NBA Standings 2025-26: How Every Team Finished the Season
The Thunder won the regular season, the Spurs stunned them in Game 7, and the Knicks closed it out with their first title in 53 years. Here's how the final standings shook out.
The 2025-26 NBA regular season wrapped with the Oklahoma City Thunder locking up the league's best record and the No. 1 overall seed, but it was the San Antonio Spurs who made the deepest run out of the West — and the New York Knicks who lifted the Larry O'Brien Trophy. Here's a full breakdown of how the final standings shaped the playoff bracket.
The regular season finale set the seeding for a play-in tournament in both conferences.
Oklahoma City finished with the NBA's best record and the No. 1 seed in the West, but San Antonio eliminated them in a Game 7 thriller in the Western Conference Finals en route to a Finals appearance.
Western Conference: Final Standings
| Seed | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | Best record in the NBA; lost West Finals in Game 7 |
| 2 | San Antonio Spurs | Reached the NBA Finals, lost 4-1 to New York |
| 3-6 | Denver, Minnesota, Houston, L.A. Lakers | Clinched top-6 playoff seeding |
| 7-10 | Golden State, Memphis, Sacramento, Phoenix | Entered the play-in tournament |
Eastern Conference: Final Standings
| Seed | Team | Status |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | New York Knicks | 2025-26 NBA Champions |
| 2 | Boston Celtics | Lost in the Eastern Conference Finals |
| 3-6 | Cleveland, Milwaukee, Miami, Philadelphia | Clinched top-6 playoff seeding |
| 7-10 | Orlando, Atlanta, Indiana, Detroit | Entered the play-in tournament |
What the Standings Set Up
The No. 1 overall seed didn't translate into a title for Oklahoma City this year — the Spurs' Game 7 upset in the West Finals proved the standings are a seeding tool, not a guarantee. On the other side of the bracket, the Knicks turned their No. 1 East seed into the franchise's first championship since 1973.
The 2026-27 regular season tips off October 20. Track early-season movement on our NBA Games hub and see how the new-look rosters stack up in our 2026-27 Power Rankings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Who finished with the best record in the 2025-26 NBA regular season?
The Oklahoma City Thunder claimed the NBA's best regular-season record, earning the No. 1 overall seed, though the San Antonio Spurs eliminated them in a Game 7 in the Western Conference Finals.
How do the NBA standings determine the play-in tournament?
Teams seeded 7 through 10 in each conference at the end of the regular season compete in the play-in tournament for the final two playoff spots in that conference.
Who won the 2025-26 NBA championship?
The New York Knicks won the 2025-26 NBA title, beating the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the Finals for their first championship in 53 years.
