1
Thunder
OKC has won 12 straight and 15 of 16. They’re back to full health, with Jalen Williams the latest to return after a six-week absence. Their magic number to clinch the West’s No. 1 seed is eight. I know the Spurs have beaten the Thunder four times and are on a crazy run of their own, but OKC has earned the benefit of the doubt as it pertains to postseason projection — just not by much.
—
57-15
2
Spurs
The Spurs have won 23 of their last 25 games. They’ve beaten the Thunder four times. They have every right to own the No. 1 spot. If you think they should, I won’t argue with you. They are an absolute top-shelf contender.
—
54-18
3
Celtics
Jayson Tatum continues to struggle to make shots consistently, but who cares? The rest of the regular season is all about getting his sea legs back in time for the playoffs, and the Celtics have still won four of five to maintain a one-game lead on New York for the No. 2 seed. The Celtics have a marquee matchup vs. OKC on Wednesday. Boston is the most balanced and proven team in the East with Tatum back.
1
47-24
4
Nuggets
With Peyton Watson back, the Nuggets are whole. The starting lineup is blistering opponents, and it seems like going small is going to be the preferred choice for David Adelman in the non-Nikola Jokić minutes, with Jonas Valanciunas recently being fazed out. Denver is currently No. 4 in the West, tied in the loss column with No. 5 Minnesota and No. 6 Houston with the tiebreaker…
2026-03-25 12:29:33
