NBA Playoff Push 2026: On the Rise

As I stated before in my last recap, until last week, I hardly write about the NBA. While I do talk about the NHL, NFL, and MLB quite a bit, the only time I mention the NBA is in game-by-game recaps of the Finals. It did change last week, and while I did state why I hadn't really written about the NBA on Vocal, but I still haven't said why my fandom has increased.

Three words: NBA on NBC.

Once upon a time, NBC was the main NBA network. It was the 90s, and while Magic Johnson's career was about to end, we had another superstar named Michael Jeffrey Jordan, and he was dominating. NBC was the network that showcased so many legends, and it was also the Finals network every year. For me, born in 1985, child of the 90s (started kindergarten in 1990), it was amazing to see. The Bulls dynasty, the rise of the Houston Rockets in 1994 and 1995, and the Spurs' first ring in 1999. Entering the 21st century, it was the Shaq and Kobe Lakers winning three in a row, and the 2002 Finals ended NBC's run.

But it's back now. This season, brought the NBA back on NBC, with the network replacing TNT as a major Association channel. That's what brought me back to the dance. While I do love ESPN's coverage, and I loved TNT having the NBA, there's nothing like the NBA on NBC. I have enjoyed the NBA on NBC's resurrection, but that's another story. Right now, it's time to take a look at the playoff picture with 35 days (five weeks even) left:

In the Eastern Conference, the Detroit Pistons still hold the #1 spot, though they have been losing a few games lately. The Boston Celtics are still #2, though Jayson Tatum's return could boost them up past the struggling Pistons. The New York Knicks are #3, the Cleveland Cavaliers are #4, and the Toronto Raptors are #5, but we have a new #6 in the form of the Orlando Magic. The Magic had quite the week last week, and they managed to move out of the play-in picture and into the top 6. Remember: the top 6 teams in each conference get automatic playoff bids and don't have to deal with the Play-In Tournament.

In the play-in picture, the Miami Heat hold the #7 spot, while the Philadelphia 76ers dropped down to #8, which is still one win away from advancing, but it's the road spot in Play-In Tournament game. The Atlanta Hawks sit at #9, and the Charlotte Hornets are at #10, sitting four games ahead of the Milwaukee Bucks.

In the Western Conference, the defending champions, the Oklahoma City Thunder, became the first to reach 50 wins, and still hold the #1 spot by 2.5 game over the San Antonio Spurs. Below the 47-17 Spurs, the logjam remains intact. The Minnesota Timberwolves sit at #3 with a 40-24 record, while the Houston Rockets are a half game behind at the #4 spot. The Los Angeles Lakers and the Denver Nuggets have identical 39-25 records, but it's the Lakers who are #5 due to a better conference record, though Denver being at #6 despite injuries is a pretty big accomplishment.

In the play-in picture, the Phoenix Suns have a strong hold on the #7 spot, and below them are three teams separated by two games in the standings. The Golden State Warriors sit at #8, a game ahead of the #9 ranked Los Angeles Clippers, who are themselves a game ahead of the #10 Portland Trail Blazers. Portland has a strong hold to that last play-in position; a 6.5 game lead over the Memphis Grizzlies.

We have another clinch from this past week. On March 5, the Spurs' 121-106 victory over the Pistons assured San Antonio of postseason placement, ending a drought that lasted five seasons. The Spurs join the Thunder as the lone teams to clinch postseason appearances, but they are not officially in the playoffs just yet, they still need about six more wins to get in. The Spurs had a 22-year streak come to an end in 2020; a streak that saw the Spurs win five NBA Championships. The meeting between the Pistons and Spurs on March 5 was seen as a possible NBA Finals preview, but we'll see what happens down the line.

* * *

We are down to the final five weeks of the season; April 12 is the last day, the Play-In Tournament starts on April 14, and the actual playoffs start on April 18. The home streatch is getting very intriguing, and we will definitely see more teams punch tickets, while the first eliminations could occur at some point this week. I expect the picture to be just a tad clearer by the end of this week.