The NBA Regular Season Resumes
The NBA’s regular season is set to pick up again on Thursday, February 19, after a brief break for this year’s All-Star Game. With less than eight weeks remaining before the conclusion of the regular schedule, teams are gearing up for a crucial final stretch as they vie for playoff spots.
Current Standings
Currently leading the standings is the reigning champion Oklahoma City Thunder, who are performing strongly at the forefront of the Western Conference. However, it’s the surprising Detroit Pistons from the Eastern Conference that hold the top overall record for the league as the season heads into the latter half.
Playoff Landscape
Here is a breakdown of the current playoff landscape based on records as of Tuesday, February 17:
Eastern Conference Playoff Contenders
- Detroit Pistons: 40 wins, 13 losses
- Boston Celtics: 35 wins, 19 losses
- New York Knicks: 35 wins, 20 losses
- Cleveland Cavaliers: 34 wins, 21 losses
- Toronto Raptors: 32 wins, 23 losses
- Philadelphia 76ers: 30 wins, 24 losses
- Orlando Magic: 28 wins, 25 losses
- Miami Heat: 29 wins, 27 losses
- Charlotte Hornets: 26 wins, 29 losses
- Atlanta Hawks: 26 wins, 30 losses
Western Conference Playoff Contenders
- Oklahoma City Thunder: 42 wins, 14 losses
- San Antonio Spurs: 38 wins, 16 losses
- Denver Nuggets: 35 wins, 20 losses
- Houston Rockets: 33 wins, 20 losses
- Los Angeles Lakers: 33 wins, 21 losses
- Minnesota Timberwolves: 34 wins, 22 losses
- Phoenix Suns: 32 wins, 23 losses
- Golden State Warriors: 29 wins, 26 losses
- Portland Trail Blazers: 27 wins, 29 losses
- Los Angeles Clippers: 26 wins, 28 losses
Looking Ahead
Looking ahead, the NBA regular season will wrap up on Sunday, April 12. Following that, the play-in tournament scheduled for April 14 to April 17 will determine the last playoff participants.
Play-In Tournament Format
The play-in format consists of two rounds. In the first round, the seventh seed will face off against the eighth seed, while the ninth seed will challenge the tenth seed, with both of these games played at the home court of the seventh and ninth seeds respectively. The winner of the seventh-eighth matchup will secure their spot in the playoffs, while the losing team will have one more chance to compete. They will host the winner of the ninth-tenth game for the final playoff position. The losing team from this decisive bout will be eliminated from playoff contention.
This analysis originally appeared in USA TODAY, reflecting the current playoff picture for the NBA season.
