The NBA's Final Sunday: West's No. 3 Seed and Eastern Conference Chaos Are Down to the Wire
Sunday is the last day of the 2025-26 NBA regular season, and the league still has plenty to figure out. Most playoff spots are locked, but the West's third seed, multiple East spots fighting for position, and lottery odds are all on the line with every team in action.
The West's Third Seed Battle
The Los Angeles Lakers and Denver Nuggets are trading punches for the No. 3 spot in the Western Conference. The Nuggets have won 11 straight games and hold a tiebreaker advantage, meaning they clinch the No. 3 seed with a win against the San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers can only clinch the third spot if they beat the Utah Jazz AND the Nuggets lose to San Antonio. It's winner-take-all on Sunday, and the tiebreaker situation makes this a straight-up coin flip for positioning.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiDown at the No. 8 spot, the Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers are fighting it out. Portland locks up the eighth seed with either a win over the Sacramento Kings OR a Clippers loss to the Golden State Warriors.
Eastern Conference is a Mess
The East has a five-team scramble for spots five and six. The Atlanta Hawks have locked up a top-six finish but could climb to No. 5 with a win over Miami OR if the Toronto Raptors lose to Brooklyn. The Raptors clinch the No. 5 spot with a win against Brooklyn AND losses by both Atlanta and Orlando. The Orlando Magic can secure No. 6 with a win over Boston AND a Raptors loss to Brooklyn. The Philadelphia 76ers still have a path to No. 6 but need a win over Milwaukee, a Raptors loss, and a Magic loss.
The Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat are battling for the No. 9 seed and hosting rights for a play-in game. Charlotte gets No. 9 with a win over the Knicks OR if Miami loses to Atlanta.
Lottery Odds on the Shuffle
The Washington Wizards, Indiana Pacers, and Brooklyn Nets have the three worst records locked in. But two ties threaten to shake up draft positioning: the Utah Jazz and Sacramento Kings are both 22-59, while the Dallas Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies are both 25-56. If those ties hold after Sunday, coin flips will determine lottery order.
Every game matters. Sunday tips off with everything still undecided.
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