 5 Toronto Raptors, who also ended 46-36 but lost the tiebreaker for home-court advantage in their NBA playoffs series.

In the Western Conference, Oklahoma City Thunder headline the NBA playoffs as top seeds with a league-best 64-18 mark. Thunder await the West No. 8 qualifier from the NBA Play-In Tournament. San Antonio Spurs, who secured the No. 2 seed at 62-20, will meet whichever team claims the conference’s No. 7 position.

Denver Nuggets, boosted by that 12-game winning streak to finish 54-28, hold the No. 3 seed and will meet No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, who went 49-33. Los Angeles Lakers, at 53-29, dropped to the No. 4 seed and now face the No. 5 Houston Rockets, who closed 52-30, in one of the headline first-round Western NBA playoffs ties.

The regular season’s final day reshaped the NBA Play-In Tournament and NBA playoffs picture across both conferences. Denver and Toronto improved positions at the right moment, while teams such as Lakers and Magic slipped. With Giannis Antetokounmpo’s situation unresolved and Milwaukee changing direction, the post-season now begins with both on-court and off-court storylines.