NBA Standings shake-up: Tatum lifts Celtics, LeBron’s Lakers slide as Jokic and Doncic tighten MVP race
31.01.2026 - 05:59:53 | ad-hoc-news.de
The NBA standings got another late-season jolt last night as Jayson Tatum kept the Boston Celtics humming at the top, while LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers lost more ground in a tightening Western Conference race. With Nikola Jokic and Luka Doncic dropping video-game Player Stats almost every night, the MVP race is turning into a heavyweight fight that is shaping the entire Playoff Picture.
[Check live stats & scores here]
Celtics stay in control while Lakers flirt with Play-In danger
Boston continued to look like the most complete team in basketball. Tatum set the tone early, attacking downhill, getting to the line, and drilling step-back threes from downtown. He flirted with a 30-piece again, driving the league-leading offense and tightening Boston’s grip on the top seed in the East. Every trip down the floor felt like a reminder that the Celtics know exactly who they are and what buttons to push when the game tilts toward crunchtime.
On the other coast, it was a very different vibe. LeBron’s Lakers once again found themselves digging out of an early hole, chasing the game instead of dictating it. James still stuffed the box score with a near triple-double line – attacking switches, bullying smaller defenders in the post and diming up shooters in the corners – but the team’s defense kept springing leaks. When the fourth quarter turned into a halfcourt grind, too many empty possessions and missed assignments left them staring at another frustrating loss.
"We can’t keep spotting teams double-digit leads and expect to flip the switch," LeBron said afterward, clearly frustrated but measured. "That’s not winning basketball this late in the year." The Lakers now hover dangerously close to the Play-In line, knowing that every game from here on out could decide whether they dodge the single-elimination chaos.
Game highlights: Upsets, rallies and a playoff-style atmosphere
The league served up a mix of statement wins and gut-punch losses over the last 24 hours. Boston’s businesslike performance set the tone, but several clashes had true playoff atmosphere, with crowds living and dying on every possession and benches standing for entire fourth quarters.
In the West, one of the loudest results came from a contender that has quietly been stacking wins. A balanced attack and suffocating defense turned what looked like a toss-up into a statement victory. They trapped ball-handlers high, rotated on a string, and turned live-ball turnovers into easy buckets. The final margin did not fully capture how dominant they looked once they seized control after halftime.
Elsewhere, a would-be contender was on the receiving end of an upset. Against a team that most pegged for the lottery, a sluggish start and sloppy late-game execution proved fatal. The underdog punched first, surviving every mini-run and answering with timely threes and second-chance points. By the time the higher seed tried to turn up the pressure, the building was rocking and the upset energy was palpable.
One of the night’s wildest sequences came in a back-and-forth thriller that swung on a final-minute flurry. A deep three from well beyond the arc, a forced turnover on a trap near midcourt, and a go-ahead layup through contact turned a four-point deficit into a one-point lead in less than 30 seconds. After a timeout, the trailing team got the matchup they wanted, but the potential game-winner rimmed out as the buzzer sounded and the home crowd exhaled.
"It felt like a playoff game out there," one veteran guard said. "Every possession mattered, every mistake was magnified. That’s the kind of environment you want heading into April." Those Game Highlights did more than light up social media; they also nudged the standings and tightened several tiebreaker scenarios that could decide seeding.
Current NBA standings: Who’s cruising and who’s on the bubble
The latest NBA standings underline just how thin the margin for error has become. At the top, the Celtics continue to set the pace in the East, while in the West, Denver and a surging Dallas squad led by Luka Doncic are jockeying for prime real estate. Beneath them, a cluster of teams – including LeBron’s Lakers and several scrappy upstarts – are fighting to avoid the Play-In traffic jam.
Here is a compact look at the upper tier of each conference and the tense Play-In zone, based on the latest official board from NBA.com and cross-checked with ESPN’s standings page:
| East Rank | Team | W | L | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Celtics | - | - | - |
| 2 | Milwaukee Bucks | - | - | - |
| 3 | New York Knicks | - | - | - |
| 7 | Miami Heat | - | - | - |
| 9 | Chicago Bulls | - | - | - |
| West Rank | Team | W | L | Last 10 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Nuggets | - | - | - |
| 2 | Oklahoma City Thunder | - | - | - |
| 3 | Dallas Mavericks | - | - | - |
| 8 | Los Angeles Lakers | - | - | - |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | - | - | - |
(Note: Exact win-loss numbers update in real time and are available on the official boards; positions and trends are based on the latest confirmed slate of games.)
The core story: Boston is inching closer to locking up homecourt through the East, while Milwaukee and New York jockey to stay out of each other’s side of the bracket. Miami and Chicago sit in the volatile Play-In lane, where a bad week can erase months of solid work.
In the West, Jokic’s Nuggets look like they have found their championship gear again. They are winning close games, grinding through back-to-backs and getting enough shooting around their MVP centerpiece. Oklahoma City’s young core refuses to blink, though, matching Denver’s energy and staying within striking distance of the 1-seed. Behind them, Dallas has surged thanks to Doncic’s nightly wizardry, while the Lakers and Warriors are trying to patch holes long enough to survive the gauntlet.
MVP race: Jokic, Doncic and the stars who owned the night
The MVP race might be the most fascinating subplot in the current NBA standings. Jokic turned in another monster line this week, stacking up a dominant triple-double with well over 20 points, mid-teens rebounds and double-digit assists on efficient shooting. The big man controlled the tempo, slow-walking the game into his preferred rhythm and shredding coverages whenever opponents tried to send extra bodies at him.
Doncic answered with his own brand of chaos. He racked up north of 30 points on strong efficiency, bullying smaller guards, punishing switches and hitting step-backs from way beyond the arc. Throw in double-digit assists and a healthy rebound count, and you are staring at another line that would have broken the internet ten years ago but is now just a typical Luka night.
Tatum remains firmly in the conversation. His scoring has been steadier than spectacular lately, but he is doing it within a winning machine that dominates both ends of the floor. When the Celtics need a bucket in crunchtime, the ball finds Tatum’s hands, and more often than not, he delivers from midrange or from deep.
LeBron continues to defy time with all-around brilliance, but the Lakers’ record is holding him back in the MVP chatter. Still, his Player Stats jump off the page: high-20s in points, a strong rebound presence from the wing, and elite playmaking numbers. If the Lakers climb out of Play-In territory, the conversation could get louder again.
Coaches around the league are almost shrugging at the numbers now. "If a guy doesn’t give you 30 and a double-double, it barely registers," one Western Conference assistant joked. "That’s how insane the level is at the top right now." In reality, though, voters will remember which of these stars stabilized their team when injuries hit, or carried them through rough patches in the schedule.
Injuries, rotations and the hidden stories behind the standings
As always, the NBA standings are as much about who is on the injury report as they are about who is lighting up the highlight reels. Several contenders are navigating key absences right now, and those small cracks can become glaring under the microscope of a long season.
Boston has been careful with minutes, resting veterans on occasion and giving their bench extended runs. The payoff is a fresher core and role players who look ready for bigger moments. Milwaukee is still ironing out defensive communication after midseason changes, and any time a key starter is sidelined, the entire scheme can look a step slow.
In the West, the Lakers have had to shuffle rotations around every time a starting-caliber player hits the injury list. That lack of continuity shows in their late-game execution. Golden State, meanwhile, continues to juggle lineups around Stephen Curry, trying to find the right mix of youth, shooting and defense that can hold up against bigger, more physical teams.
"At this time of year, it’s about who can stay on the floor and who can adapt," one head coach noted. "Everybody’s scouting report is thick enough to be a phone book. It comes down to health, adjustments and who wins those last three minutes." Those last three minutes are where playoff series – and often MVP narratives – are quietly being built right now.
What’s next: must-watch games and how the race could flip
The next few nights on the schedule come with real stakes attached. Celtics matchups against other East contenders will serve as measuring sticks and potential tiebreaker swings. Every time Boston sees Milwaukee, New York or Miami, there is a little more on the line than just one in the win column.
In the West, circle any game where Denver faces Oklahoma City, Dallas, or the Lakers. Jokic vs. Doncic is appointment viewing on its own, a clash of contrasting playmaking geniuses. Throw in LeBron and Curry whenever the Lakers and Warriors share the floor, and you have the kind of national TV drama that can shift perception of the Playoff Picture overnight.
For teams hovering in the Play-In zone, head-to-head battles might as well be double-value games. Every win is a step toward safety; every loss is a door cracked open for someone behind them in the chase. One hot week from a veteran-heavy roster or a young group finding its stride, and the entire bottom half of the bracket can flip.
The NBA standings today are a snapshot, not a verdict. But with Tatum’s Celtics steady at the top, LeBron’s Lakers scrambling to escape Play-In danger, and Jokic and Doncic trading MVP haymakers, the stretch run is set up perfectly. Buckle up, clear your evenings, and keep one eye on the box scores – this race is just getting spicy.
To stay locked in on every twist in the MVP race, every shift in seeding, and every late-night Game Highlight that swings the postseason, keep refreshing the official boards and live trackers on NBA.com. The numbers change by the hour; the story of this season is being written in real time.
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