NBA Power Rankings: Regular season ends; playoff picture mostly set

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After Sunday's hoopla of games, the 2025-26 regular season is finally over. We figured out what the NBA playoff picture mostly looks like. The only undecided parts left are the play-in tournament winners.

The Oklahoma City Thunder captured the first seed. With time to spare, too. They'll enter the NBA playoffs as the title favorite. Finally together for the first time this season, the last couple of weeks helped their championship starters gain chemistry.

We also learned which side of the playoff bracket the Denver Nuggets landed on. They will potentially face the San Antonio Spurs in a Round 2 series. That was determined in their surprise win over the Spurs in the regular-season finale, who have been the NBA's second-best team at worst all year.

Every week, Thunder Wire will release updated 2025-26 NBA Power Rankings. Here is the Apr. 6-Apr. 12 edition:

30. Washington Wizards (17-65)​

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Previous Rankings: 30

Congratulations to the Wizards. They've officially won the tank-off. They have the NBA's worst record. A 10-game losing streak to end the year helped them get there. Of all the guys who've popped off over the last month, Will Riley is the most intriguing. He had 23 points in a loss to the Bulls. You're seeing him put up big scoring numbers as Washington has shut down its best players. He's had a decent rookie year.

29. Indiana Pacers (19-63)​

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Previous Rankings: 28

In a tank-off, the Pacers picked up a costly win over the Nets. Both teams jockeyed for the second-worst record. Obi Toppin had 26 points and nine rebounds to put Indiana in third place in the reverse standings. Oh well. The bottom three have the same lottery odds to get the top pick. Although that's likely to change soon as the NBA seeks radical changes to exterminate tankings.

28. Brooklyn Nets (20-62)​

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Previous Rankings: 29

Finally, the season is over. The Nets had a painstakingly boring last few weeks of the regular season. In a hopeful end that justifies the means, they went all out to fall in the standings. Like other tanking teams, they slowly shut down all of their best players. Even if they're rookies. That invites guys like EJ Liddell to put up funny games like his 26 points and 10 rebounds in an important loss to the Pacers. Let's hope Brooklyn gets some lottery luck.

27. Utah Jazz (22-60)​

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Previous Rankings: 27

The Jazz are the epitome of March/April NBA basketball. They've secured a lottery pick. Getting to that point required some extreme tactics, though. They habitually sat out all of their best players. That's given the back of their bench a chance to get serious minutes. Brice Sensabaugh dropped 34 points in a loss to the Thunder. Utah put up 147 points in a rare blowout win over the Grizzlies. Just hilarious stuff going on at the bottom of the standings.

26. Sacramento Kings (22-60)​

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Previous Rankings: 26

It's one thing to tank. It's another to be incompetent. The Kings became the village idiot once again, sadly. Intentionally fouling Seth Curry in a close game with three minutes left, the NBA set off the tanking alarms. Sacramento picked up the resume-worsening loss. To the point that the league had to begrudgingly investigate what happened. Turns out, it was just a coaching miscue. Albeit an embarrassing one that caused a national uproar.

25. Memphis Grizzlies (25-57)​

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Previous Rankings: 24

Quietly tanking in the background, the Grizzlies have mostly avoided any criticism. They lost eight in a row to finish the year. The last one-third of the regular season is some of the worst in Memphis' era. To show you how bad things got, they had to bench Dariq Whitehead as he had 21 points in a loss to the Jazz. Someone who was out of the NBA until last month. Yep. Just shameful levels of tanking. Alas, that's the NBA for you. Can't blame the small-market team for realizing the most effective way to return to contention is high draft picks.

24. New Orleans Pelicans (26-56)​

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Previous Rankings: 25

The Pelicans are another team that is happy their miserable season is finally over. But at least they were gifted some last-second hope. Even if you want to be cynical and say it doesn't count at this juncture. Jeremiah Fears dropped an eye-opening 40 points in a win over the Jazz. It's the most by a rookie in franchise history. New Orleans scored an unreal 156 points. He's had an up-and-down year, but all of their long-term hopes fall on his shoulders. At least for now.

23. Chicago Bulls (31-51)​

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Previous Rankings: 23

Getting ahead of the curve, the Bulls made some big-time decisions. They fired VP Arturas Karnisovas and GM Marc Eversley. The duo had six years to turn Chicago around. Instead, they only have one playoff appearance under their name. And with Billy Donovan's future still up in the air, they could be on the cusp of just starting over from scratch. Probably for the better, to be honest. Most of their roster is filled with guys who won't be there beyond this summer. They could use some lottery luck to inject excitement after being mediocre zombies.

22. Dallas Mavericks (26-56)​

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Previous Rankings: 22

After it looked like Rookie of the Year was a done deal, we might be witnessing one of the wildest comebacks in NBA award history. Cooper Flagg has had a red-hot scoring stretch. He had 33 points in a loss to the Spurs. Dallas is going out of its way to ensure that he brings home the trophy. They're campaigning hard as it's the only thing worthwhile for them in this down season. They've had their cake and eaten it, too, regarding how little of his play has hurt their tanking.

21. Milwaukee Bucks (32-50)​

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Previous Rankings: 21

You can just copy and paste everything that's said about the Bucks over the last two months. They're in a hopeless situation. Giannis Antetokounmpo's drama has made the inevitable divorce even messier than it needed to be. Milwaukee is about to enter a new era as the two-time MVP winner will have a new NBA home. They also let go of Doc Rivers as soon as the final buzzer sounded. At least AJ Green scored 35 points in a win over the Nets. Not much else to really say, sadly. They're at the end of their runway with this core.

20. Golden State Warriors (37-45)​

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Previous Rankings: 20

Now we're entering the play-in tournament range. Unfortunately, the Warriors represent the worst-case scenario of the polarizing idea. For the last two months, they've been a lifeless team. But because of the 10-team postseason picture, it hasn't mattered. They've been stuck in 10th place and have faced zero repercussions for fielding a bad roster. Golden State will get a chance to sneak into the playoffs with a couple of wins. Let's see if Stephen Curry still has it. In a fun subplot, Brandin Podziemski finally scored 30 points in a loss to the Kings. If you know, you know.

19. Miami Heat (43-39)​

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Previous Rankings: 18

Another team that is perpetually stuck in the play-in. The Heat are back here once again. With mostly the same roster. Must feel like Groundhog Day. Miami will depend on its streaky offense to get a playoff spot. They dropped 140 points in a win over the Wizards. Jaime Jaquez Jr. had 23 points to add to his Sixth Man of the Year campaign. Not much else to really say about this squad. This is who they've been all year.

18. LA Clippers (42-40)​

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Previous Rankings: 16

Losing steam near the finish line, the Clippers had a couple of costly losses to the Thunder and Trail Blazers. Against the former, you can't really blame them. They're just so far behind OKC that it's not even funny. Against the latter, though, that's a tough pill to swallow. Kawhi Leonard had 24 points. He's been super efficient, but his old age has stopped him from scaling up as a scorer when needed. Saw that on full display. Now, LA will need to get to wins to get a playoff spot. And in the West, easier said than done. Especially with their meh supporting cast.

17. Philadelphia 76ers (45-37)​

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Previous Rankings: 13

I mean, you gotta be kidding me. At this point, all you can do is laugh at the Sixers' miserable luck. In the latest chapter of what's turning out to be one of the NBA's greatest tragedies ever, Joel Embiid had emergency appendicitis surgery. His return is unknown, which means he's likely out of the play-in for Philadelphia. Absolutely brutal. The former MVP winner has had the worst injury luck ever. He's been plagued by stuff that isn't even basketball-related. You gotta feel bad for the Sixers as it felt like they were entering the postseason in a groove.

16. Toronto Raptors (46-36)​

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Previous Rankings: 14

Needing the last day to get it, the Raptors clinched a playoff spot with a win over the Nets. Phew. Disaster avoided. Toronto was on the cusp of falling into the dangerous play-in range. Now, we'll see if Brandon Ingram can redeem himself and his underwhelming playoff reputation. He scored a season-best 38 points in a critical win over the Heat. That was a high-leverage game considering the seeding circumstances.

15. Portland Trail Blazers (42-40)​

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Previous Rankings: 17

In their biggest win in years, the Trail Blazers have positioned themselves well in the play-in tournament. Deni Avdija erupted for 35 points in a big-time win over the Clippers. Now, they'll have a couple of cracks to get into the playoffs. Portland has figured things out recently. They're playing their best basketball in a minute. They don't have the scoring power to keep up with the best teams, but their defense is filled with high-end perimeter defenders.

14. Charlotte Hornets (44-38)​

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Previous Rankings: 12

Falling short in losses to the Celtics and Pistons, the Hornets had a taste of what a Round 1 series could look like. Sure, they've been one of the best teams since the New Year's. But there are levels to being a contender. LaMelo Ball went off for 36 points against Boston but returned to some bad habits with an inefficient 27 points against Detroit. Afterwards, both sides refused to shake hands. Of course, there's some history there as the biggest brawl of the year involved the Pistons and Hornets. A Round 1 series could be popcorn-worthy.

13. Orlando Magic (45-37)​

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Previous Rankings: 19

The most up-and-down team of the league. The Magic are rolling with the playoffs here. They've won five of their last six games. They're in the play-in tournament. More importantly, the last couple of weeks have been important to get Franz Wagner into a rhythm. He missed nearly two months with an ankle injury. Now, it's about playing catch-up so that Orlando's best player is at his peak or near it enough. He scored 25 points in a blowout win over the Bulls. That's a good start.

12. Phoenix Suns (45-37)​

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Previous Rankings: 15

Been known for a while now, but the Suns are officially in the play-in. They locked the juicy seventh seed with a win over the Mavericks. Devin Booker had 37 points to ensure that. Now, Phoenix will get two chances to clinch a playoff spot. They've been one of the NBA's better feel-good stories. The roster doesn't pop off on paper, but they've played cohesive basketball as a group. Injuries have slowed their roll a little, but their entire group should be good to go for the postseason.

11. Atlanta Hawks (46-36)​

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Previous Rankings: 11

What a tumultuous season the Hawks have had. Even with drastic recasts, they've figured out a formula to win with this current group. Such a great coaching job as they learned on the fly. Atlanta clinched a playoff spot with a win over the Cavaliers. CJ McCollum, one of the newbies, dropped 29 points. Elsewhere, Nickeil Alexander-Walker has played like the Most Improved Player favorite. He scored 36 points in a loss to the Knicks. That used to be once in a blue moon. Now, it's happening every other night. We'll see what the Hawks' ceiling truly is, but they've been one of the best teams since the All-Star break. That's gotta count for something.

10. Minnesota Timberwolves (49-33)​

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Previous Rankings: 10

Stuck in the sixth seed, the Timberwolves will enter the playoffs as an underdog again. So nothing new for this group. They should be comfortable in these clothes by now. Anthony Edwards led Minnesota to a signature win over the Rockets. He had 22 points with some big-time clutch buckets. And their newest addition has played well. Ayo Dosunmu had 24 points in a win over the Pacers that clinched their playoff spot. We'll see what happens from here, but they have the history to show that seeding really isn't that important to them.

9. Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30)​

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Previous Rankings: 9

Prepping for their playoff run, the Cavaliers split a pair of games with the Hawks. In their win, Donovan Mitchell and Evan Mobley combined for 53 points. Cleveland has been on a roll with some gimme wins over bottom-feeders. When mapping out the East's playoff bracket, they're probably the biggest wildcard. They could go as far as the NBA Finals and as short as a quick exit. We'll see if Mitchell and Harden can finally get over the hump after a subpar playoff resume.

8. Los Angeles Lakers (53-29)​

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Previous Rankings: 6

Sometimes it's better to get lucky than good. The Lakers can attest to that. Despite being without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves, they grabbed the fourth seed. Not bad considering how apocalyptic things looked just a week ago. Now, they'll get to face the Rockets in the playoffs. Los Angeles is asking a lot from its current group to win a playoff series without its two best players. Let's see if it can pull a rabbit out of its hat. And if one of the two can at least suit up during the next couple of weeks.

7. New York Knicks (53-29)​

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Previous Rankings: 7

Say what you want about the Knicks' lackadaisical record against the league's best teams, they've taken care of business against the rest of the league. They've won five of their last six games. They blew out the Raptors to get the third seed. Jalen Brunson had 29 points in it. New York has hung around the contender conversation all season. That said, though, I'm just not the biggest fan of them. They have an old-school roster built with a strong starting five but a weak bench.

6. Houston Rockets (52-30)​

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Previous Rankings: 8

The Rockets have been red-hot. They had an eight-game win streak. Albeit mostly against NBA cupcakes. Kevin Durant put the final touches on one of the greatest old-man seasons ever. He dropped 33 points in a loss to the Timberwolves. The 37-year-old enjoyed an Iron Man year with an unreal 78 games played. What a season he's had. One of the greatest scorers ever is on his way to an All-NBA berth. And if Houston hopes to win its Round 1 series against the Lakers, he'll need to be the top scorer. Maybe Amen Thompson can help out. He exploded for 41 points against Minnesota. Considering they had some costly injuries, they're in a good spot.

5. Boston Celtics (56-26)​

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Previous Rankings: 4

Clinching the second seed, Jaylen Brown did some victory lapping this week. While he won't win the MVP award, he's had a career season to lead the Celtics to this spot. Let's see if Jayson Tatum can join him on the fun. He cleared a mental hurdle when he played at New York for the first time since he sustained a torn Achilles tendon last year. While it came in a loss, it was a sentimental moment that hopefully represents flipping the page. He had 24 points and 13 rebounds in it.

4. Denver Nuggets (54-28)​

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Previous Rankings: 5

Testing fate, the Nuggets tried to conduct some standings finagling. Instead, they shook things up with a win over the Spurs. Just one game after the Thunder handed them a win, with the hopes of staying in the third seed and on the opposite side of the bracket. Nikola Jokic completed his homework with 23 points and eight rebounds in one half. He needed one more game played to stay eligible for All-NBA. Denver has been red-hot. It's won 12 in a row to finish the regular season. In fact, it was the first time they've carved out a double-digit win streak since the three-time MVP winner arrived at the franchise.

3. Detroit Pistons (60-22)​

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Previous Rankings: 3

Well, Cade Cunningham's collapsed lung wasn't so bad after all. Or at the very least, as consequential. Only bad thing that came from it was his All-NBA disqualification. The Pistons comfortably clinched the first seed in his absence. And they avoided a worst-case scenario of him returning during the playoffs. He returned in a win over the Bucks. Showing obvious signs of rust, he was limited to 13 points and 10 assists. At least he got a couple of games in before Detroit hosts its Round 1 opponent. Whoever it might be.

2. San Antonio Spurs (62-20)​

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Previous Rankings: 2

Stuck in second place for most of the season, the Spurs' top goal in mind was to get Victor Wembanyama to the 65-game mark. The NBA's new rule has stirred quite the controversy. Meant to stop the best players from resting, the collateral damage of guys rushing back to stay eligible for awards has been a talking point this week. San Antonio's MVP candidate is one of the headliners of it. He barely met the prerequisite as he dropped a monstrous 40 points and 13 rebounds in a win over the Mavericks. The probable MVP runner-up is looking prime to bring home the DPOY trophy by a unanimous vote. And the Spurs look like one of the best two teams in the league that could make a run at the NBA championship.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18)​

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Previous Rankings: 1

Going all in for the first seed, the Thunder controlled their own destiny with a blowout win over the Clippers. Now that everybody is healthy, they've turned into a winning machine. It was a lot more dramatic this year compared to last, but OKC never lost its hold of first place. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander put the final touches on a probable back-to-back MVP campaign by going into autopilot mode. He's officially averaged 30-plus points for four consecutive seasons. Unreal stuff by one of the greatest scorers ever. You're even seeing LeBron James dare to utter 'Jordan-esque' when talking about his game. Now, the games will really matter. Let's see if OKC can become back-to-back NBA champions. They'll at least enter as the favorite.

This article originally appeared on OKC Thunder Wire: NBA Power Rankings: Regular season ends; playoff picture mostly set

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