The NBA regular season will resume Thursday, Feb. 19, following its one-week break for the All-Star Game.
Attention quickly turns to the race for the postseason with less than two months to play before the regular season ends. The reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder are in prime position to defend their title as they sit at the top of the Western Conference standings. But it's the surprise Detroit Pistons of the Eastern Conference who boast the NBA's best record heading into the second half.
Here's who else would be in the playoffs if the NBA regular season ended today:
NBA playoff bracket
Records and standings through Tuesday, Feb. 17:
Eastern Conference
- Detroit Pistons (40-13)
- Boston Celtics (35-19)
- New York Knicks (35-20)
- Cleveland Cavaliers (34-21)
- Toronto Raptors (32-23)
- Philadelphia 76ers (30-24)
- Orlando Magic (28-25)
- Miami Heat (29-27)
- Charlotte Hornets (26-29)
- Atlanta Hawks (26-30)
Western Conference
- Oklahoma City Thunder (42-14)
- San Antonio Spurs (38-16)
- Denver Nuggets (35-20)
- Houston Rockets (33-20)
- Los Angeles Lakers (33-21)
- Minnesota Timberwolves (34-22)
- Phoenix Suns (32-23)
- Golden State Warriors (29-26)
- Portland Trail Blazers (27-29)
- Los Angeles Clippers (26-28)
When does NBA regular season end?
The final day of the regular season is Sunday, April 12.
When is NBA play-in tournament?
The NBA play-in tournament will begin Tuesday, April 14 and conclude Friday, April 17.
How does NBA play-in tournament work?
The tournament is divided into two rounds:
Round 1
- Game 1: No. 7 seed vs. No. 8 seed
- Game 2: No. 9 seed vs. No. 10 seed
The No. 7 and No. 9 seeds play at home in the first round. The winner of Game 1 secures the No. 7 seed in their respective conference playoff bracket. The loser of Game 1 continues to the second round and hosts the winner of Game 2. The loser of Game 2 is eliminated from playoff contention.
Round 2
- Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 winner
The winner of this game secures the No. 8 and final seed in the playoffs. The loser is eliminated from playoff contention.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2026 NBA playoff bracket if the season ended today