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NBA Playoffs: Tight Races Heat Up
19 Mar
Summary
- Eastern Conference seeds 2-8 are within eight games.
- Western Conference seeds 3-6 are within 1.5 games.
- Play-in tournament games run from April 14-17, 2026.
The NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching, with most playoff teams solidified but significant jockeying for position still in play. As of Wednesday, March 18, 2026, many teams are clustered together in the standings, potentially impacting home-court advantage. In the Eastern Conference, the second-ranked Boston Celtics are only eight games ahead of the eighth-ranked Atlanta Hawks. The Western Conference shows a tighter race, with seeds three through six separated by a mere 1.5 games.
The regular season concludes on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Following this, the NBA play-in tournament will commence on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and run through Friday, April 17, 2026. This tournament will determine the final playoff spots, with games structured to pit higher seeds against lower seeds to secure the remaining playoff berths.
