Basketball mid-seasons are honestly a chaotic mess. You think you know who the heavyweights are in October, but by January 16, 2026, the logic usually flies out the window. If you’re trying to figure out who is in the NBA playoffs based on the current standings, you’re looking at a landscape that has been largely conquered by a relentless Oklahoma City Thunder squad and a surprisingly dominant Detroit Pistons team.
It’s weird seeing Detroit at the summit. For years, they were the "maybe next year" team, but here we are in 2026, and they are sitting atop the Eastern Conference with a 29-10 record. They aren't just winning; they're essentially daring the rest of the East to catch up.
But the standings are tight. One bad week can turn a comfortable seed into a Play-In nightmare. Right now, the race is less about who's "in" and more about who's avoiding that 7-to-10 seed death trap.
The Eastern Conference Power Grid
Detroit holds the one-seed, but the Boston Celtics and New York Knicks are breathing down their necks. Boston is sitting at 25-15, looking like the polished veteran group we expected. Meanwhile, the Knicks—fresh off an NBA Cup win against the Spurs back in December—are 25-16. It's a dogfight for home-court advantage.
The Toronto Raptors have been a massive surprise. They’ve clawed their way to the 4th seed at 25-17. People keep waiting for them to fall off, but they just keep grinding out wins.
Further down, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic are currently holding the 5th and 6th spots. If the season ended today, these would be the "safe" teams. They wouldn't have to touch the Play-In Tournament. But with teams like Cleveland and Miami just a game or two back, that safety is basically an illusion.
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Current East "In" Crowd:
- Detroit Pistons (29-10) - Leading the pack.
- Boston Celtics (25-15) - Always a threat.
- New York Knicks (25-16) - Riding the NBA Cup high.
- Toronto Raptors (25-17) - The scrappy overachievers.
- Philadelphia 76ers (22-17) - Hovering in the middle.
- Orlando Magic (23-18) - Still dangerous.
The 7th and 8th spots are currently held by the Cleveland Cavaliers (23-19) and the Miami Heat (21-20). Miami is classic Miami—struggling through the regular season only to become the team nobody wants to see in a seven-game series.
Dominance in the West: OKC and Everyone Else
In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder are basically playing a different sport. Their 35-7 record is absurd. They have a 7.5-game lead over the second seed. Honestly, the question isn't whether they'll make the playoffs; it's whether anyone can even take two games off them in a series.
Behind them, things get much more interesting. The San Antonio Spurs (28-13) and Denver Nuggets (28-13) are tied for second. Watching Victor Wembanyama continue his ascent while Nikola Jokić keeps Denver in the hunt is the best theater in the league right now.
Then you have the Minnesota Timberwolves at 27-14 and the Los Angeles Lakers at 24-15. The Lakers are always the biggest talking point, but they’ve been inconsistent lately, dropping their last game to fall into a bit of a slump.
Current West "In" Crowd:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (35-7) - The clear favorites.
- San Antonio Spurs (28-13) - The new-look contenders.
- Denver Nuggets (28-13) - The perennial giants.
- Minnesota Timberwolves (27-14) - High-end defense.
- Los Angeles Lakers (24-15) - Scrambling for consistency.
- Houston Rockets (23-15) - Sneaky good this year.
The Phoenix Suns (24-17) and Golden State Warriors (23-19) are sitting in those 7th and 8th spots. It’s wild to think that Kevin Durant or Steph Curry might have to fight through a Play-In game just to get a first-round series, but that’s the reality of the West in 2026. The talent density is just too high.
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Understanding the Play-In Trap
When fans ask who is in the NBA playoffs, they often forget the Play-In Tournament. It’s the purgatory of professional basketball. If you’re ranked 7th through 10th, you aren't "in" yet. You’re just invited to the audition.
In the East, the Chicago Bulls (19-21) and Atlanta Hawks (20-23) are currently 9th and 10th. They would face off in an elimination game. The winner of that would then play the loser of the Cavs vs. Heat game. It’s a brutal way to end a season, especially for a team like Cleveland that has played relatively well but just can’t find a winning streak to break into the top six.
Over in the West, the Portland Trail Blazers (20-22) and Memphis Grizzlies (17-23) are occupying the 9th and 10th seeds. Portland has been a fun story, but they’re likely looking at a "win or go home" scenario against a Memphis team that is finally getting healthy.
Misconceptions About the Standings
A lot of people think the standings today are a lock for April. They aren't. Not even close.
For example, the Milwaukee Bucks are currently 11th in the East (17-24). That sounds like a disaster, right? Well, it is. But they are only a few games out of a Play-In spot. One trade-deadline move or a 10-game win streak completely changes the narrative.
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The same goes for the Dallas Mavericks (16-26) in the West. They’ve been struggling, but you can never count out a team with that kind of star power. The "current" playoff picture is just a snapshot of a moving train.
Key Dates to Watch
The regular season wraps up on April 12, 2026. That is the hard deadline. If you aren't in the top 10 by then, your season is over.
The Play-In Tournament runs from April 14 to April 17. These are the highest-stakes games of the year outside of the Finals because they are single-elimination. Then, the "real" playoffs—the first round—kick off on April 18.
If you're planning your life around the Finals, the projected start date is June 4, 2026.
Actionable Insights for Fans
If you're tracking the race to see who is in the NBA playoffs, don't just look at the win-loss column. Look at the "Games Back" (GB) and the "Last 10" (L10) trends.
- Watch the 6th vs. 7th seed gap. In the East, that gap is currently about half a game. This is the most important line in the standings because it’s the difference between a week of rest and a high-stress Play-In game.
- Monitor the Trade Deadline. Teams like the Clippers or Bucks, who are currently on the outside looking in, are notorious for making aggressive moves in February to jump back into the bracket.
- Strength of Schedule. Some teams, like the Thunder, have already played a heavy road schedule. Their path to the 1-seed finish line might be easier than it looks.
- Tiebreakers. With records so close in the middle of the pack, head-to-head records are going to decide who gets home-court advantage. Keep an eye on those season series between teams like the Knicks and Celtics.
Stay updated by checking the daily conference standings as the "magic numbers" for clinching start to appear in late February. The hunt is only getting more intense from here.