NBA Power Rankings: Most intriguing games left for all 30 teams

The calendar has flipped to March, which means the NBA playoffs start next month! But before we get there, there are plenty of things to be decided over the next six weeks.

The Oklahoma City Thunder became the first team to clinch a postseason berth with a win on Sunday. Their lead over the San Antonio Spurs is just three games, however, as the standings in the always-competitive Western Conference are tighter than ever. With four games currently separating the play-in teams and the No. 3 seed, and with plenty of high-profile games on the calendar, the standings are bound to change.

In the East, the Detroit Pistons have held on to their position as the conference’s top team, but Jayson Tatum’s potential return for the Boston Celtics could change the playoff outlook.

With the end of the season on the horizon, our NBA insiders took a look at the most important games in each team’s remaining schedule in this week’s Power Rankings.

Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong.

Previous rankings: Preseason | Oct. 29 | Nov. 5 | Nov. 12 | Nov. 19 | Nov. 26 | Dec. 3 | Dec. 10 | Dec. 17 | Dec. 24 | Dec. 31 | Jan. 7 | Jan. 14 | Jan. 21 | Jan. 28 | Feb. 4 | Feb. 11 | Feb. 24

Jump to a team:
ATL | BOS | BKN | CHA | CHI | CLE
DAL | DEN | DET | GS | HOU | IND
LAC | LAL | MEM | MIA | MIL | MIN
NO | NY | OKC | ORL | PHI | PHX
POR | SAC | SA | TOR | UTAH | WAS

The defending champs are about to step into a high-profile four-game homestand with the Spurs, who are only two back in the loss column and are nipping at their heels for the top seed in the West. The Warriors are in Oklahoma City on ABC this Saturday night, giving the Thunder an appetizer before they face the Nuggets, Celtics and Timberwolves on Monday, Thursday and Sunday, all on national television.

Considering the recent Lu Dort and Nikola Jokic dustup, the Nuggets matchup carries some extra juice. — Anthony Slater

• 2025-26 record: 45-15

• Previous ranking: 3

• Next games: @ SAS (March 5), vs. BKN (March 7), @ MIA (March 8), @ BKN (March 10)

The last full week of March, during which the Pistons play the Lakers, Hawks, Pelicans and Timberwolves, could be critical on several fronts.

With five games before it against the woeful Nets, Wizards and Grizzlies, the Pistons could truly solidify home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs before the six-game April schedule. And individually for Cade Cunningham, that March 23 game against the Lakers could be his 65th game, thus clearing the way for him to be in true consideration for Most Valuable Player and All-NBA teams. The Pistons already crossed the 44-win threshold. Could 60 wins be in sight? — Vincent Goodwill

The Nuggets’ visit to Oklahoma City on March 9 would have been circled on the schedule regardless of circumstances. The spotlight on that game intensified after the fracas in the fourth quarter of Denver’s OT loss in OKC on Friday night, when Nikola Jokic had a fiery “necessary reaction” to Luguentz Dort’s flagrant foul. It’s a real rivalry between two recent title teams who battled for seven games in last season’s playoffs. — MacMahon

• 2025-26 record: 44-17

• Previous ranking: 2

• Next games: vs. DET (March 5), vs. LAC (March 6), vs. HOU (March 8), vs. BOS (March 10)

San Antonio’s longest homestand of the season tips Thursday with six games in 10 days against a gauntlet that includes the Pistons, Rockets, Celtics and Nuggets. But a trip out West to start April against the Warriors, Clippers and Nuggets could determine postseason seeding. The Spurs aren’t overreacting to the harsh lesson they received Sunday of just how quickly even the smallest mistakes can change a team’s fortune.

Their 11-game winning streak ended after they surrendered a 19-0 run to the Knicks in the second quarter of a 25-point loss. Coach Mitch Johnson said his team needs to “understand the delicacy of every possession and every detail.” — Michael C. Wright

• 2025-26 record: 41-20

• Previous ranking: 4

• Next games: vs. CHA (March 4), vs. DAL (March 6), @ CLE (March 8), @ SAS (March 10)

What matters most to Boston between now and the end of the season is getting forward Jayson Tatum back on the court — if it happens — and seeing how quickly Tatum can ramp up as well as what the Celtics look like with him in the fold ahead of the playoffs. If Tatum is back sometime this month, it would give the Celtics a chance to get the four-time All-NBA forward accustomed to game speed and help the team figure out how to use him before the postseason arrives. — Tim Bontemps

• 2025-26 record: 40-22

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: vs. OKC (March 4), @ DEN (March 6), @ LAL (March 8), @ LAC (March 9)

Circle April 9 on your schedule, the start of a three-games-in-four-nights stretch to finish the season. The opponent is the Celtics, and it’s at Madison Square Garden.

Jayson Tatum, by all indications, should be back and trying to get himself ready for the playoffs. MSG also was the scene of his last game, during last year’s Eastern Conference semifinal series.

But even without the dramatics, the Knicks and Celtics could be locked into a battle for the second seed and home-court advantage in a potential rematch in the second round. They’re separated by two games now, and in the teams’ previous meeting the Knicks handed the Celtics a 111-89 rout in Beantown Feb. 8. — Goodwill

• 2025-26 record: 39-23

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: vs. TOR (March 5), vs. ORL (March 7), @ LAL (March 10), @ LAC (March 11)

The next two weeks will be critical for Minnesota, which has a chance to get into the top four in the Western Conference. This upcoming stretch of six out of seven games against teams with winning records will put an inconsistent Timberwolves team to the test.

Get through that stretch with a winning record, especially a 5-2 mark or better, and perhaps Minnesota will be able to give itself home-court advantage in the first round as it looks to make its third straight Western Conference finals trip. — Bontemps

The Cavs are in one of their most important stretches of the season, after a pair of meetings with the top-seeded Pistons this past week and a matchup with Boston ahead this Sunday. The Cavs, who have dealt with health issues of late, have some cushion on a top-four seed in the conference.

If Cleveland can knock off Boston this weekend, the Cavs could have a chance to jump up in the standings. — Collier

• 2025-26 record: 38-22

• Previous ranking: 8

• Next games: @GS (March 5), vs. POR (March 6), @ SAS (March 8), vs. TOR (March 10)

Houston’s hold on the No. 3 seed will be tested starting March 10 against Toronto, followed by a road matchup at Denver and two more nationally televised clashes with the Lakers at Toyota Center.

Jabari Smith Jr. remains out with a sprained right ankle, but the team is targeting a March 5 return. Reed Sheppard has filled in as a starter in Smith’s absence and has made strides that could prove beneficial in the playoffs as Houston continues to try to facilitate offense without a true point guard. — Michael C. Wright

• 2025-26 record: 37-24

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: @ DEN (March 5), vs. IND (March 6), vs. NYK (March 8), vs. MIN (March 10)

The last six games on the Lakers’ schedule prior to their home finale against the Utah Jazz figure to be a challenge.

It starts with a home game against Cleveland, which beat Los Angeles by 30 in January, followed by a trip to Oklahoma City, where the Lakers lost by 29 in November. Then comes a road game in Dallas, which is the only “easy” night of the stretch. Next is a home game vs. OKC, then a road-home back-to-back against Golden State and Phoenix. That stretch could make or break the Lakers’ seeding. — McMenamin

Toronto’s most important goal over the next six weeks is retaining a top-six seed, as ESPN’s Basketball Power Index gives the Raptors about a 1-in-3 chance of falling to the play-in tournament. Wins at home against Orlando (on March 29) and Miami (in a two-game series on April 7 and April 9) would go a long way toward ensuring Toronto gets an automatic bid to the first round of the playoffs. — Kram

• 2025-26 record: 33-28

• Previous ranking: 14

• Next games: vs. UTAH (March 4), @ ATL (March 7), @ CLE (March 9), vs. MEM (March 10)

At the end of March, the Sixers have a set of games against the Bulls at home followed by the Hornets, Heat and Wizards on the road. If they can go 3-1 or 4-0, they’ll have given themselves a chance to secure a top-six spot in the Eastern Conference. That is, of course, depending on Joel Embiid‘s health, With him, Philadelphia will think it can beat anyone over seven games. Without him? It’ll be a short playoff run, at best. — Bontemps

• 2025-26 record: 35-26

• Previous ranking: 12

• Next games: vs. CHI (March 5), vs. NO (March 6), vs. CHA (March 8), @ MIL (March 10)

Phoenix has a six-game road trip spanning March 10-19 that starts in the Midwest against Milwaukee (with Giannis Antetokounmpo) and Indiana, then heads up to Toronto, then down to Boston (which could have Jayson Tatum back by then) before finishing against two Western Conference contenders: Minnesota and San Antonio.

It’s a brutal stretch for a Suns team that is already dealing with injuries to Devin Booker (right hip) and Dillon Brooks (fractured left hand). — McMenamin

• 2025-26 record: 31-31

• Previous ranking: 17

• Next games: @ BOS (March 4), vs. MIA (March 6), @ PHX (March 8), @ POR (March 10)

Charlotte still plays Miami (twice) and Orlando, and wins against those divisional opponents could propel the Hornets into the advantageous 7-8 play-in game instead of the single-elimination 9-10 contest.

But even if it has less import for the standings, an even tastier morsel awaits on the Hornets’ schedule: a home date against the Pistons on April 10, in the teams’ first meeting since their lengthy brawl last month. For entertainment’s sake, hopefully both teams are still playing their starters in the 81st game of the season. — Zach Kram

• 2025-26 record: 33-29

• Previous ranking: 15

• Next games: vs. BKN (March 5), @ CHA (March 6), vs. DET (March 8), vs. WAS (March 10)

If the Heat are going to rise in the standings, they will have to do so without Norman Powell at full strength. Powell played only 10 minutes in their loss to Philadelphia and is week-to-week with a right groin strain. He will need to play in 17 of the remaining 23 games to be eligible for postseason honors. Powell is averaging a career-high 22.5 PPG.

Still, the Heat have won two straight home games without Powell and play seven of their next 10 games at home over a crucial stretch. — Marks

• 2025-26 record: 32-28

• Previous ranking: 13

• Next games: vs. DAL (March 5), @ MIN (March 7), @ MIL (March 8), vs. CLE (March 11)

The sight of Anthony Black sitting out a game with an injury is a rarity. Since the 2023-24 season, Black has missed only five games, including the Sunday loss to Detroit. Because of his durability, Black is only seven games short of becoming eligible for the Most Improved Player award. In his first three seasons, Black’s points per game have increased from 4.6 to 9.4 to currently 15.7, so the Magic will want to capitalize in any game with him down the stretch. — Marks

If we based awards off the past three games, Jonathan Kuminga would be in contention for Sixth Man of the Year honors. In his three games off the bench, Kuminga is averaging 21.3 points per game while shooting 67.4% from the floor and 55.5% from 3. The Hawks have now won four in a row and are .500 for the first time since Dec. 21. They also play five of their next six games at home. — Marks

• 2025-26 record: 29-31

• Previous ranking: 19

• Next games: vs. IND (March 4), @ SAS (March 6), @ MEM (March 7), vs. NYK (March 9)

Coming into this week, the Clippers had the fourth-easiest remaining schedule, with a cumulative opponent winning percentage of just .459, according to NBA.com. That said, they still could be sweating a play-in spot down to the very end with a home game against Oklahoma City, road game against Portland and home game against Golden State to close out the season. — McMenamin

• 2025-26 record: 31-30

• Previous ranking: 16

• Next games: @ HOU (March 5), @ OKC (March 7), @ UTAH (March 9), vs. CHI (March 10)

The Warriors are in an unusual spot. They are 5.5 games behind the Lakers for the sixth seed without any real chance of climbing upward, but they’re also seven games ahead of the 11th-seeded and apparently tanking Grizzlies. So, the Warriors are essentially trapped in the play-in bracket, without much urgency to rush Steph Curry back from a tricky knee injury. There are 21 games left, but the nightly results don’t feel all that substantial. You can already pencil the Warriors in for a play-in spot — most likely a date with the Trail Blazers in the 9-against-10 game. — Slater

• 2025-26 record: 29-33

• Previous ranking: 18

• Next games: @ MEM (March 4), @ HOU (March 6), vs. IND (March 8), vs. CHA (March 10)

Five of Portland’s next nine games are against lottery teams without incentives to win. They face the Grizzlies, Nets, Jazz and Pacers (twice). If the Blazers can inch back toward the .500 mark, they could threaten to pass both the struggling Warriors and the surging Clippers and perhaps get on the higher side of the play-in bracket. That would at least give them a more realistic chance at sneaking into the playoffs. — Slater

• 2025-26 record: 26-34

• Previous ranking: 21

• Next games: vs. ATL (March 4), vs. UTAH (March 7), vs. ORL (March 8), vs. PHX (March 10)

Giannis Antetokounmpo returned to the court this week for the first time in more than five weeks, and the Bucks still have aspirations of making the postseason. However, after one of their best stretches of the season, winning eight of 11 in February, the Bucks have dropped three in a row and still sit 3.5 games behind the No. 10 and final play-in seed in the East.

Milwaukee needs to start making up ground soon, and it’ll have a pair of chances against one of the teams directly in front of it. The Bucks welcome the Hawks to Milwaukee on Wednesday night before a road trip to Atlanta on March 14. If the Bucks aren’t closer to the Hawks by then, their playoff dreams will look even cloudier. — Collier

• 2025-26 record: 23-37

• Previous ranking: 22

• Next games: vs. POR (March 4),vs. LAC (March 7), @ BKN (March 9), @ PHI (March 10)

Lottery positioning is key for the Grizzlies, who won two in a row on the road at Dallas and Indiana but announced Sunday that Zach Edey will undergo another surgery on his left ankle, this time to address discomfort and bone stress. Edey hasn’t played since Dec. 7.

Meanwhile, Brandon Clarke will miss more time recovering from a strained right calf, and Santi Aldama has missed 14 of the past 15 contests. Star guard Ja Morant (left elbow) remains out, too. A three-game trip to close the season features matchups at Denver, Utah and Houston with Memphis likely to come out of it with at least two losses. — Wight

A winless February has taken the Bulls out of yet another East play-in race and flipped Chicago’s attention toward lottery odds. The 25-win Bulls are No. 12 in the East with a large gap before they fall any more spots in the standings. That could make the season finale against the Mavericks on April 12, a team that benefited from jumping up in the lottery last season, a serious tank-off as both teams try to ensure they can get as many ping-pong balls as possible. — Collier

• 2025-26 record: 21-40

• Previous ranking: 24

• Next games: @ ORL (March 5), @ BOS (March 6), @ TOR (March 8), @ ATL (March 10)

The hope is that Cooper Flagg (left midfoot sprain) will be able to return for Friday’s road game in Boston. That’s a homecoming of sorts for Flagg, who grew up in Maine. Flagg, the No. 1 pick, averaged 32.0 points, 7.7 rebounds, 4.0 assists and 1.2 blocks in his last six games before his injury right before the All-Star break. During his time out, his college roommate at Duke, Kon Knueppel, has overtaken him as the Rookie of the Year favorite, according to DraftKings odds. Flagg’s finishing kick could start in his native New England. — MacMahon

New Orleans captured four consecutive victories for its second-longest win streak of the season before a loss to the Clippers on Sunday with Zion Williamson sitting out due to a right ankle injury. Williamson had played a career-high 35 consecutive games before his latest injury setback.

With no hope for a postseason berth and without its first-round draft pick, New Orleans can try to finish strong to set the tone for a pivotal offseason. Starting March 24 against the Knicks, the Pelicans play seven of their last 10 games on the road in a stretch that includes games with future playoff teams (the Pistons, Raptors, Rockets, Celtics and Timberwolves). — Wright

• 2025-26 record: 18-43

• Previous ranking: 25

• Next games: @ PHI (March 4), @ WAS (March 5), @ MIL (March 7), vs. GS (March 9)

The Jazz play the Wizards on Thursday and again March 25, two games the league office might watch with great interest. The teams are in very similar situations, as both made midseason trades for stars who are sidelined and own top-eight-protected picks that they hope will end up as one of the final foundation pieces of a rebuild. — MacMahon

The Wizards have 16 wins, fourth fewest in the league. Among the three teams below them in the standings, they’ve already finished their season series against the Kings and Pacers, but one game remains against the 15-win Nets. If Washington drops that April 5 contest, it’ll move one step closer to prime lottery position and maximum 14% odds of the No. 1 pick. — Kram

• 2025-26 record: 15-46

• Previous ranking: 29

• Next games: @ LAC (March 4), @ LAL (March 6), @ POR (March 8), @ SAC (March 10)

The worst record in the league could be on the line in Sacramento on March 10, as the 15-win Pacers visit the 14-win Kings. The two teams have a rich history, with trades involving Tyrese Haliburton, Domantas Sabonis, Ron Artest, Peja Stojakovic and Brad Miller, and now they could add to that legacy by battling for pole position in the lottery.

The Pacers won the first meeting between the two teams, thanks in part to a big game from the since-departed Bennedict Mathurin. — Kram

• 2025-26 record: 15-46

• Previous ranking: 28

• Next games: @ MIA (March 5), @ DET (March 7), vs. MEM (March 9), vs. DET (March 10)

Consecutive Sunday matchups on March 22 (at Sacramento) and 29 (at Brooklyn) against the similarly woeful Kings could determine lottery positioning for June’s loaded incoming draft class.

The Kings are three games ahead in the loss column, which would currently give them the extra bump, even with the flattened lottery odds. It’s clear this has been a developmental season for the Nets, and they hope to obtain a top collegian at the end of it, so these games could be the ugliest “tank-offs” yet. — Goodwill

Flattened lottery odds have lessened the benefit of finishing with the NBA’s worst record, but there’s still incentive. The league’s worst team gets a guaranteed top-five pick. The Kings currently have an NBA-low 14 wins, but the Nets and Pacers have 15 wins, presenting some important upcoming matchups in the tankathon.

The Kings face the Pacers in Sacramento on March 10 and still have both remaining matchups with the Nets — March 22 in Sacramento and March 29 in Brooklyn. — Slater