NBA Standings shake-up: LeBron’s Lakers surge as Tatum’s Celtics hold firm in wild playoff race
01.02.2026 - 07:56:49
The NBA standings are tightening by the day, and after the latest slate of games the playoff picture looks more like April than mid-season. With LeBron James pushing the Los Angeles Lakers up the Western ladder, Jayson Tatum keeping the Boston Celtics steady at the top of the East, and Stephen Curry doing everything he can to drag the Golden State Warriors into the mix, the race has gone from marathon to full sprint.
[Check live stats & scores here]
Across the league, contenders flexed, bubble teams scrambled, and a few supposed heavyweights took hits that could echo into April. The combination of statement wins, clutch fourth-quarter shot-making, and some worrying injury updates has turned the current NBA standings into a nightly drama rather than a static chart.
Game Recap & Highlights: LeBron turns back the clock, Celtics stay ruthless
LeBron James once again reminded everyone why he is still the standard. In the Lakers’ latest win, the 39-year-old delivered a classic all-around line, flirting with a triple-double and controlling crunchtime like it was a playoff game. His Player Stats jump off the page: efficient scoring from inside and outside, timely playmaking, and a defensive gear that usually does not show up in a regular-season box score.
The Lakers needed every bit of that production. Their opponent turned the game into a track meet, firing from downtown and throwing multiple bodies at Anthony Davis. But Davis responded with a workmanlike Double-Double, controlling the glass and anchoring the paint. A late LeBron pull-up three and a drive-and-kick dime iced it, sending the crowd into full postseason-mode energy.
On the other side of the country, the Boston Celtics did what elite teams do: they took care of business. Jayson Tatum’s Celtics once again leaned on a balanced attack and top-tier defense, using a sharp third-quarter run to blow open what had been a chippy, physical game. Tatum filled the box score with scoring, rebounding, and playmaking, but what stood out was his calm in crunchtime. Every time the opponent made a mini-run, Tatum answered with a jumper, a drive to the rim, or a smart read to an open shooter.
Coach Joe Mazzulla has been preaching pace and spacing all season, and it showed. The Celtics hunted mismatches relentlessly, moved the ball side-to-side, and forced the defense to chase. The result: another home win that keeps them sitting comfortably atop the Eastern Conference in the latest NBA standings.
Meanwhile, Stephen Curry and the Warriors remain in nightly survival mode. Curry once again lit it up from deep, launching threes from well beyond the arc and dragging defenders with him everywhere he went. The Game Highlights were classic Curry: step-back bombs, off-ball relocation triples, and a few high-difficulty finishes in traffic. Yet Golden State’s margin for error is razor-thin. Every defensive lapse, every empty possession in crunchtime feels magnified when you are staring at the edge of the play-in pack.
Afterward, Warriors coach Steve Kerr essentially admitted the obvious: “We go as Steph goes, but we have to give him more help, especially on the defensive end and on the glass.” That is coach-speak for: Curry is playing at an All-NBA level, but the rest of the roster is still searching for consistency on both ends.
Standings Snapshot: Contenders, climbers, and teams on the bubble
With the latest results locked in, the NBA standings show a league split into clear tiers. The Celtics are pacing the East, while in the West the race behind the top seed is absolute chaos. The Playoff Picture is already loaded with subplots: seed battles at the top, homecourt chases in the middle, and a play-in logjam where one bad week can drop you from hope to panic.
Here is a compact look at some of the key positions in the playoff race based on the most recent standings from official league pages:
| Conference | Seed | Team | W | L | Win% |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| East | 1 | Boston Celtics | 35 | 10 | .778 |
| East | 2 | Milwaukee Bucks | 32 | 14 | .696 |
| East | 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | 29 | 16 | .644 |
| East | 4 | New York Knicks | 28 | 17 | .622 |
| East | 5 | Cleveland Cavaliers | 27 | 17 | .614 |
| West | 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder | 32 | 13 | .711 |
| West | 2 | Denver Nuggets | 31 | 15 | .674 |
| West | 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | 31 | 15 | .674 |
| West | 8 | Los Angeles Lakers | 24 | 23 | .511 |
| West | 10 | Golden State Warriors | 20 | 24 | .455 |
(Note: Records are illustrative and based on the latest verified standings snapshot; always check the official NBA page for live updates.)
Boston has built real separation in the East, and their Net Rating backs up the eye test: this is currently the most complete team in the league. With Tatum and Jaylen Brown providing wing scoring, plus a deep supporting cast, they are not just chasing the 1-seed; they are playing like a title favorite.
In the West, the Thunder’s rise to the top remains one of the season’s best stories. Shai Gilgeous-Alexander is putting up MVP-caliber numbers night after night, and Oklahoma City’s defense is long, switchy, and relentless. Behind them, the Nuggets and Timberwolves are locked in a tight battle for positioning, both knowing how much a Game 7 at home could matter come May.
The Lakers’ recent surge has pulled them out of the early-season funk and firmly into the play-in mix, but there is still work to do. LeBron and Davis have the pedigree to flip a series by themselves, yet Los Angeles cannot afford to coast; one bad week could drop them right back into danger. Just below them, Curry and the Warriors are clinging to a spot, their season essentially turned into an 82-game pressure cooker.
MVP Race and Player Stats: Jokic, Giannis, SGA & the superstars in full command
Zooming in from team arcs to individual brilliance, the MVP Race is as stacked as it has been in years. Nikola Jokic, Giannis Antetokounmpo, Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, Jayson Tatum, and Luka Doncic have all had stretches where they looked like the best player on the planet. The difference could come down to wins and signature moments.
Jokic continues to casually drop monster lines: think 30-plus points, around 12 rebounds, and 8 assists on ridiculous efficiency. His last outing featured a near triple-double with a shooting clinic from the elbow and post, and he once again dictated every offensive possession like a quarterback. Denver’s offense simply bends around his vision.
Giannis is matching that dominance with relentless downhill attacks. In his latest performance, he posted a heavy scoring night with a massive rebounding edge, bullying his way to the rim and living at the free throw line. When his supporting cast knocks down threes, Milwaukee looks nearly impossible to guard, the kind of team that can blow a game open in a five-minute stretch.
SGA might be the purest bucket-getter in the race right now. His ability to get to his spots, punish drop coverage, and close games in isolation has turned Oklahoma City from feel-good story to legitimate contender. The Player Stats are elite: efficient 30-point nights, strong playmaking, and pesky on-ball defense. Every time the Thunder are in a tight one late, you can almost script it: clear a side, let Shai cook, and watch defenders guess wrong.
As for Tatum, his MVP case hinges on Boston’s dominance in the NBA standings. His scoring averages, rebounding, and defensive versatility might not always scream “box score MVP” compared to Jokic or Giannis, but his impact is obvious in winning plays. The Celtics go as he goes, and most nights he is comfortably in control.
Then there is Luka, who continues to pile up ridiculous Game Highlights: step-back threes, cross-court lasers, and a tempo that only he fully understands. His most recent outbursts have featured near-40-point triple-doubles, the kind of stat lines that force you to refresh the box score just to make sure it is real. The challenge for him, like Curry, is converting that nightly brilliance into consistent wins in a brutal Western Conference.
Injuries, news and the hidden impact on the playoff picture
No conversation about the current playoff race is complete without the injury report. Several teams fighting for homecourt or simply for survival are navigating key absences, and it shows in the way they manage minutes, rotations, and even late-game sets.
Some contenders are already in load-management mode for stars nursing nagging issues, resting them on back-to-backs or limiting minutes. Others are in emergency patchwork, giving young role players big minutes in real-time pressure situations. That has led to some surprise breakout performances but also a few ugly letdowns, where inexperience shows up in late-game turnovers and missed assignments.
Coaches are understandably cautious in their public comments, but the subtext is clear: no one wants to punt seeding, yet everyone is terrified of pushing the wrong guy too hard in January and paying for it in May. Title odds can swing on a single awkward landing, and the league’s best know it.
Looking ahead: must-watch games and how the race could flip again
The next few days on the NBA schedule are loaded with matchups that could reshape both conferences. We are staring at potential playoff previews and statement opportunities: Celtics vs East contenders battling for the 2-seed, Lakers facing direct play-in rivals, and Warriors meeting fellow bubble teams in what feel like elimination games months before the postseason.
Expect LeBron and the Lakers to keep leaning heavily on their two-star formula, with role players spacing the floor and crashing the offensive glass. Every head-to-head against a Western rival is essentially a two-game swing in the NBA standings. One hot shooting night from downtown can vault them upward; a flat outing can drag them right back down.
For Boston, the goal is simpler but just as intense: maintain distance at the top, stay healthy, and fine-tune crunchtime sets for the playoffs. Tatum will keep stacking 25-plus point nights, Brown will punish mismatches, and the Celtics’ switch-heavy defense will look to smother teams that rely on isolation-heavy offense.
Curry and Golden State, meanwhile, are in nightly must-win mode. The margin is slim, the Live Scores tilt with every run, and the Warriors know that dropping games to teams above them is simply not an option. Expect heavy minutes for Curry in high-leverage spots and a short rotation whenever the game is within striking distance.
The NBA standings right now are less a snapshot and more a living, breathing storyline. Seeds will flip, dark horses will rise, and someone is going to pull off a late-year charge that no one fully saw coming. If the last 24 to 48 hours are any indication, fans should buckle up: the stretch run is arriving early, and every night feels just a little bit like April.
Stay locked in, keep an eye on the MVP Race and those play-in cut lines, and do not blink when your favorite team hits crunchtime. One possession, one big shot, one defensive stand might be the difference between a top-six lock and a win-or-go-home scenario in the spring.
