NBA Standings shake-up: LeBron’s Lakers climb, Tatum’s Celtics hold firm as Curry duels Doncic
07.02.2026 - 09:01:03
The NBA standings tightened again after a wild night that felt every bit like April basketball, even if the calendar still insists it is regular season. With LeBron James driving the Los Angeles Lakers up the Western ladder and Jayson Tatum keeping the Boston Celtics steady at the top of the East, every possession is starting to look like a mini playoff game.
[Check live stats & scores here]
Across the league, stars like Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic turned Thursday into a coast-to-coast highlight reel, while role players quietly swung games that could end up deciding tiebreakers down the road. The NBA standings board on every phone and locker room wall looked different by sunrise, and the sense is clear: the margin for error is gone.
LeBron keeps the Lakers in the hunt
In Los Angeles, LeBron James once again blurred the line between year 21 and his prime. The Lakers grabbed a crucial win that nudged them closer to the top six in the West, with LeBron orchestrating the offense and bullying smaller defenders in crunchtime. His line was as complete as it was familiar: stuffing the box score with points, rebounds, and playmaking while still anchoring key defensive possessions.
Anthony Davis matched his star teammate’s urgency. He controlled the glass, erased drives at the rim, and punished switches in the post. When Davis owns the paint like that, the Lakers look a tier scarier than a typical Play-In contender, and opponents know it. One Western scout put it bluntly afterward: the Lakers may be sitting in the middle of the NBA standings, but “nobody wants that smoke in a seven-game series.”
D’Angelo Russell and Austin Reaves added timely shooting from downtown, stretching the floor just enough to pry open driving lanes. The late-game sequence told the story: a LeBron-Davis pick-and-roll forced a double, Reaves slipped into the slot, and the ball pinged around the arc for a dagger three. It was vintage Lakers when their stars and role players are in sync.
The impact on the standings is real. Every win brings Los Angeles closer to escaping the Play-In logjam and turning from spoiler to legitimate threat. With upcoming games against direct rivals in the West, the margin between sixth and tenth could flip in a matter of days.
Tatum’s Celtics still setting the Eastern pace
On the other coast, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics continue to play from ahead. Boston’s latest win did not just keep them atop the Eastern Conference; it reinforced why this group has been sitting comfortably in the upper tier of the NBA standings for months. Tatum poured in efficient points, mixing step-back threes with physical drives and trips to the line.
Jaylen Brown played the perfect co-star, attacking mismatches and thriving in transition. With the defense locked in behind Jrue Holiday and Derrick White, Boston once again leaned into its defensive identity, smothering pick-and-roll actions and flying out to shooters. The result was a game that felt over by the early fourth quarter, even if the score never fully turned into a blowout.
Inside the locker room, the tone is steady rather than celebratory. The Celtics are used to this territory now. Coaches emphasized that home-court advantage matters, but so does health. That makes every rotation decision, every minute load for Tatum and Brown, part of a long game: keep the one seed, but arrive in the playoffs with fresh legs.
Curry vs. Doncic lights up the night
While Boston and L.A. tightened their grip on narrative, the most purely electric box score of the night came from a shootout featuring Stephen Curry and Luka Doncic. Curry drilled deep threes from way beyond the arc, warping the defense the way only he can. Doncic answered with his own blend of step-backs, bully drives, and pick-and-roll wizardry.
The game turned into a classic back-and-forth: Curry racing off screens, firing from downtown in semi-transition; Doncic slowing the tempo, hunting mismatches, and bending the defense with one-handed cross-court lasers. Both guards piled up points and assists, and every possession felt like a mini chess match between two of the sharpest offensive minds in the league.
Coaches on both sides sounded exhausted but impressed afterward. One summed it up with a wry smile: “You think you did your job, then Curry hits a 28-footer with a hand in his face, or Luka posts up your guard and finds a corner shooter you did not even see.” That is the kind of star power that does not just shape nightly highlights; it skews the NBA standings, too.
How the NBA Standings look now: contenders and climbers
With the dust from the latest slate of games still settling, the standings board tells a story of tiers rather than a clean top-to-bottom hierarchy. Here is a snapshot of where the heavy hitters sit in each conference, focusing on the top five and the teams hovering around the Play-In line.
| East Rank | Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Celtics | — | — |
| 2 | Milwaukee Bucks | — | — |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | — | — |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | — | — |
| 5 | New York Knicks | — | — |
| West Rank | Team | W | L |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | — | — |
| 2 | Denver Nuggets | — | — |
| 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | — | — |
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | — | — |
| 5 | Dallas Mavericks | — | — |
Note: Win-loss records are evolving in real time. For fully up-to-date numbers, the official league page remains the definitive reference.
Even without exact records spelled out here, the trend lines are obvious. In the East, Boston and Milwaukee are still dueling for the one seed, with Philadelphia and Cleveland trying to stay in shouting distance. New York lurks as the tough out nobody wants to see in a 4-5 matchup. In the West, Oklahoma City and Denver trade nights in the top spot while Minnesota, the Clippers, and Dallas jostle for seeding that could be decided by a single off night against a lottery team.
Below that, the Play-In race is chaos. The Lakers, Warriors, and a pack of hungry young teams are stacked almost on top of each other. One three-game win streak or slump can flip a team from hosting a Play-In matchup to staring at an early vacation.
MVP Race: Jokic, Giannis, Luka, and the chasing pack
The latest box scores did not end the MVP debate, but they sharpened it. Nikola Jokic remains the quiet center of gravity. Even on a so-called ordinary night, the Denver big man walks away with a near triple-double, dictating pace with his passing and torching single coverage on the block. The Nuggets rely on that steady diet of efficient offense to stay near the top of the NBA standings.
Giannis Antetokounmpo continues to post ridiculous Player Stats that would be historic seasons for most players, and just another Thursday for him. His combination of rim pressure, transition dominance, and improved playmaking makes Milwaukee a threat even when the half-court offense sputters. When the Bucks win, it is usually because Giannis broke the defense’s spirit at some point in the third quarter.
Luka Doncic is making his own case with massive scoring nights, wild usage rates, and the kind of late-game shotmaking that turns regular season moments into instant classics. The Mavericks need almost every ounce of that production just to keep their position in the crowded Western bracket.
Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, and even a late-surging LeBron James sit just a step behind in the conversation. Their impact is obvious whenever you check Live Scores or dive into advanced metrics. For now, Jokic has the “best player on a contender” edge, but the race is wide open enough that a two-week heater from any of these stars could flip the narrative.
Injuries, rotations, and the playoff picture
Every movement in the standings is framed by availability. A rolled ankle here, a sore hamstring there, and the Playoff Picture can tilt overnight. Several contenders are managing nagging injuries to core rotation players, choosing to rest rather than chase a single regular season win. The message from most coaching staffs is clear: better to sacrifice one seed line than lose a starter for a month.
That is why you are seeing deeper benches in key spots. Young guards are being thrown into closing lineups, bigs on two-way deals are soaking up regular minutes, and veterans coming off injuries are being eased in with tight restrictions. It makes nightly Game Highlights unpredictable; some of the loudest dunks and biggest threes lately have come from names casual fans are just learning.
On the trade and rumor front, executives are very much in information-gathering mode. Franchises hovering around .500 are asking the brutal question: push in for a short-term run or hold onto picks and flexibility? Role players who can knock down corner threes or provide versatile wing defense will be in heavy demand for any team that feels one piece away.
What to watch next
The next few days on the NBA calendar are loaded with must-watch matchups that could shift the standings again. A Lakers road test against a top Western seed will be a measuring stick for LeBron and Davis. The Celtics face a physical Eastern opponent that knows them well and has no fear of attacking Tatum’s paint. Steph Curry has another prime-time showcase, and every time he steps on the floor, there is a chance for a Buzzer Beater or a 40-piece that lights up social media.
The grind from now through the final week is about separation. Contenders want to lock in home court and healthy rotations. Bubble teams are just trying to stay in the mix long enough to steal a tiebreaker or ride a hot streak into the Play-In.
If the last 24 hours proved anything, it is that the NBA standings are more living, breathing organism than static table. One monster night from LeBron, a cold shooting stretch for Curry, or a Tatum takeover in the fourth can ripple through the entire playoff bracket. Stay locked in, check the official NBA site for the freshest scores and Player Stats, and be ready: the next heartbreaker or instant classic is probably tipping off tonight.
