No playoff or Play-In matchup is set heading into the final day of the NBA regular season, and a bona fide MVP candidate will have to play at least 20 minutes in Game No. 82 to meet eligibility requirements for the award.
And after running headfirst into Rory McIlroy’s historic Masters victory on this day last year, with the last games of the season playing out at the same time as the golf tournament, the NBA’s season-capping Sunday won’t get started until 6 p.m. ET, which means you should be able to watch the awarding of the green jacket and most of the games that matter.
In the East, the top four seeds are set and belong to the Detroit Pistons, Boston Celtics, New York Knicks and Cleveland Cavaliers, respectively. The remaining six postseason slots are not yet settled. In the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs are locked into the first and second seeds, while the Houston Rockets are guaranteed to be fifth, the Minnesota Timberwolves are sixth, the Phoenix Suns are seventh and the Golden State Warriors are 10th.
Additionally, three-time NBA MVP Nikola Jokić, who leads the league in rebounds and assists and is having arguably his best statistical season, has appeared in 64 games to date. League rules — which the players’ union wants to change — require most players to appear in at least 65 games to be eligible for awards like MVP. The Nuggets can finish third with a win over the Spurs or a Lakers loss to Utah on Sunday, and Jokić, their anchor, was held out of Friday’s game with “right wrist injury management.” Denver coach David Adelman said, “We’re gonna have that conversation” Saturday.
“This rule stares at us right now,” Adelman said. “We’ve got to make a proper decision, and we need to go in there with a real plan of ‘this is what it’s going to be.’ Either he gets those minutes or we say, ‘let’s just move on.’”
To refresh, the Play-In Tournament is for the Nos. 7-10 seeds in both conferences. The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds play each other, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the seventh seed in its conference. The loser of that game plays the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game, with the winner advancing to the playoffs as the eighth seed.
Here’s what’s at stake Sunday in each of the 15 games on the final day of the NBA regular season. (All times are ET, and the 6 p.m. games are listed first.)
Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat, 6 p.m.
If the Hawks win, they’ll clinch the No. 5 seed in the East and play the Cavs in a first-round playoff series. The Heat, in the Play-In Tournament for a fourth consecutive year, would be the No. 9 seed and host Charlotte in the No. 9-No. 10 matchup if Miami beats Atlanta and the Knicks beat the Hornets. The worst the Hawks can finish is sixth (with a loss and a Toronto victory), and the worst the Heat can do is 10th, but both teams have reasons to try to win Sunday. In the Hawks’ case, avoiding Madison Square Garden in round one and a potential second-round series against Boston is the preferred path; the Heat, who will have to win two Play-In games to reach the playoffs regardless of seeding, would host the first Play-In game if they can beat Atlanta.
Brooklyn Nets at Toronto Raptors, 6 p.m.
Ah, our first look at a “tanking” team. The Nets could finish tied for the league’s second-worst record should they lose and the Indiana Pacers win Sunday, but lottery odds to land a top-four pick or the No. 1 pick are the same for the teams with the three worst records (52.1 percent and 14 percent chances, respectively). The Raptors, meanwhile, can secure the No. 5 seed with a win and a loss by the Hawks. Toronto remains at No. 6 with a win and an Atlanta win, or through a loss and losses by Orlando and the Philadelphia 76ers. Toronto could fall into the Play-In with a loss and wins by Orlando or Philadelphia, or the Raptors could drop all the way to eighth (and a road Play-In game) with a loss and wins by the Magic and 76ers.
Orlando Magic at Boston Celtics, 6 p.m. (ESPN)
The Magic can still make the playoffs without having to win a Play-In game by beating Boston, if the Raptors also lose to Brooklyn. Orlando remains seventh and hosting throughout the Play-In, if it wins and the Raptors win, or if both the Magic and Sixers lose on Sunday. Boston has enjoyed an incredible season, given that it missed Jayson Tatum for months recovering from Achilles surgery and parted ways with Jrue Holiday, Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis last summer. The Celtics have nothing to play for on Sunday, but they showed for 81 games that they are one of the league’s best and deepest teams, and they consistently play as hard or harder than anyone. So the Magic need to show up for work Sunday.
Milwaukee Bucks at Philadelphia 76ers, 6 p.m.
The Bucks are out of the postseason for the first time since 2016. Sunday could be Doc Rivers’ last game as Milwaukee’s coach and Giannis Antetokounmpo’s last as a member of the Bucks’ organization. (It would be a huge surprise if Giannis, who hasn’t appeared in a game since March 15, takes the court Sunday). Milwaukee, at 32-49, holds the NBA’s 10th-worst record and will have a lottery pick, but where that pick ends up is still to be determined by the lottery because of a pick swap the Bucks are involved in with the Hawks and New Orleans Pelicans. The 76ers, meanwhile, are likely going to finish eighth in the East. However, a win for Philadelphia and a loss for Orlando would move the Sixers to No. 7, and a win for the Sixers and losses by the Magic and Toronto would bump Philly all the way to sixth place and a first-round series against the Knicks.
Charlotte Hornets at New York Knicks, 6 p.m.
The Hornets, one of the league’s surprise teams and among the top performers over the final three months, are guaranteed a place in the bottom bracket for the East Play-In Tournament. If they beat the Knicks, they will host Miami in a No. 9 vs. No. 10 Play-In game; if they lose to New York, they’ll fall to 10th if Miami wins on Sunday. The Knicks, locked into the third seed, have nothing to play for.
Complete Playoff & Play-In scenarios for Sunday’s games.
See how each result impacts seeding ⬇️ pic.twitter.com/6b8Wdv67h3
— NBA Communications (@NBAPR) April 11, 2026
Detroit Pistons at Indiana Pacers, 6 p.m.
Indiana, which was perhaps just three quarters away from its first NBA championship last June, can secure the league’s second-worst record with a loss Sunday. The Pistons, four games clear of the Celtics for first in the East, cannot catch the Thunder for the league’s best overall record. Cade Cunningham, who would be a candidate for MVP and first-team All-NBA, needs two games to qualify for awards and will probably be held out of Sunday’s contest.
Washington Wizards at Cleveland Cavaliers, 6 p.m.
The Wizards have already secured the NBA’s worst record, and there is nothing at stake for the Cavs, either. Cleveland is settled as the East’s No. 4 seed and will be watching the outcomes for the Hawks and Raptors.
Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m. (ESPN)
As previously stated, Denver has a lot riding on this one. Should the Nuggets lose and the Lakers win on Sunday, Denver would slide to No. 4. And of course, Jokić needs to play 20 minutes to be eligible for MVP and first-team All-NBA. The Spurs are secure in the No. 2 slot, and their star, Victor Wembanyama, met the threshold for award eligibility by playing Friday. But don’t sleep on the Spurs in this one. With a win over Denver, they could avoid playing the Nuggets in the second round of the playoffs if the Lakers also win on Sunday. The Lakers, who are missing Luka Dončić and Austin Reaves, or the sixth-seed Timberwolves, are probably more attractive playoff opponents to San Antonio in the second round.
Utah Jazz at Los Angeles Lakers, 8:30 p.m.
The Jazz are tied with Sacramento for the league’s fourth-worst record. Although the draft odds are the same for the teams with the three worst records, there is a difference between No. 4 and No. 5 — the odds are slightly better for the fourth-worst team. The Lakers, meanwhile, have said they are no longer concerned with playoff seeding; finding a playoff rotation despite their injuries is now the focus. The worst they can do is the No. 4 seed and a first-round series against Houston. A win Sunday combined with a Denver loss would mean the Lakers finish third and host Minnesota in the first round.
Sacramento Kings at Portland Trail Blazers, 8:30 p.m.
A gentle reminder — players on the court don’t “tank.” Tanking is an organizational decision to play — or not play — certain players to increase a team’s chances of losing and increase its chances in the draft lottery. So when we say the Kings would do well to lose Sunday and hope that Utah wins, that’s at the front-office and head-coach level (though this could be Doug Christie’s last game as the Kings’ coach). The Blazers, meanwhile, can secure the No. 8 seed and two chances to advance from the Play-In Tournament with a win or an LA Clippers loss. Portland has had an impressive season under interim coach Tiago Splitter, who took over at the start of the season for Chauncey Billups, who is charged with federal crimes in a gambling probe.
Golden State Warriors at LA Clippers, 8:30 p.m.
The Warriors, cemented in 10th place and needing to win two road games in the Play-In Tournament to advance to the playoffs, can impact their route with Sunday’s outcome. If they beat the Clippers, the Warriors would return to Intuit Dome on Tuesday for a Play-In opener. If Golden State loses Sunday and the Blazers do, too, then the Warriors would open the Play-In at No. 9 Portland. From the Clippers’ perspective, a win over Golden State combined with a Portland loss would put LA in the eighth seed. Otherwise, it’s the ninth seed and a win-or-go-home matchup with the Warriors.
Chicago Bulls at Dallas Mavericks, 8:30 p.m.
The Bulls are locked into the NBA’s ninth-worst record. The Mavericks and Memphis Grizzlies are currently tied for the sixth-worst record, and the odds of securing the No. 1 pick are slightly better for the sixth-worst team than the seventh-worst. So, read between the lines there.
New Orleans Pelicans at Minnesota Timberwolves, 8:30 p.m.
The Pelicans have no incentive to lose because their 2026 first-round pick goes to the Atlanta Hawks. Should New Orleans lose this game and either Dallas or Memphis win, the Hawks would move up from eighth to seventh in the draft lottery. The Timberwolves are locked into the No. 6 seed and will play either Denver or the Lakers in the first round.
Memphis Grizzlies at Houston Rockets, 8:30 p.m.
The Grizzlies, as mentioned, are tied for the league’s sixth-worst record, while Houston, locked in at No. 5 in the West, has nothing to play for. As an aside, this could be Ja Morant’s final game on Memphis’ roster. He has not played since Jan. 21 and could be traded this offseason.
Phoenix Suns at Oklahoma City Thunder, 8:30 p.m.
The Suns are seventh and will host either Portland or the Clippers in a Play-In game this week. Oklahoma City can become just the third franchise in NBA history to win 65 or more regular-season games in consecutive years. The Bulls did it in 1996 and 1997, and the Warriors did it in 2015, 2016, and 2017.
