With less than three weeks left to play in the 2025-26 regular season, teams are in the midst of heated battles in the standings ahead of the start of the NBA playoffs on April 18.
The top six teams in each conference will earn an outright playoff berth at the conclusion of the regular season. The next four teams will compete in the play-in tournament on April 14-17 for the last two seeds in each conference, respectively.
With 10-12 games remaining on the schedule, 25 teams remain in contention to qualify for the postseason, via either a playoff berth or a spot in the play-in tournament. The action is set to heat up as teams battle for playoff positioning down the stretch.
Ten games are on Monday’s schedule, with several key matchups in the standings and a couple of Western Conference scenarios to monitor throughout the evening.
What are the matchups on Monday?
MONDAY’S 10-GAME SLATE ‼️
🔥 LAL (9 straight wins) vs. DET (#1 in East)
🔥 OKC seeks 12th straight win, faces PHI
🔥 SAS seeks 6th straight win, faces MIA📺 Peacock, NBCSN, and NBA League Pass
➡️ https://t.co/sihcMEGqB1pic.twitter.com/Vx8jcMKEJh— NBA (@NBA) March 23, 2026
Updated Standings
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— NBA (@NBA) March 23, 2026
Which teams have clinched a playoff berth?
Western Conference:
- Oklahoma City Thunder (56-15)
- San Antonio Spurs (53-18)
Eastern Conference:
- Detroit Pistons (51-19)
Which teams have been eliminated from postseason contention?
Western Conference:
- Utah Jazz (21-50)
- Sacramento Kings (19-53)
Eastern Conference:
- Brooklyn Nets (17-54)
- Washington Wizards (16-55)
- Indiana Pacers (15-56)
Western Conference Scenarios for Monday
- The Spurs can clinch the Southwest Division with a win and a loss by the Rockets
- The Mavericks are eliminated from postseason contention with a loss
This article originally appeared on Rookie Wire: 2026 NBA Playoffs: Clinching scenarios and standings on March 23