NBA Standings shake-up: LeBron’s Lakers climb, Tatum’s Celtics hold firm as Curry drops another scoring show
26.01.2026 - 14:03:09
The NBA Standings tightened up again after the latest slate of games, with LeBron James pushing the Lakers higher in the West chase, Jayson Tatum keeping the Celtics steady at the top of the East, and Stephen Curry uncorking another scoring clinic that has the MVP race humming. It felt like a mini playoff night across the league: big stars, high leverage, and every possession dripping with postseason vibes.
[Check live stats & scores here]
Across the board, the scoreboard tilted the playoff picture again. A couple of road upsets, a clutch-time dagger from downtown, and a statement win from a contender underscored how fragile seeding is right now. Every run, every missed boxout, every late-game turnover is echoing directly into the NBA standings column.
Last night’s headliners: stars owned the spotlight
LeBron James once again reminded everyone that age is just a number, putting together a vintage all-around line that powered the Lakers to a much-needed win. He controlled tempo, punished mismatches on the block, and sprayed out passes to shooters when the defense collapsed. His final box score read like a classic LeBron line: strong scoring, double-digit dimes, and work on the glass that flipped the energy of the game.
On the other coast, Jayson Tatum kept the Celtics humming at the top of the Eastern Conference. Tatum’s shot-making off the dribble was the difference late; he buried pull-ups in crunchtime, got to the line when the offense stalled, and anchored a defense that forced multiple empty trips when it mattered most. Boston’s win did not just add another W; it kept distance between them and a pack of hungry contenders chasing that 1-seed.
Stephen Curry, meanwhile, turned another random regular-season night into appointment television. From deep beyond the arc, he stretched the defense until it snapped, drilling threes from way downtown and warping every possession. Defenders tried blitzes, top-locking, even full-court pressure; Curry simply kept moving, relocating, and punishing any lapse. His efficiency once again flashed MVP-level form and injected life into a team still fighting for secure footing in the playoff picture.
Coaches across the league sounded like they were gearing up for April already. One Western Conference coach noted postgame, in essence, that this time of year "you find out who really loves the grind" and that his team "needed to respond like a playoff group" after a rough start. They did, tightening defense, winning the glass, and closing like a veteran squad.
NBA Standings at a glance: contenders, climbers, and the bubble
With the latest results locked in, the top of both conferences still belongs to the usual heavyweights, but the gap behind them is shrinking. Every slip is punished immediately, and a quick two- or three-game win streak is enough to jump multiple spots in the NBA standings.
Here is a compact look at how the top tier and the crucial play-in race currently stack up:
| Conference | Seed | Team | Record | Streak |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 1 | Celtics | Best-in-East | W streak |
| East | 2 | Bucks | Top-tier | W/L mix |
| East | 3 | 76ers | Upper pack | W streak |
| East | 7 | Play-In contender | Above .500 | Up-and-down |
| East | 10 | Bubble team | Just under .500 | L streak |
| West | 1 | Nuggets | Best-in-West | W streak |
| West | 2 | Thunder | Top-tier | Strong form |
| West | 3 | Timberwolves | Upper pack | Solid |
| West | 7 | Lakers | Climbing | W streak |
| West | 10 | Play-In team | Hovering .500 | Streaky |
This is not a box-score style official table, but it tells the story: Boston, Milwaukee, and Philadelphia still shape the East at the top, while Denver and Oklahoma City anchor the West. Behind them, teams like the Lakers are surging, inching away from the danger of the play-in and toward a true playoff seed.
For the so-called bubble teams in both conferences, every night is a referendum. Drop a game to a lottery opponent and your play-in cushion vanishes. Steal a road win against a contender and the entire playoff picture shifts, with tiebreakers looming large in the background. Coaches are watching scoreboards just as much as game film right now.
Playoff picture: who is safe, who is sweating
In the East, the Celtics look as safe as it gets. Their combination of depth, two-way wings, and top-end star power with Tatum and Jaylen Brown keeps them in control. The Bucks and 76ers remain firmly in home-court territory when healthy, but injuries and load management have opened the door for others to nibble at their heels. Below that trio, the middle of the conference is a traffic jam where a single losing week can drop a team from 4 to 8.
Out West, the Nuggets are acting like a team that has been there before. Nikola Jokic piles up triple-double lines almost casually, and their late-game execution remains elite. Yet the Thunder and Timberwolves have not blinked. Both are defending at a high level, moving the ball, and winning tight games that used to go the other way. The gap from 1 to 6 is razor thin; no one feels comfortable.
The most volatile zone remains the 7–10 slots. That is where the Lakers, Warriors, and a rotating cast of hopefuls are living for now. One night of brilliance from a megastar, and they feel like a dark-horse contender. One flat performance and they look like a first-round exit waiting to happen. The play-in format has turned late-season matchups into mini elimination games long before the formal postseason begins.
Player stats and game highlights: who owned the night
LeBron’s latest outing was a masterclass in pace control and reading the floor. He attacked switches, punished smaller defenders in the post, and when the defense sent a second body, he became an offensive hub, finding cutters and shooters. The box score reflected that blend: strong points total, double-digit assists, and enough rebounds to flirt with a triple-double.
Jayson Tatum leaned into his scoring bag. Step-back threes, drives to the rim, and midrange pull-ups all came out in crunchtime. What stood out most, though, was his poise. When the opponent went on a run and the crowd grew antsy, Tatum calmly walked the ball up, called his own number, and delivered. Those are MVP Race possessions, the kind that stick in voters’ minds when they sift through player stats at the end of the season.
Stephen Curry’s night was pure highlight reel. Off-ball screens, handoffs, high pick-and-rolls from half court; he did it all. The defense’s margin for error against Curry remains essentially zero. Give him a fraction of daylight, and the ball is in the air, often splashing before the defender even finishes their closeout. Even without listing exact field goal numbers, the pattern screams efficiency and gravity: teammates feasting on open looks because all five defenders are tilted toward No. 30.
Elsewhere around the league, role players swung games in subtle ways. A defensive stopper picking up full court, a stretch big knocking down trail threes, a backup point guard stabilizing the second unit; those small contributions do not always jump off the box score, but they decide whether a contender stays on script or tumbles into the chaos of the middle tier.
MVP race: Jokic, Giannis, Tatum, and Curry keep raising the bar
The MVP race remains as crowded and compelling as it has been in years. Nikola Jokic is still the walking triple-double at the center of Denver’s attack, stacking Player Efficiency Rating and win shares at a historic rate. Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to post absurd scoring and rebounding lines while driving the Bucks transition game like a freight train. Both sit at or near the top of most advanced metrics, and every dominant performance sharpens their case.
Jayson Tatum is quietly building an argument anchored in winning and two-way impact. He may not lead the league in raw points per game, but his combination of usage, efficiency, and defense for the team sitting atop the East is exactly what voters traditionally reward. Nights like the most recent one, when he closes out a tight game with big-time shot-making, add weight to that campaign.
Stephen Curry is the wildcard. His team’s record and spot in the NBA standings will heavily influence his candidacy, but on a pure impact level, he remains unmatched. The spacing he provides and the sheer difficulty of the shots he hits keep his name in every MVP discussion as long as his squad is in the fight.
Do not forget the next wave either. Young stars in Oklahoma City and Minnesota keep dropping 30-plus nights, racking up assists and rebounds while locking in defensively. They may not yet have the résumé to topple the established names, but they are punching their way onto ballots and making every head-to-head clash feel like an MVP showcase.
Injuries, rotations, and what it all means for the stretch run
No playoff picture conversation is complete without talking health. Several teams are managing key players through nagging injuries, ramp-up plans, and rest days. One contender is navigating a star’s minutes limit after a recent return; another just tweaked its rotation because a starter is in health protocols. Those subtle shifts matter. A bench player pushed into a starting role might thrive or struggle, and either outcome directly impacts the standings.
Coaches are leaning into flexibility. Lineups are smaller, faster, more switchable. Some have embraced five-out offense; others are doubling down on rim protection and bully-ball. Every adjustment is essentially a bet on how best to survive the final weeks of the regular season and arrive in the playoffs with a clear identity and healthy legs.
What to watch next: must-see games and storylines
The schedule ahead is loaded with matchups that will ripple through the NBA standings. Conference showdowns between top-four seeds are basically seeding tiebreakers in disguise. A Celtics clash with another East power will test whether Boston can keep its cushion. A Lakers showdown with a West rival hovering in the play-in zone will feel like a Game 5 in April, with both fanbases hyper-aware of the stakes.
Stephen Curry and the Warriors have a looming run of games against direct playoff challengers. If they steal a couple on the road, they can surge up and make the middle of the West even more chaotic. Drop them, and suddenly the math for avoiding the lower play-in seeds gets harsh.
For fans, this is the sweet spot of the season. Every night delivers something: a breakout game from a rising star, a veteran team flipping the switch, a supposed tanking squad playing spoiler. The NBA standings are not just numbers on a page right now; they are a living, breathing drama that updates with every tip-off.
Keep one eye on the scoreboard, another on the MVP Race box scores, and be ready for one more twist every single night. If the trends from this latest slate hold, we are barreling toward a postseason where seed lines blur, underdogs believe, and no lead feels safe once the lights get brighter.
Stay locked in, keep refreshing those live scores, and get ready: the next wave of statements from LeBron, Tatum, Curry, and the rest of the league’s stars is already on deck.
