The 2025-26 NBA regular season reached its final weekend Sunday, delivering a clarified playoff bracket headlined by the Oklahoma City Thunder locking up the Western Conference's top seed for the second consecutive year, and the Boston Celtics cementing their position as the East's dominant force with their 59th win of the season.
Oklahoma City finished 62-20, the best record in the NBA, powered by MVP frontrunner Shai Gilgeous-Alexander's league-leading 32.4 points per game. The Thunder's defense ranked first in defensive rating for the third straight season.
"This group has found another gear," Gilgeous-Alexander said after Sunday's victory over the Nuggets. "But we all know what matters starts now. Regular season means nothing if you go home in the second round."
Boston's Jayson Tatum averaged a career-high 29.8 points, 9.1 rebounds, and 5.4 assists this season, placing him firmly in MVP discussions. Head coach Joe Mazzulla has navigated adversity with tactical flexibility that has impressed even rival coaches.
Elsewhere in the West, the Denver Nuggets secured the two-seed despite Nikola Jokic's month-long absence with a knee bruise. The Los Angeles Lakers claimed the five-seed with LeBron James, now 41, producing a statistically respectable season but drawing questions about playoff durability.