NBA Playoff Picture: Spurs and Thunder Clinch, East Race Goes to the Wire

Three weeks remain in the 2025-26 NBA regular season and the playoff picture is simultaneously clearer and more complicated than it has been at any point in the year. The clear part: Oklahoma City, San Antonio, and Detroit have clinched. The complicated part: everything else.

The West: Thunder and Spurs Race for the One Seed

Oklahoma City recovered from their injury-affected slump — going 8-11 at their worst stretch — to reclaim their position as the Western Conference's best team. Adding Jared McCain at the deadline provided the depth the roster needed. With Williams and Hartenstein healthy, the Thunder have returned to something close to their best form. Their 57-15 record entering the final weeks is the best in the NBA.

San Antonio's 30-9 run since January 1 has not gone unnoticed by the league's betting markets or its front offices. The Spurs have lost twice since February 1. Wembanyama is playing the best basketball of his career. The one-seed race between OKC and San Antonio is the most compelling seeding battle in either conference, with home-court advantage in a potential Western Conference Finals hanging on the outcome.

The East: Boston and New York One Game Apart

The Celtics and Knicks are separated by one game for the two and three seeds, with one head-to-head remaining on April 9. The outcome of that game will likely determine home-court advantage in a second-round series between them. Boston has been led by Jaylen Brown's monster season and the unexpected emergence of Neemias Queta and Luka Garza as a legitimate frontcourt. New York has been the more athletic team and has beaten more quality opponents. Both will be dangerous in the playoffs.

Detroit's Remarkable Story

Detroit clinching a playoff berth is one of the season's best stories. Cooper Flagg has been everything the franchise needed — a player who can contribute immediately, compete in close games, and establish the competitive culture that sustains a winning program long-term. The Pistons have not been this relevant in years. Their playoff seeding matters less than their presence in the bracket as evidence that the rebuild is working.