{"id":702158,"date":"2026-04-06T22:50:18","date_gmt":"2026-04-06T22:50:18","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702158\/"},"modified":"2026-04-06T22:50:18","modified_gmt":"2026-04-06T22:50:18","slug":"playoff-seeding-key-injuries-fuel-intrigue-in-nba-regular-seaon-final-week","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/702158\/","title":{"rendered":"Playoff seeding, key injuries fuel intrigue in NBA regular seaon final week"},"content":{"rendered":"

The NBA’s tanking issue<\/a> has largely overshadowed the stretch run of the 2025-26 season and the race for seeding ahead of the postseason to this point. But the final week of the schedule has set the stage for some needed drama, with games every day that loom large as teams jockey for playoff position and try to avoid the play-in tournament.<\/p>\n

Though the Oklahoma City Thunder<\/a> and San Antonio Spurs<\/a> have locked up the top two spots in the Western Conference, and the Detroit Pistons<\/a> and Boston Celtics<\/a> are comfortably positioned atop the Eastern Conference, there’s plenty at stake for the rest of the postseason bracket and several key injuries that could impact the next few days and the start of the 2026 NBA playoffs.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Here’s a breakdown at some key storylines as the NBA begins the final week of the 2025-26 regular season:<\/p>\n

NBA POWER RANKINGS: Where do Lakers go with Luka Don\u010di\u0107 injury?<\/a><\/p>\n

1 \/ 8<\/p>\n

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards’ Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.<\/p>\n

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4 \/ 8<\/p>\n

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets’ Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns’ Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.<\/p>\n

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5 \/ 8<\/p>\n

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 24: The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 22: The New York Knicks’ OG Anunoby goes up for a reverse dunk against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Madison Square Garden.<\/p>\n

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Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents<\/p>\n

Oct. 22: The Utah Jazz’s Lauri Markkanen dunks against the Los Angeles Clippers at Delta Center.<\/p>\n

NBA playoff picture<\/p>\n

Perhaps the most compelling race entering the final week of the NBA regular season centers around the Western Conference teams that will hold home court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. The Thunder and Spurs are locked into the top two seeds, but the Los Angeles Lakers, Denver Nuggets and Houston Rockets are in a logjam beneath them. The Lakers have the same record as the Nuggets (50-28) entering Monday, with the Rockets just one game behind after reeling off a sixth-straight win Sunday, April 5 against the Golden State Warriors<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Two games separate the No. 6 seed from the No. 10 seed in the Eastern Conference entering Monday’s NBA slate as the Philadelphia 76ers try to fend off the Toronto Raptors, Charlotte Hornets, Orlando Magic and Miami Heat in a race to avoid the play-in tournament. The Raptors and Heat notably play one another in back-to-back games in Toronto this week. There’s also some intrigue playing out ahead of the Western Conference play-in tournament, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers tied in their pursuit of the No. 8 seed (and the luxury of only needing one win to make the playoffs).<\/p>\n

The opponent awaiting the potential No. 6 seed in the East is also up in the air, with current No. 3 seed New York Knicks one game up on the Cleveland Cavaliers. The Atlanta Hawks, currently occupying the No. 5 seed, moved two games ahead of the Sixers ahead of a matchup against the Knicks on Monday night. The Hawks play the Cavaliers twice and the Knicks in the coming days.<\/p>\n

NBA PLAYOFF BRACKET: Where teams stand if postseason started today<\/a><\/p>\n

Major injuries impacting contenders<\/p>\n

Just when it seemed like the Lakers were hitting their stride, recent injuries to Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves have become significant roadblocks to a postseason run. Both are out for the remainder of the regular season, with Doncic reportedly seeking additional treatment in Europe<\/a> for his Grade 2 hamstring strain and Reaves expected to miss 4 to 6 weeks with an oblique injury<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

The Golden State Warriors<\/a>, meanwhile, welcomed back Stephen Curry on Sunday<\/a> after a 27-game absence due to a knee injury. The Minnesota Timberwolves are also managing injury concerns, with both Anthony Edwards (knee) and Jaden McDaniels (knee) each missing games of late. McDaniels is considered “week-to-week,” according to the Timberwolves.<\/p>\n

In the Eastern Conference, Detroit Pistons star Cade Cunningham remains sidelined<\/a> due to a collapsed lung, and the team announced he will be re-evaluated later this week. Cunningham hasn’t played in a game since suffering the injury on March 17.<\/p>\n

Who’s hot?<\/p>\n

Atlanta Hawks: 18-2 record over their past 20 games<\/p>\n

Denver Nuggets: Won eight games in a row entering Monday<\/p>\n

Houston Rockets: Currently on season-best six-game winning streak<\/p>\n

Oklahoma City Thunder: 20-2 record since Feb. 20<\/p>\n

San Antonio Spurs: 27-3 record since Feb. 1<\/p>\n

Who’s not?<\/p>\n

Golden State Warriors: 9-19 record since Feb. 1 (9-18 without Curry)<\/p>\n

Miami Heat: 3-8 record since March 14<\/p>\n

Minnesota Timberwolves: 6-9 record over past 15 games<\/p>\n

Phoenix Suns: 4-8 record since March 13<\/p>\n

Toronto Raptors: 9-12 record in March and April<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carried a heavy workload throughout the season, often playing through physical challenges as the wear of the schedule accumulated.<\/p>\n

Now sidelined for the remainder of the regular season,<\/a> these images reflect moments when the strain of the year was visible as Don\u010di\u0107 worked through injuries while leading his team.<\/p>\n

Above, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on from the bench at the end of the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026, in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carried a heavy workload throughout the season, often playing through physical challenges as the wear of the schedule accumulated.<\/p>\n

Now sidelined for the remainder of the regular season,<\/a> these images reflect moments when the strain of the year was visible as Don\u010di\u0107 worked through injuries while leading his team.<\/p>\n

Above, Luka Don\u010di\u0107 of the Los Angeles Lakers looks on from the bench at the end of the third quarter against the Miami Heat at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026, in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers and Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat react after colliding during the third quarter at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives the ball against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on January 06, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers grabs his face as Nikola Jokic #15 of the Denver Nuggets looks toward the referee during the first quarter at Ball Arena on March 5, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a swipe to the face by Moritz Wagner #21 of the Orlando Magic during the first quarter of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on February 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers is fouled during the first quarter against the Atlanta Hawks at State Farm Arena on November 8, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots the ball over Trey Murphy III #25 of the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on January 06, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives against Max Christie #00 of the Dallas Mavericks during the first quarter at American Airlines Center on January 24, 2026 in Dallas, Texas.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers plays the ball against Baylor Scheirman #55 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Hugo Gonzalez #28 of the Boston Celtics plays defense on Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers goes to the basket past John Collins #20 of the Los Angeles Clippers during the first half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 20, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers, with his finger wrapped, is seated between Dalton Knecht #4 and Chris Manon #30 during the second half of the game against the Portland Trail Blazers at Crypto.com Arena on October 27, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dribbles the ball against Kyle Kuzma #18 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on November 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a swipe to the face by Moritz Wagner #21 of the Orlando Magic during the first quarter of an NBA game at Crypto.com Arena on February 24, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket against Pelle Larsson #9 of the Miami Heat during the second quarter at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Matas Buzelis #14 of the Chicago Bulls intercepts a pass meant for Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers in action during the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a play during the second half against the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Paycom Center on April 2, 2026 in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Austin Reaves #15 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the second half against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers watches play against the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Crypto.com Arena on October 12, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a foul call during the second half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers on court against the Memphis Grizzlies at Crypto.com Arena on January 04, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers looking to shoot is guarded by De’anthony Melton #8 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center on February 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Guard Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives to the basket past guard center Nikola Jokic #15 and forward Spencer Jones #21 of the Denver Nuggets during the first half of a game at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 14, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Collin Sexton #8 of the Charlotte Hornets defends Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during the first half of the basketball game at Spectrum Center on November 10, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers during a free throw against the Minnesota Timberwolves at Crypto.com Arena on October 24, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a three-point basket during the second quarter of an 2025 Emirates NBA Cup game against the New Orleans Pelicans at Smoothie King Center on November 14, 2025 in New Orleans, Louisiana.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers drives the ball against Jonathan Kuminga #1 of the Golden State Warriors in the first quarter of the game at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a referee on a Lakers foul during a 135-118 win over the LA Clippers at Crypto.com Arena on November 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots from the outside during the first half of a game against the Chicago Bulls at Crypto.com Arena on March 12, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to missing a 3-point basket during the first quarter against the New York Knicks at Madison Square Garden on February 01, 2026 in New York City.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after making a three-point shot during the second half of a game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on December 14, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on December 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers argues a call with referee Brent Barnaky #36 during the third quarter against the Cleveland Cavaliers at Rocket Arena on January 28, 2026 in Cleveland, Ohio. The Cavaliers defeated the Lakers 129-99.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers battles Mouhamed Gueye #18 of the Atlanta Hawks during the first quarter at State Farm Arena on November 8, 2025 in Atlanta, Georgia.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during a 133-121 Lakers win over the New Orleans Pelicans at Crypto.com Arena on November 30, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers dunks the balll during the second half of the basketball game against the Charlotte Hornets at Spectrum Center on November 10, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a fade away jumper in front of Jeremy Sochan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs during a 118-116 Los Angeles Lakers win over the San Antonio Spurs at Crypto.com Arena on November 05, 2025 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How\/Getty Images).<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic # of the Los Angeles Lakers attempts a pass against Baylor Scheierman #55 of the Boston Celtics during the second half of their game at Crypto.com Arena on February 22, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts during the second half of the NBA game against the Phoenix Suns at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 26, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Lakers 113-110.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts while being defended by Amen Thompson #1 of the Houston Rockets during the first quarter of the game at Toyota Center on March 16, 2026 in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to his basket during a 135-117 loss to the Charlotte Hornets at Crypto.com Arena on January 15, 2026 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Ace Bailey #19 of the Utah Jazz during the second half of a game at Delta Center on November 23, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a play against the Denver Nuggets during the fourth quarter at Ball Arena on January 20, 2026 in Denver, Colorado.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates a shot during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on November 23, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates in front of Jamir Watkins #5 of the Washington Wizards during the first half at Capital One Arena on January 30, 2026 in Washington, DC.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates with teammates after making a three pointer in the fourth quarter of the game against the Houston Rockets at Toyota Center on March 18, 2026 in Houston, Texas.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers controls the ball against the Phoenix Suns during the first half of the NBA preseason game at Mortgage Matchup Center on October 14, 2025 in Phoenix, Arizona.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots over Gary Payton II #0 of the Golden State Warriors in the first half at Chase Center on February 28, 2026 in San Francisco, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers guards Anthony Davis #3 of the Dallas Mavericks during the third quarter at Crypto.com Arena on November 28, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers celebrates a play during the second half of a game against the Utah Jazz at Delta Center on December 18, 2025 in Salt Lake City, Utah.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after a basket during the second quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on December 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers is trapped by Jonathan Kuminga #1 and Stephen Curry #30 of the Golden State Warriors in the fourth quarter of the game at Crypto.com Arena on October 21, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers shoots a winning jumpshot past Spencer Jones #21 of the Denver Nuggets during overtime of a game at Crypto.com Arena on March 14, 2026 in Los Angeles, California. The Los Angeles Lakers defeated the Denver Nuggets 127-125.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers defends Giannis Antetokounmpo #34 of the Milwaukee Bucks during the first quarter at Fiserv Forum on November 15, 2025 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.<\/p>\n

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Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts to a play during the first quarter against the Houston Rockets at Crypto.com Arena on December 25, 2025 in Los Angeles, California.<\/p>\n

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58 \/ 58<\/p>\n

Luka Don\u010di\u0107 carries the physical toll of a demanding season<\/p>\n

Luka Doncic #77 of the Los Angeles Lakers reacts after scoring a three-pointer against the Miami Heat during the third quarter at Kaseya Center on March 19, 2026 in Miami, Florida. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement.<\/p>\n

Potential spoilers<\/p>\n

The Charlotte Hornets have won at close to a 70% clip since Jan. 1, with recent victories over Eastern Conference contenders like the Boston Celtics and Cleveland Cavaliers. The trio of Kon Knueppel, LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller are the most dangerous team in the play-in tournament, with the best chance to win a first-round playoff series. Potential playoff previews against the Celtics, Pistons and Knicks are on the schedule this week.<\/p>\n

Advertisement<\/p>\n

Though the Warriors have struggled after Jimmy Butler’s season-ending injury and Curry’s two-month injury setback, their longtime superstar provided hope in his return Sunday when he led a Golden State comeback that came up just short against the playoff-bound Rockets. The defending NBA champion Thunder will be favored in any first-round series they face, but going against Curry, Draymond Green and the Warriors is probably the least desirable outcome.<\/p>\n

Games to watch<\/p>\n

All times Eastern<\/p>\n

Monday: New York Knicks at Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. on Peacock<\/p>\n

Tuesday: Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors, 7:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

Tuesday: Houston Rockets at Phoenix Suns, 11 p.m. on Peacock<\/p>\n

Wednesday: Atlanta Hawks at Cleveland Cavaliers, 7 p.m. on ESPN<\/p>\n

Thursday: Miami Heat at Toronto Raptors, 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Thursday: Boston Celtics at New York Knicks, 7:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n

Friday: Detroit Pistons at Charlotte Hornets, 7 p.m.<\/p>\n

Friday: Cleveland Cavaliers at Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n

Friday: Minnesota Timberwolves at Houston Rockets, 9:30 p.m. on Amazon Prime Video<\/p>\n

Sunday: Atlanta Hawks at Miami Heat, 6 p.m.<\/p>\n

Sunday: Denver Nuggets at San Antonio Spurs, 8:30 p.m.<\/p>\n

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Playoff race, injuries linger over final week of NBA regular season<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The NBA’s tanking issue has largely overshadowed the stretch run of the 2025-26 season and the race for…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":702159,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3790],"tags":[375,208,1013,7,75,970,909,473,193,187,188,200,1409,164,194,377,313,968,4034,1698,300,4044,966,251,135,150,4033,4043,368,189,152,6,11,552,33587,191,179,76,207,472,471,474,573,476,574],"class_list":{"0":"post-702158","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-los-angeles-lakers","8":"tag-anthony-edwards","9":"tag-atlanta-hawks","10":"tag-austin-reaves","11":"tag-basketball","12":"tag-boston-celtics","13":"tag-brandon-miller","14":"tag-cade-cunningham","15":"tag-charlotte-hornets","16":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","17":"tag-denver-nuggets","18":"tag-detroit-pistons","19":"tag-draymond-green","20":"tag-eastern-conference","21":"tag-golden-state-warriors","22":"tag-houston-rockets","23":"tag-jaden-mcdaniels","24":"tag-jimmy-butler","25":"tag-kon-knueppel","26":"tag-la","27":"tag-la-lakers","28":"tag-lakers","29":"tag-lalakers","30":"tag-lamelo-ball","31":"tag-los-angeles","32":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","33":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","34":"tag-losangeles","35":"tag-losangeleslakers","36":"tag-luka-doncic","37":"tag-miami-heat","38":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","39":"tag-nba","40":"tag-nba-playoffs","41":"tag-nba-power-rankings","42":"tag-nba-regular-season","43":"tag-new-york-knicks","44":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","45":"tag-orlando-magic","46":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","47":"tag-phoenix-suns","48":"tag-portland-trail-blazers","49":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","50":"tag-stephen-curry","51":"tag-toronto-raptors","52":"tag-western-conference"},"share_on_mastodon":{"url":"","error":"Validation failed: Text character limit of 500 exceeded"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702158","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=702158"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/702158\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/702159"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=702158"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=702158"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.rawchili.com\/nba\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=702158"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}