via Graphic Plus — NBA teams have completed two-thirds of the regular season. 1xBet takes a look at the main contenders for a spot in the playoff round.
Playoff format
A few years ago, the NBA radically changed its playoff format by introducing the play-in stage. This innovation increased excitement, reduced the number of meaningless games at the end of the regular season, and motivated mid-tier squads. Under the updated rules, teams that finish in the top six of their conferences automatically qualify for the playoffs, while participants ranked 7th through 10th compete for the two remaining spots.
Oklahoma City Thunder and Detroit Pistons
These clubs, with a 75% win rate, are the sole leaders in the Western and Eastern Conferences, respectively. The Thunder’s first-place position is no surprise, as they were the strongest squad in both the regular season and the playoffs last year.
The Pistons are showing significant progress. Last year, they finished sixth and were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs. This spring, Detroit will almost certainly secure the No. 1 seed, but triumphing in the conference will not be easy.
San Antonio can challenge Oklahoma
San Antonio holds a 70% win rate – the second-best record in the NBA. In addition, the Spurs perform extremely well at home. Such an advantage could help them push the Thunder out of first place.
Fierce competition in the East
Detroit’s regular-season leadership does not mean dominance over the rest of the Eastern Conference. This year, four teams have roughly equal chances of winning the East:
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- New York Knicks
- Detroit Pistons
- Boston Celtics
The probability of seeing Cleveland, New York, and Boston in the playoffs is extremely high. The same can be said about the Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets in the Western Conference.
Who can’t afford to relax?
The Los Angeles Lakers and the Minnesota Timberwolves are in a precarious position in the standings. With win rates of 61% and 60%, respectively, neither club can feel confident about the future, as the Phoenix Suns, at 58%, are right behind them.
It would only take a short losing streak for the Lakers and the Timberwolves to fall from a direct playoff spot into the play-in zone. That’s assuming, of course, that the Suns remain undefeated during that period. The home performances of LeBron James and Luka Dončić’s team have frankly been underwhelming. From such a star-studded roster, more than a 60% win rate is expected.
Unconvincing home performance could also play a cruel joke on Toronto. At the moment, the Raptors are fifth, but two or three slip-ups could push them down to sixth, a spot Orlando, currently seventh, is aiming for. The Philadelphia 76ers are also in a delicate situation. By the end of the regular season, they could finish either in the top six or in the play-in zone.
Who’s finishing out the season?
Among the underdogs of the 2025/26 NBA regular season are not only the New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Brooklyn Nets, and Washington Wizards, but also the Indiana Pacers, last season’s playoff finalists, who narrowly lost the title to the Oklahoma City Thunder in a close contest.
These teams’ chances of reaching the play-in zone are purely theoretical, and discussing the playoffs is out of the question.
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