The race for the playoffs is at an all-time high, and the standings in the Western Conference changed a lot after a Sunday full of high-stakes games. The LA Clippers made the biggest noise of the night when they beat the Sacramento Kings 138-109 on the road, officially moving up to the 8th seed.
Led by Kawhi Leonard’s 26 points, Los Angeles snapped a two-game skid at exactly the right moment. The Oklahoma City Thunder, on the other hand, still looks like the team to beat, with a league-best record of 62-16.
As we enter the last week of the 2025-26 NBA regular season, the race for the NBA playoffs is still a chaotic fight between the teams hoping to make the playoffs and the best teams in the league.
Current Western Conference Standings: Top 10 Seeds
As of Monday, April 6, 2026, the hierarchy in the West is becoming clearer, though tiebreakers are still very much in play for the middle of the pack. Here’s what the current NBA Team Standings look like:
Seed
NBA Team
Record
Streak
Status
1
Oklahoma City Thunder
62-16
W5
Clinched No. 1
2
San Antonio Spurs
59-19
L1
Clinched Playoff
3
Los Angeles Lakers
50-28
L2
Clinched Playoff
4
Denver Nuggets
50-28
W8
Clinched Playoff
5
Houston Rockets
48-29
W5
In Hunt
6
Minnesota Timberwolves
46-32
L3
In Hunt
7
Phoenix Suns
43-35
W1
Play-In Zone
8
LA Clippers
40-38
W1
Play-In Zone
9
Portland Trail Blazers
40-38
W3
Play-In Zone
10
Golden State Warriors
36-41
L3
Play-In Zone
Also Read – NBA Standings Today: Playoff Races Heat Up as 2026 Postseason Brackets Take Shape
How did the Clippers vs. Kings game impact the playoff picture?
The Clippers’ must-win game in Sacramento wasn’t just a victory; it was a tiebreaking masterpiece. By blowing out the Kings, the Clippers moved to 40-38, pulling even with the Portland Trail Blazers.
However, because the Clippers hold the head-to-head tiebreaker against Portland, they now occupy the coveted 8th seed.
“We knew the stakes coming in,” said Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard via official post-game channels. “The 8th seed gives you two chances in the play-in. That’s our focus right now.”
This positioning is vital because the No. 7 and No. 8 teams only need one win in the Play-In Tournament to advance, whereas the 9th and 10th seeds must win two consecutive games to survive.
Who are the current leaders in the Western Conference standings?
The Thunder’s Dominance: Oklahoma City has officially secured the top seed. With a 79.5% winning percentage and a +12 point differential, they are the heavy favorites for the Western Conference Finals.
The Spurs’ Resurgence: San Antonio sits comfortably at No. 2, trailing OKC by three games. Their defensive consistency has made them the dark horse of the 2026 bracket.
Lakers and Nuggets Deadlock: Both the Lakers and Nuggets sit at 50-28. Denver is the hottest team in the league right now with an eight-game winning streak, threatening to steal the No. 3 seed from LeBron James and the Lakers in the final days.
EPIC DUEL IN DENVER 🃏👽
JOKER: 40 PTS, 8 REB, 13 AST, 3 BLK
WEMBY: 34 PTS, 18 REB, 7 AST, 5 BLK
NUGGETS WIN THEIR 8th STRAIGHT GAME IN AN OT THRILLER! pic.twitter.com/0BojZ7irsx
— NBA (@NBA) April 4, 2026
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The final week of the NBA season promises high-octane drama as teams jockey for position in the Western Conference standings. With the Clippers finding their rhythm and the Nuggets surging, the bracket is far from settled. Fans should keep a close eye on the April 10 matchup between Los Angeles and Portland, which could ultimately decide who gets home-court advantage in the high-stakes play-in tournament.
First Published: Apr 6, 2026, 10:44 IST