NBA Power Rankings: The Thunder lead as Eastern Conference teams ascend

What is the current standing of all 30 teams in the final March edition of ESPN’s NBA Power Rankings? To date, 10 teams have secured at least a spot in the playoffs, with the complete playoff landscape starting to emerge. As the top 20 teams are nearly finalized, the upcoming weeks will focus on positioning.

In the Western Conference, the Los Angeles Lakers are making the most significant impact among the cluster of teams trailing the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs. The Lakers, currently seeded third, have regained their health and are establishing an offensive structure involving Luka Doncic, LeBron James, and Austin Reaves, having won nine out of their last ten games as they aim for home-court advantage in the first round.

The Atlanta Hawks are also making strides to escape the Eastern Conference play-in scenario. Atlanta boasts a record of 13-1 over the past month, although this has come against a less challenging segment of their schedule. The competition intensifies starting Wednesday, as the sixth-seeded Hawks will face the East-leading Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics three times within six days.

Which playoff hopefuls and teams with lottery aspirations are shifting positions in our latest rankings? Review our updated list from 1 to 30 and discover what lies ahead for each team as the regular season approaches its conclusion.

Note: Team rankings reflect the opinions of our panel members (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Bobby Marks, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill, and Zach Kram).

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. 25 | Mar. 4 | Mar. 11 | Mar. 18

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

play1:04OKC looking to young talent for repeat championship run

Zach Kram analyzes the contributions of Ajay Mitchell and Jared McCain in the Thunder’s quest for another championship this season.

1. Oklahoma City Thunder

• 2025-26 record: 54-15

• Previous ranking: 1

• Next games: @ BOS (Mar. 25), vs. CHI (Mar. 27), vs. NYK (Mar. 29), vs. DET (Mar. 30)

In his return to action, Jalen Williams recorded 18 points and six assists in just 20 minutes during Monday’s game in Philadelphia. There is little uncertainty surrounding the defending champions as they head into the playoffs. They have secured 12 consecutive victories and seem ready to maintain home-court advantage throughout the postseason. However, their ultimate potential will depend on whether Williams can overcome a season plagued by injuries and return to form in the coming months. Monday marked a promising beginning. — Anthony Slater

2. Detroit Pistons

• 2025-26 record: 52-19

• Previous ranking: 3

• Next games: vs. ATL (Mar. 25), vs. NO (Mar. 26), @ MIN (Mar. 28), @ OKC (Mar. 30), vs. TOR (Mar. 31)

A week ago, the top of the Eastern Conference seemed uncertain following news of Cade Cunningham’s punctured lung, which appeared to leave the Pistons vulnerable. However, many within the Pistons organization believed a significant reset was necessary to restore their defensive identity, which had been slipping in recent weeks. Four victories later, they have firmly reclaimed the top spot in the standings with 11 games remaining and have returned to second in defensive rankings. Additionally, Daniss Jenkins has rediscovered his form after a month-long slump, averaging 26 points on 60% shooting in wins against the Warriors and Lakers. — Vincent Goodwill

3. Boston Celtics

• 2025-26 record: 47-24

• Previous ranking: 4

• Next games: vs. OKC (Mar. 25), vs. ATL (Mar. 27), @ CHA (Mar. 29), @ ATL (Mar. 30)

Jayson Tatum’s return to the Celtics lineup on March 6 has been marked by fluctuations. Nonetheless, one constant has been Tatum’s usage rate, which stands at 30.8 ahead of Wednesday’s matchup with Oklahoma City, consistent with his performance over the past five seasons. — Tim Bontemps

4. San Antonio Spurs

• 2025-26 record: 51-18

• Previous ranking: 2

• Next games: @ MEM (Mar. 25), @ MIL (Mar. 28), vs. CHI (Mar. 30)

Victor Wembanyama has become the fifth player to achieve 4,000 points and 600 blocks within his first three seasons since blocks became an official statistic in 1973-74, as per ESPN Research. The French player joins Shaquille O’Neal, Alonzo Mourning, David Robinson, and Hakeem Olajuwon as the only players to reach this milestone.

San Antonio heads into Wednesday’s game against Memphis on a six-game winning streak, having triumphed in 22 of their last 24 contests since February 1, with a chance to conclude the season with their first 60-win record since the 2016-17 season. The most challenging part of their remaining schedule begins on April 1 against Golden State, followed by road games against the Clippers and Nuggets. — Michael C. Wright

5. Los Angeles Lakers

• 2025-26 record: 46-26

• Previous ranking: 6

• Next games: @ IND (Mar. 25), vs. BKN (Mar. 27), vs. WSH (Mar. 30), vs. CLE (Mar. 31)

After the Lakers’ nine-game winning streak was halted in Detroit on Monday, coach JJ Redick reflected on the lessons learned during that successful stretch.

“We’re a good basketball team,” he stated. “I believe that we’re a good basketball team. I thought we could be a good basketball team the entire season. We saw flashes of it. We saw short stretches of it, but we’re a good basketball team.”

Two of the Lakers’ final ten games are against a strong team in the Oklahoma City Thunder, which L.A. should approach as playoff-like contests before the actual postseason begins. — Dave McMenamin

6. New York Knicks

• 2025-26 record: 48-25

• Previous ranking: 5

• Next games: @ CHA (Mar. 26), @ OKC (Mar. 29), @ HOU (Mar. 31)

While the Celtics were focused on the top seed, the Knicks were targeting the Celtics for the second position in the East, and both playoff contenders are now closely matched following a six-game winning streak. This is a favorable stretch in the schedule for the Knicks, with the combined record of their opponents being 104-255 (.289 winning percentage). Aside from a minor scare against the Nets, the Knicks have managed to handle their business effectively. Re-establishing Mikal Bridges’ performance is a priority before the playoffs. Since scoring 25 against the Spurs on March 1, he has averaged 8.9 points on 37% shooting over his last 11 games, which is not a sustainable playoff strategy. — Vincent Goodwill

7. Cleveland Cavaliers

• 2025-26 record: 45-27

• Previous ranking: 7

• Next games: vs. MIA (Mar. 25), vs. MIA (Mar. 27), @ UTAH (Mar. 30), @ LAL (Mar. 31)

The Cavaliers have a buffer as the No. 4 seed in the East and could influence their potential first-round opponent. Following Tuesday’s 136-131 victory over Orlando, which marked their fourth consecutive win, Cleveland still has two games remaining against both Miami and Atlanta, two teams also vying for the No. 5 position in the East and a likely first-round matchup with the Cavaliers. — Jamal Collier

8. Denver Nuggets

• 2025-26 record: 45-28

• Previous ranking: 8

• Next games: vs. DAL (Mar. 25), vs. UTAH (Mar. 27), vs. GS (Mar. 29)

Forward Peyton Watson made his return on Sunday after being sidelined for over six weeks due to a hamstring injury, contributing 14 points in 20 minutes off the bench during a victory over the Portland Trail Blazers. Watson is enjoying a breakout season as he approaches restricted free agency, averaging career highs of 14.9 points, 4.9 rebounds, 2.0 assists, and 1.0 steals per game for a Nuggets team that needs to regain its health. — Tim MacMahon

9. Minnesota Timberwolves

• 2025-26 record: 44-28

• Previous ranking: 10

• Next games: vs. HOU (Mar. 25), vs. DET (Mar. 28), @ DAL (Mar. 30)

Minnesota is striving to secure a top-four seed in the Western Conference while being without Anthony Edwards (knee) for an extended period. If Edwards misses three more games, he will not qualify for All-NBA honors at the end of the season due to the 65-game requirement. The Nuggets, Rockets, and Timberwolves are all competing for home-court advantage in the first round of the playoffs. — Bontemps

10. Houston Rockets

• 2025-26 record: 43-28

• Previous ranking: 9

• Next games: @ MIN (Mar. 25), @ MEM (Mar. 27), @ NO (Mar. 29), @ NYK (Mar. 31)

The defeat in Chicago marked Houston’s 12th loss to a team with a losing record, tying them with the Hornets for the most such losses among teams with a winning record this season. Houston has a 23-12 record against teams currently below .500, with a significant matchup approaching on Wednesday against Minnesota.

Despite the team’s overall inconsistency lately, center Alperen Sengun is finding his rhythm for the postseason with four consecutive double-doubles. The rest of the supporting cast must elevate their performance for the Rockets to salvage a season marred by injuries to key players. — Wright

11. Atlanta Hawks

• 2025-26 record: 40-32

• Previous ranking: 14

• Next games: @ DET (Mar. 25), @ BOS (Mar. 27), vs. SAC (Mar. 28), vs. BOS (Mar. 30)

The Hawks are currently playing their best basketball at a crucial point in the season. Despite a loss to Houston last Friday that ended an 11-game winning streak, Atlanta has won 13 of their last 15 games and ranks second only to Oklahoma City for the league’s top offense. Twelve of those victories have come by double-digit margins. In wins against Golden State and Memphis, Atlanta combined for a 55-point margin. Against the Grizzlies, the Hawks set a franchise record with 25 three-pointers. — Bobby Marks

12. Phoenix Suns

• 2025-26 record: 40-33

• Previous ranking: 12

• Next games: vs. UTAH (Mar. 28), @ MEM (Mar. 30), @ ORL (Mar. 31)

After a challenging 2-4 road trip and a home loss to the struggling Milwaukee Bucks, the Suns rebounded with a 22-point victory over the Toronto Raptors this past weekend. Six of their last ten games will