Sunday marks the final day of the 2025-26 NBA regular season, and there is plenty left to be decided across the league. Most of the playoff positioning has been locked up after a full slate of games on Friday, but there’s a battle for the West’s No. 3 spot and the seeding for the Play-In Tournament in each conference is on the line. There are also NBA Draft Lottery odds at stake.
On Friday, the Boston Celtics secured the No. 2 spot in the East, while the New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are set at No. 3 and No. 4, respectively. The Atlanta Hawks locked up a top-six spot with a win, but whether they slide up to No. 5 remains to be determined.
There will be a lot to keep track of on Sunday, so let’s break it all down and figure out what is still up for grabs as we enter the final day of the regular season.
2026 NBA playoff picture: Projected bracket, who’s clinched and where things stand entering season’s final day
Brad Botkin
What’s at stake on Sunday?
Western Conference
Eastern Conference
- The Atlanta Hawks, Philadelphia 76ers, Toronto Raptors and Orlando Magic are all fighting for the No. 6 spot in the East. Atlanta locked up a top-six spot and could finish fifth. However, Philadelphia, Toronto and Orlando will all be trying to avoid the Play-In Tournament.
- The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are still fighting over who will host the 9-10 play-in game.
Sunday’s clinching scenarios
- The Lakers clinch the No. 3 spot in the West if they win on Sunday against the Utah Jazz AND if the Nuggets lose to the San Antonio Spurs. The Nuggets, winners of 11 straight, hold a tiebreaker over the Lakers and would lock up the No. 3 seed with a win.
- Portland can lock up the No. 8 spot with a win over the Sacramento Kings OR if the Clippers lose to the Golden State Warriors.
- The Hawks can get the No. 5 spot with a win over the Heat on Sunday OR a loss by the Raptors against the Brooklyn Nets. The No. 5 seed is possible even with a loss, but the Hawks would need the Raptors to lose and the Magic to beat the Celtics.
- The Raptors clinch the No. 5 spot with a win against Brooklyn AND losses by the Hawks and Magic. The Raptors are locked into the top six with a win over the Nets.
- The Magic will secure the No. 6 spot with a win over the Celtics AND if the Raptors lose to the Nets. They will clinch at least the No. 7 spot with a win OR a Sixers loss to the Milwaukee Bucks.
- The Sixers can still clinch the No. 6 spot but need a win over the Bucks, a Raptors loss to the Nets and a Magic loss to the Celtics. They will secure the No. 7 spot with a win AND if either the Raptors or Magic lose.
- The Hornets can secure the No. 9 spot (and host a play-in game) with a win over the Knicks OR if the Heat lose to the Hawks on Sunday. If the Hornets lose and the Heat win, Miami would take the No. 9 seed and Charlotte would fall to No. 10.
Lottery odds at stake
While the Washington Wizards (17-64), Indiana Pacers (19-62) and Brooklyn Nets (20-61) have assured themselves of the three worst records in the league, there are currently two ties at the bottom of the standings entering Sunday:
- The Jazz and Kings (both 22-59) are currently tied for the fourth-best lottery odds.
- The Mavericks and Grizzlies (25-56) are currently tied for the sixth-best lottery odds.
If the ties between those four teams persist past the final day of the regular season, then coin flips will determine the order of draft lottery odds. That may seem inconsequential, but the Dallas Mavericks‘ lottery fortune last year came down to a coin flip against the Chicago Bulls to break a tie at the end of the season. That coin flip ended up being the difference maker in the Mavericks landing the No. 1 pick and drafting Cooper Flagg.
For the Jazz, if their pick falls outside the top eight, it will go to the Oklahoma City Thunder.
