Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons secure top NBA playoff seeds
The Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons have secured top divisional seeds as the 2025-26 NBA regular season enters a pivotal final week of playoff positioning.
Five teams in the Western Conference have already guaranteed their postseason spots.
The reigning champions remain the standout franchise after clinching their division for a third consecutive season.
The Oklahoma City outfit are now on a quest to become the NBA’s first repeat champions since 2018.
Pistons secure summit despite Cunningham injury
The situation at the very top of the Eastern Conference is also settled.
Detroit have locked in the number one seed despite losing star point guard Cade Cunningham to a collapsed lung for the final weeks of the campaign.
Below the Michigan franchise, the Boston Celtics are strong favourites to wrap up the second spot but still require specific results to mathematically guarantee the position.
Knicks and Cavaliers fight for home advantage
The New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers are locked in a tense battle that will likely go down to the final days of the season.
The two franchises are vying for the third and fourth seeds, with the Atlanta Hawks set to play a decisive kingmaker role.
Currently sitting fifth, the Georgia-based team hosts New York on Monday before facing Cleveland in a crucial double-header on Wednesday and Friday.
The outcomes of these specific fixtures will go a long way toward determining who will face the Hawks in the first round.
Meanwhile, the Philadelphia 76ers and Toronto Raptors remain tied for the sixth and final automatic playoff spot with four games remaining.
A recent home defeat to the Sacramento Kings could prove costly for the Canadian franchise as the pressure mounts.
Hornets emerge as dangerous play-in contenders
Teams currently occupying the play-in tournament spots are desperate to find form before the elimination games begin.
The Charlotte Hornets have emerged as the most dangerous outfit likely to come through that high-stakes route.
After a dismal 16-28 start, the North Carolina team have surged since January, claiming impressive victories against San Antonio, Boston and Oklahoma City.
A fully healthy backcourt pairing of LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller has transformed their offensive output.
They have been further aided by fearless performances from Kon Knueppel, who is currently the frontrunner for Rookie of the Year.
Should they advance, a fiercely contested first-round matchup against Detroit remains a possibility following a significant on-court altercation between the two teams in February.
Alternatively, head coach Charles Lee could face his former employers in Boston, adding further intrigue to an already compelling postseason bracket.