Jalen Johnson and the Atlanta Hawks face the Miami Heat with playoff seeding on the line Sunday night.
81 games in.
10 postseason seeds still to be decided, including the third seed out West and last guaranteed Playoff spot in the East.
With all 30 teams in action to close up the regular season, read on for all the stakes and scenarios of Sunday’s finale.
5 STORIES IN TODAY’S EDITION 🏀
April 12, 2026
What’s At Stake: Sunday’s 15-game slate will decide the remaining half of the postseason bracket
Three Teams, One Seed: One final game for the Raptors, Magic and Sixers to grab the last guaranteed Playoff spot
East’s Ending: Hawks, Hornets and Heat can all shift seeds Sunday
Last Stand Out West: Lakers, Nuggets both have eyes on 3-seed on final day
Rest Of The West: 8th seed up for grabs between Blazers & Clippers, while Flagg finishes rookie campaign
BUT FIRST … ⏰
One final full slate…
All 30 teams are in action on the season’s final day, featuring an ESPN doubleheader with the Magic visiting the Celtics (6 ET | Tap To Watch), followed by the Spurs hosting the Nuggets (8:30 ET | Tap To Watch).
After today, the postseason begins with the SoFi Play-In Tournament, Tuesday, April 14 through Friday, April 17. The First Round of the NBA Playoffs begins Saturday, April 18.
1. SUNDAY’S STAKES: 10 SEEDS STILL TO BE SOLIDIFIED TODAY
The final 15 games of the regular season will determine 10 of the 20 postseason seeds.
Half the field’s seedings could change hands on Sunday. Here’s a breakdown of each team’s scenarios.
Eastern Conference:
- Locked-In Seeds: No. 1 Pistons, No. 2 Celtics, No. 3 Knicks, No. 4 Celtics
- No. 5 Hawks enter Sunday with a chance to finish either No. 5 or No. 6
- No. 6 Raptors enter Sunday with a chance to finish No. 5-8
- No. 7 Magic & No. 8 Sixers: Each enter Sunday with a chance to finish No. 6-8
- No. 9 Hornets & No. 10 Heat: Each enter Sunday with a chance to finish No. 9 or No. 10
Western Conference:
- Locked-In Seeds: No. 1 Thunder, No. 2 Spurs, No. 5 Rockets, No. 6 Wolves, No. 7 Suns, No. 10 Warriors
- No. 3 Nuggets & No. 4 Lakers: Each enter Sunday with a chance to finish No. 3 or No. 4
- No. 8 Blazers & No. 9 Clippers: Each enter Sunday with a chance to finish No. 8 or No. 9
Here’s a visual index of which teams can finish at each seed:
2. THREE-FOR-ONE: FINAL GAME DECIDES FATES OF RAPTORS, MAGIC & SIXERS
NBAE via Getty Images
Three postseason teams.
One Playoff spot.
The most eventful seeding battle of this Playoff Picture goes down at 6 ET today, with the Raptors, Magic and Sixers all on-court. Here’s who has an edge:
Nets at No. 6 Raptors (League Pass): Toronto is the only team in this scenario controlling its own destiny, with the added benefit of home court advantage.
- Win & In: Toronto’s easiest path to the Playoffs is straightforward, as the Raptors can clinch their first Playoff berth since 2021-22 by defeating the Nets
- Dinos’ All-Star Duo: Two-time All-Star forwards Brandon Ingram (21.4 ppg) and Scottie Barnes (7.4 rpg) – selected as teammates for the first time this year – have supported Toronto’s two-way success this season (top-5 defense, 112.2)
Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images
No. 7 Magic at No. 2 Celtics (ESPN): A sixth straight win and a Raptors loss would guarantee the Magic’s third consecutive Playoff appearance.
But unlike Toronto and Philly, Orlando has to do it on the road, in an arena they haven’t won in since 2022.
- Orlando’s Outlook: Paolo Banchero (22.2 ppg) and new addition Desmond Bane (20.2 ppg) have paced the offense, while Franz Wagner (ankle) is getting healthy at the right time, playing in five of six April games
Standing in Orlando’s way is a Boston squad that’s taken two of three head-to-head matchups this season, all back in November.
Mitchell Leff/NBAE via Getty Images
Bucks at No. 8 Sixers (League Pass): Philly’s path to a Playoff seed is the most uphill, needing a win and losses from both the Raptors and Magic Sunday. Working in the Sixers’ favor is their 3-0 record against the Bucks this season.
- Max Scoring: Tyrese Maxey (28.4 ppg) has kept his name among the league’s top-5 scorers for a majority of the season, while also getting it done defensively (1.9 stl, T-3rd)
- PG’s Return: Paul George has also been a bright spot for Philly since returning from suspension, averaging 22.1 ppg in nine games
3. EAST’S ENDING: HAWKS, HORNETS & HEAT ALL IN FLUX SUNDAY
Adam Hagy/NBAE via Getty Images
Here’s how the other six East postseason teams close out the regular season — all tipping at 6 ET on League Pass — with three still fighting to determine their seeds.
No. 5 Hawks at No. 10 Heat: Atlanta is locked into the Playoffs for the first time in four years, but its seed and First Round opponent is still up in the air.
- Where To? A win would match the 5-seed Hawks up with the 4-seed Cavs again, a team they’ve seen twice in the final week of the season. A loss could send them to New York as the 6-seed
- JJ & NAW: Atlanta’s 17-4 stretch run has been fueled by Jalen Johnson’s rise as a triple-double threat and Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s career-high 20.8 ppg (+11.4 ppg from last season)
- South Beach Switch? The Heat will face the Hornets in the East Play-In Tournament’s 9/10 game, and still have a chance to host that showdown with a win and a Charlotte loss today
Kenneth Richmond/NBAE via Getty Images
No. 9 Hornets at No. 3 Knicks: The Hornets can secure the 9-seed and hosting duties in their Play-In matchup with a win today at MSG.
- Buzzing Back: Charlotte has gone 32-16 since Jan. 1 after an 11-22 start, earning its first season over .500 since 2021-22. A win today would clinch the franchise’s best record (44-38) since 2015-16
- NY’s Moment: Led by Jalen Brunson and Karl Anthony-Towns, Mike Brown’s clutch Knicks (fewest clutch losses in the East) are eager to take their next step to New York’s first Finals appearance since 1998-99
No. 1 Pistons at Pacers: East-leading Detroit needs one more victory to secure its first 60-win season in 20 years.
- Resilience & Rise: Detroit has returned to full strength with its engine, Cade Cunningham, back from a collapsed lung, and Jalen Duren capping his breakout All-Star season anchoring the NBA’s 2nd-best defense (108.8)
Wizards at No. 4 Cavaliers: Cleveland returns to the Playoffs with home court advantage for the fourth straight season.
- This time around, the Cavs lead with the dynamic duo of Donovan Mitchell and James Harden. Cleveland is tied for the league’s 5th-best record (20-9) since Harden’s Feb. 7 arrival
4. WEST’S LAST STAND: NUGGETS, LAKERS SETTLE 3-SEED ON FINAL DAY
Sean M. Haffey + Bart Young/NBAE via Getty Images
No. 3 Nuggets at No. 2 Spurs (8:30 ET, ESPN): Denver will try to close the regular season with a 12th straight win to clinch the 3-seed, against a 2-seed Spurs team its beaten twice in the last month (2-1 overall).
- Denver’s Duo: Nikola Jokić is fueling the longest win streak of his Nuggets career, finishing the season as the league-leader in rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.9)
- French Renaissance: Victor Wembanyama’s 2025-26 Spurs (62-19) are the first team to go from 60+ losses to 60+ wins in a two-year span
Jazz at No. 4 Lakers (8:30 ET, League Pass): To move from 4th to 3rd on the season’s final day, LeBron James and the Lakers will need a third consecutive win and to get some help in San Antonio.
- 41-year-old James is averaging 28.0 ppg, 7.7 rpb and 12.7 apg in his last 3 games (2-1), the first player age 40 or older with such numbers over a three-game span
- Final Run’s Résumé: L.A.’s earned two straight W’s against West Play-In teams in the Warriors and Suns to claim home court advantage, and goes for a season sweep of Utah today
5. REST OF WEST: BLAZERS & CLIPS SORT OUT FINAL SPOT, FLAGG’S ROOKIE FINISH
Cameron Browne/NBAE via Getty Images
The Blazers hold the final puzzle piece of the 2026 Playoff Picture.
Seven remaining West postseason teams finish their regular seasons on League Pass during tonight’s 8:30 ET wave of games, with one seed left to sort.
Kings at No. 8 Blazers: After defeating their direct competition for the 8-seed Friday in the Clippers, the Blazers need one more win to clinch it, hosting a Kings team they’ve gone 3-0 against.
No. 10 Warriors at No. 9 Clippers: Facing the Dubs squad who they currently line up with in the 9/10 Play-In game, a Clips win and a Blazers loss would send LA to Phoenix for the 7/8 Play-In.
- Klaw’s Mark: Kawhi Leonard can put the final touches on a career year (27.9 ppg), as the Clippers look to complete the largest single-season turnaround in NBA history (6-21 to 42-40)
Ryan Sun/NBAE via Getty Images
No. 7 Suns at No. 1 Thunder: The top team in the West for the third straight year, OKC seeks its second consecutive 65+ win season.
- Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (out today) has secured his fourth straight season of 30+ ppg on 50 FG% or better, the first such streak since Michael Jordan, while Chet Holmgren anchored the league’s top defense (106.1) for the second consecutive season
- Destination, Desert: The Suns await an opponent for the 7/8 Play-In game they’ll host, with Devin Booker netting 30+ points in five of his last six games
Grizzlies at No. 5 Rockets: Kevin Durant and Houston have won eight of their last 10 games to lock up 5th in the West, with Amen Thompson coming off a career-high 41-point outing.
Pelicans at No. 6 Wolves: Houston’s two losses in the last 10 games have both come at the hands of the 6-seed Wolves, led by career-best numbers from Anthony Edwards (28.8 ppg), while also showcasing their depth during Ant’s recent knee injury.
Juan Ocampo/NBAE via Getty Images
Bulls at Mavericks: Cooper Flagg (1,463 pts, 462 reb, 315 ast, 83 stl) puts the finishing touches on a historic rookie season, hosting the Bulls while looking to join Michael Jordan as the only rookies since 1973-74 to lead their teams in total points, rebounds, assists and steals.
