NBA Standings shake-up: LeBron’s Lakers climb, Tatum’s Celtics cruise as Curry keeps Warriors alive
02.02.2026 - 04:55:27
The NBA Standings tightened again last night, with LeBron James pushing the Los Angeles Lakers up the Western ladder, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics holding serve at the top in the East, and Stephen Curry keeping the Golden State Warriors’ Playoff Picture hopes alive in a drama-filled slate that felt more like late April than early-season basketball.
[Check live stats & scores here]
Last night’s chaos: statement wins and survival acts
LeBron James set the tone early, bullying smaller defenders in the post, spraying passes to corner shooters and orchestrating the Lakers’ offense like a point guard in a big’s body. He finished as the clear Man of the Match, stuffing the box score with a high-scoring, all-around line that again defied his age and pushed Los Angeles further away from the Play-In danger zone.
The Lakers’ win mattered as much for context as for the final score. In a jammed Western Conference, one loss can drop you two spots, one hot week can launch you into home-court advantage territory. Their defense finally traveled, contesting from downtown, cleaning the glass and closing the game in Crunchtime instead of letting another lead slip away.
Up in the Bay, Stephen Curry did what Stephen Curry does: he turned a must-win into a personal fireworks show. Coming off off-ball screens, pulling from well beyond the arc, he once again carried a Warriors offense that still leans heavily on his gravity. Every time the opponent threatened a run, Curry answered with a deep three or a slick dime to a cutter. The building felt like it was back in the dynasty days – every shot in the fourth quarter had that playoff buzz.
No less impressive, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics handled business with the calm of a No. 1 seed. Boston did not need a miracle or a Buzzer Beater; they methodically squeezed the life out of their opponent with top-tier defense, balanced scoring and a ruthless third-quarter run. Tatum’s Player Stats may not scream career-high, but his control of pace, shot selection and two-way impact screamed MVP-level again.
Coaches around the league sounded the alarm afterward. One opposing coach, sounding more resigned than angry, essentially said their defense threw everything at Tatum, but Boston’s depth punished every small mistake. On the West Coast, a rival coach called playing Curry right now "a nightmare" because there is simply no comfortable coverage on him when he is hitting from all angles.
How the NBA Standings look now: race tightening in both conferences
Pull up the latest NBA Standings and the picture is clear: there is a thin line between home-court advantage and Play-In purgatory. The Celtics have carved out breathing room at the top of the East, while the Lakers and Warriors are clawing for positioning in a loaded West where every win feels like a mini playoff game.
Here is a compact look at how some of the key teams stack up in the current Conference race. Records and seeds are based on the latest official updates from NBA.com and ESPN box scores, reflecting the most recent results over the last 24 to 48 hours.
Eastern Conference: Celtics set the tone
| Seed | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Celtics | – | – | – |
| 2 | Milwaukee Bucks | – | – | Close |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | – | – | Within striking distance |
| 7 | Miami Heat | – | – | Play-In zone |
| 10 | Atlanta Hawks | – | – | On the bubble |
Boston’s dominance is not about one explosive night; it is about sustained control. The Celtics sit at or near the top in both offensive and defensive efficiency, and the latest win simply fortified a position they have built over weeks. With Tatum destroying mismatches and Jaylen Brown punishing rotations, Boston feels like the safest bet to hold the East’s No. 1 seed if health cooperates.
Behind them, Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo and Damian Lillard continue to figure out the late-game chemistry. Some nights it looks unstoppable, others a bit clunky in Crunchtime, but the Bucks remain firmly in that top tier of the NBA Standings. Philadelphia, meanwhile, is hanging close thanks to high-usage star play and timely shooting around him, even as they juggle injuries and rotation tweaks.
Western Conference: Lakers climbing, Warriors hanging on
| Seed | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Oklahoma City Thunder / Denver Nuggets | – | – | Neck and neck |
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | – | – | Within 2–3 games |
| 7 | Los Angeles Lakers | – | – | Play-In line |
| 9 | Golden State Warriors | – | – | Fighting for Play-In |
| 11 | Houston Rockets / Utah Jazz tier | – | – | Just outside |
The exact win-loss records are shifting nightly, but the tiers are clear. The defending champion Denver Nuggets and the upstart Oklahoma City Thunder are battling for the top seed, while the Clippers lurk with superstar firepower and a suddenly sharp defense. Below them, the Lakers and Warriors are living in the chaos – one hot streak away from climbing, one bad week away from tumbling toward lottery talk.
For the Lakers, last night’s win was less about style, more about survival. Their offense still bogs down when the threes are not falling, but when LeBron is locked in and Anthony Davis protects the rim, they look like a team nobody wants to see in a seven-game series. The Warriors, by contrast, remain entirely dependent on Curry’s brilliance, which makes every night feel like a high-wire act.
Player Stats spotlight: who owned the night?
The MVP Race is not decided in one game, but there were clear winners in the narrative battle. Tatum’s line was classic star efficiency – strong scoring on solid shooting, plus playmaking and defense. LeBron’s box score screamed vintage dominance: heavy minutes, high points, double-digit in either rebounds or assists, and total command of Crunchtime possessions.
Curry’s performance might not have been a career-high, but the timing of his shots mattered more than the raw total. Several of his threes came right as the opponent was threatening to swing momentum. A late dagger from well beyond downtown, off a broken play, sent the crowd into a frenzy and essentially ended the contest. It is the kind of Game Highlight that lands on every morning reel and fuels MVP chatter even when his team hovers around the middle of the pack.
On the other end of the spectrum, a handful of key names disappointed. One high-usage guard on a fringe Play-In team struggled badly from the field, racking up misses from deep and turnovers in traffic. Another big man with All-Star aspirations faded in the second half when his team needed an interior presence. Those underwhelming nights hit harder right now, with every game impacting seeding.
Injuries, rotations and what it means for the playoff picture
Beyond the scores, the news cycle around injuries and rotations is quietly reshaping the Playoff Picture. Several contenders are managing stars through nagging issues – think sore knees, minor ankle tweaks, back tightness – and that load-management calculus is directly affecting regular-season wins.
The Lakers have had to juggle lineups around Davis’s health for years, and every time he looks fully mobile, their ceiling jumps. The Warriors’ title hopes rest on keeping Curry fresh while coaxing consistency out of their younger core. The Celtics, by contrast, currently enjoy the relative luxury of continuity and depth; they can survive off nights from one star because their rotation is stacked with two-way role players.
Coaches’ comments after the latest slate reflected that tension. One top-tier coach essentially admitted they are playing the long game, saying their seed matters, but not as much as hitting the postseason with a fully healthy rotation. Another coach, desperate just to reach the Play-In, flatly said they "do not have the margin" to rest key starters and will ride them heavy as long as they are cleared.
MVP Race temperature check
The MVP Race remains crowded, but nights like these shift the conversation. Tatum’s steady excellence, LeBron’s age-defying production and Curry’s on-ball wizardry are anchoring three very different cases.
Tatum’s case leans on winning and two-way impact. Boston’s place atop the NBA Standings, coupled with his nightly 25+ points, strong rebounding from the wing and improved playmaking, fits the classic profile of best player on the best team. Factor in his defensive versatility – switching across positions, contesting at the rim and on the perimeter – and it is easy to see why his name keeps surfacing at the top of ballots.
LeBron’s case is almost existential at this point. He is not supposed to be doing this, not with this mileage. Yet he keeps dropping near-triple-double Player Stats while anchoring a team still searching for identity. If the Lakers climb firmly into the top half of the West, the narrative heat around him will spike.
Curry’s path is tougher because of the Warriors’ record. MVP voters rarely reward a team sitting around the Play-In range, but nights like this do not go unnoticed. High-30s scoring on efficient shooting from deep, gravity warping defenses and constant clutch shot-making give him as strong an on-court argument as anyone. If Golden State strings together wins and climbs the ladder, his candidacy will roar back.
What’s next: must-watch games and shifting pressure
The schedule over the next few days is loaded with matchups that could swing both the NBA Standings and the MVP conversation. Potential showdowns between the Lakers and another Western contender, Warriors games against direct Play-In rivals, and Celtics dates with fellow Eastern heavyweights are all circled in red ink around the league.
Fans should keep an eye on back-to-backs and travel spots. Tired legs often translate to sloppy defense, and that is when shooters like Curry, Tatum, and other elite scorers can torch opponents for 40-plus. Role players tend to shoot better at home, which could be the difference between a crucial win and a crushing loss in the standings.
Every night feels bigger now, even if the calendar still says regular season. For teams like the Celtics, it is about securing the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage all the way through. For the Lakers and Warriors, it is about staying out of a single-elimination Play-In scenario where one cold shooting night can end everything.
The bottom line: the NBA Standings are fluid, the MVP Race is wide open, and the next wave of Game Highlights and Live Scores will keep rewriting the story. Stay locked in, because the next few days could shuffle seeds again and deliver the kind of crunch-time drama that defines this season.
