The Final Day of the Regular Season: Here's Everything Seattle Needs to Know About Sunday's Playoff Race

Sunday is the last day of the NBA regular season, and it's a massive one. Fifteen games will settle the play-in tournament pictures in both conferences and determine which lottery teams improve their draft odds ahead of what looks like a strong 2026 draft class. Whether a team is chasing the Larry O'Brien Trophy or hoping to land the right to pick between AJ Dybantsa, Darryn Peterson, and Cameron Boozer come June, Sunday decides everything.

The Eastern Conference Picture

The East is basically locked in at the top. Detroit has already clinched the number one seed and will wait for their first-round opponent after next week's play-in tournament wraps up. Boston claimed the second seed and will face the winner of the 7-8 play-in game on Tuesday night. The Celtics are the betting favorites to emerge from the East playoffs again, a wild turn given that Jayson Tatum suffered a torn Achilles less than a year ago. New York is locked in at three, and Sunday decides whether they host Toronto or Atlanta in Round 1. Cleveland is locked at four.

The Western Conference and What's Still Up for Grabs

The West is where things get interesting. Oklahoma City holds the top seed, and San Antonio sits at two. Denver is locked in at three and will face Minnesota at six. The Lakers are at four and will take on Houston at five. Phoenix and Portland are battling for the seven seed, while the Clippers and Warriors are fighting for the nine spot. Sunday's 15-game slate will finalize all of these matchups and decide which teams fall into the lottery to pursue the top prospects in June.

Get ready for one last day of basketball that actually means something. Tip-off Sunday.

This article was created with AI assistance and reviewed by Seattle On Tap editorial staff. Always verify information with official team sources.