NBA Playoff Push 2026: Seven Days

This is it, folks! We are down to the final seven days of the NBA season. The season ends on Sunday with all thirty teams playing, and after that, the next day is a day off to breathe, and that's followed by the Play-In Tournament, which will start on Tuesday, April 14 with the 7-seed game between #7 and #8 in their respective conferences. On Wednesday, April 15, it's the elimination games between #9 and #10 in their respective conferences, and finally, on Friday, April 17, it's the 8-seed games between the 7 vs 8 losing team and the 9 vs 10 winning team. After all of that, the actual NBA Playoffs start on Saturday, April 18.

That's what's in store for us NBA fans next week. But that's next week. Let's take one final look at the ongoing playoff picture with just a week left in the regular season:

The Eastern Conference is still quite jumbled, but one thing is certain: the Detroit Pistons are #1 in the East. That was locked in this past weekend, so the road in the Eastern Conference will go through Motor City. The Boston Celtics and the New York Knicks are in a battle for the #2 spot and the Atlantic Division, but they are both locked into playoff spots. The Cleveland Cavaliers are officially playoff bound, but there are still two spots in the East's Top 6 up for grabs. Right now, the Atlanta Hawks are in the #5 spot, while the Philadelphia 76ers have maneuvered their way to the #6 spot that they had back when I first started these NBA weekly recaps a month ago.

Philly has the #6 spot via tiebreaker over the Toronto Raptors, who sit at #7. The Charlotte Hornets are a half game behind both teams at #8, while the Orlando Magic are a very close #9, and the Miami Heat sit at #10. With a week left, no team is locked into the Play-In Tournament, and the four teams currently ranked 7-10? They all have a shot at #5 in the conference! WOW!

The Western Conference is a bit more definitive. The Oklahoma City Thunder are two wins away from locking up the NBA's overall top record. They and the San Antonio Spurs are playoff bound, as are the Los Angeles Lakers, the Denver Nuggets, and the Houston Rockets. All three have a shot at finishing within the Top 4, which guarantees home court in Round 1. Only the Minnesota Timberwolves and the Phoenix Suns are alive for the last spot in that Top 6, but the Wolves are just two wins away from getting that official playoff spot and avoiding the Play-In.

Entering the final week, the Suns are in the #7 spot, which is the home court spot for the 7-seed game. As for the teams below them, the Los Angeles Clippers, the Portland Trail Blazers, and the Golden State Warriors are all locked into the Play-In Tournament, but seeding is still up for grabs. One thing is certain among that group: the Warriors are the only team who can't play in the 7-seed game. Golden State can't finish higher than #9 in the West, so once the season ends, the Warriors will be playing in Wednesday's elimination game, with the winner advancing to play in Friday's 8-seed game. Though at least if they finish at #9, they'll host Wednesday's game.

* * *

Seven days remain, folks! A lot is up for grabs, and I am very excited to see how the remaining puzzle pieces will fit together. This will be a very interesting final week!