The Play-In Tournament is officially in the books—and now all eyes shift to the 2026 NBA Draft Lottery. The standings are locked in, and teams finally know where they sit… at least for now.
Friday night wrapped things up in style:
- ? Orlando dominated early — the Magic blew out the Hornets with a near 30-point lead before halftime and never looked back.
- ? Phoenix turned it on late — the Suns pulled away from the Warriors with a big fourth-quarter surge led by Jalen Green.
What it means going forward
- The Magic clinch the East’s No. 8 seed, moving on to the playoffs.
- The Hornets slide into the lottery at No. 14.
- The Suns advance to face the defending champion Thunder.
- The Warriors settle at No. 11 in the lottery order.
- A pick tied to the Clippers now gives OKC the 12th-best odds.
Still not 100% set ?
There are a couple of ties that need to be broken before lottery night:
- Jazz and Kings are tied at No. 4
- Hawks (via Pelicans) and Mavericks are tied at No. 7
? These coin flips are expected on April 20, just after the playoffs begin.
Don’t underestimate the odds
Even slim chances can hit big. Just look at last season—the Mavericks jumped all the way to No. 1 with the smallest odds.
? Top chances to land the No. 1 pick
Here’s how the odds stack up:
- 14% — Wizards, Pacers, Nets
- 11.5% — Jazz, Kings
- 9% — Grizzlies
- 6.8% — Hawks, Mavericks
- 4.5% — Bulls
- 3% — Bucks
- 2% — Warriors
- 1.5% — Thunder (via Clippers)
- 1% — Heat
- 0.5% — Hornets
Final takeaway
The draft order may be set, but the real drama is just beginning. With luck playing a huge role, any team in the mix could still walk away with the top pick—and potentially change its future overnight.
