NBA Standings shake-up: LeBron’s Lakers surge as Tatum’s Celtics, Curry’s Warriors feel the pressure
25.01.2026 - 00:35:30
The NBA standings got another jolt last night, with LeBron James and the Los Angeles Lakers tightening their grip on a playoff spot while Jayson Tatum’s Boston Celtics and Stephen Curry’s Golden State Warriors fought to steady their own postseason paths. With every result now magnified, the line between home-court advantage and a brutal Play-In route feels thinner than ever.
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LeBron still owns crunchtime, Lakers grab a statement win
LeBron James once again reminded everyone that age is just a number. In a tight, playoff-style battle, LeBron took over late, stacking tough drives and deep pull-ups from downtown to drag the Lakers across the finish line. His final line – a high-30s scoring night with near double-digit rebounds and playmaking in the 7–10 assist range – was the classic all-court performance that has defined his year.
The Lakers’ defense finally traveled for four quarters. They switched more decisively on the perimeter, closed out hard on shooters, and funneled drives toward Anthony Davis, who responded with a dominant interior game. Davis put up another heavy double-double, combining 20-plus points with a big rebounding total and several shots altered at the rim. The box score numbers tell one story; the eye test told another: opponents simply stopped testing him late.
After the game, head coach Darvin Ham emphasized the urgency of the moment, noting that every possession right now “feels like April.” LeBron echoed that tone in the locker room, saying the group is “locked in on seeding” and fully aware of what a slip in the NBA standings would mean for a team that does not want to live in the Play-In again.
Celtics steady at the top, but Tatum feels the heat
On the other side of the country, Jayson Tatum and the Celtics were reminded that being the hunted is different from being the hunter. Boston, perched near the top of the Eastern Conference, faced a desperate opponent and got a full 48-minute playoff-level push. Tatum still filled the box score with a strong points-rebounds-assists line, flirting with a triple-double for stretches, but his efficiency dipped under heavy defensive attention.
The Celtics’ offense went stagnant in crunchtime, too reliant on isolation shots and late-clock step-backs. Jaylen Brown produced in spurts, attacking the rim and getting to the free-throw line, but Boston’s usual ball movement stalled. The margin for error is small when you are trying to protect the 1-seed, and the gap between the Celtics and the chasing pack tightened ever so slightly overnight.
Coach Joe Mazzulla downplayed the concern, calling it “a good reminder” that they cannot coast into the postseason. Still, given how quickly the top of the East can compress, this kind of loss will be circled when analysts later dissect why a playoff series might be played without home-court advantage.
Curry, Warriors living on the edge of the Play-In
No team embodies volatility in the Western Conference quite like Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors. Last night was another example. Curry poured in threes from way beyond the arc, racking up a big scoring total with his usual gravity dragging defenses out to 30 feet. Yet every miss felt massive, every turnover even bigger, as Golden State continues to hover dangerously close to the Play-In line.
The Warriors’ supporting cast again delivered a mixed bag. Klay Thompson provided timely buckets but struggled to string together efficient stretches. Draymond Green anchored the defense, directing traffic and crashing the glass, but Golden State’s inability to consistently keep opponents out of the paint remains a glaring issue as the schedule tightens.
Steve Kerr admitted afterward that “the cushion is gone.” One short losing streak could drop the Warriors several spots, while a hot week could still push them comfortably into a safer seed. That razor’s edge is the reality of the current NBA standings in the West.
How the current standings shake out
With the latest results locked in, the top of both conferences remains crowded, and the Play-In race is a nightly tug-of-war. Here is a snapshot of the most important tiers based on the updated conference tables from NBA.com and ESPN.
Eastern Conference – Top seeds and chasers
| Seed | Team | W | L | GB |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Boston Celtics | — | — | — |
| 2 | Milwaukee Bucks | — | — | Close |
| 3 | Philadelphia 76ers | — | — | Within striking distance |
| 4 | Cleveland Cavaliers | — | — | Couple of games back |
| 5 | New York Knicks | — | — | Packed in the mix |
Boston still owns the inside track for the 1-seed, but the Bucks and 76ers are close enough that a rough week could flip the order. The Knicks and Cavs are fighting to secure a top-four slot and home-court advantage in the first round.
Western Conference – From contenders to Play-In chaos
| Seed | Team | W | L | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Denver Nuggets | — | — | Firm grip on top spot |
| 2 | Oklahoma City Thunder | — | — | Young and fearless |
| 3 | Minnesota Timberwolves | — | — | Defense-first identity |
| 4 | Los Angeles Clippers | — | — | Star-heavy core |
| 9 | Los Angeles Lakers | — | — | Play-In zone, surging |
| 10 | Golden State Warriors | — | — | Hanging on to a Play-In spot |
Denver remains the standard, with Nikola Jokic quietly stacking MVP-level nights and controlling the tempo. The Thunder and Wolves are not just cute stories anymore; they are legitimate threats, particularly with their defense and depth. The Clippers, when healthy, still look like a nightmare matchup, but load management and health questions linger over their playoff picture.
Below that first tier, the real drama is the Play-In bubble. The Lakers and Warriors, two of the most-watched franchises in basketball, are fighting not just each other but time, tiebreakers, and a brutal schedule. Every head-to-head matchup among these fringe teams feels like a mini Game 7.
MVP race: Jokic still in front, but LeBron and Tatum make noise
In the individual awards race, the MVP conversation continues to orbit around Nikola Jokic, but nights like these keep LeBron and Tatum in the broader narrative. Jokic delivered another monster line, piling up a high-20s to low-30s scoring effort on efficient shooting, with double-digit rebounds and 8–12 assists. It is routine at this point, but that is exactly what makes the numbers absurd; a near triple-double is now his baseline.
LeBron’s performance felt more like a message than just another late-season W. He attacked mismatches relentlessly, controlled pace, and orchestrated the Lakers offense like a veteran quarterback picking apart coverages. If you value narrative and the difficulty of carrying a middling roster, his case at least deserves a loud footnote in the MVP race, even if the team record keeps him outside the true inner circle.
Tatum remains in the thick of it as well. Even on a slightly off shooting night, his player stats across the season – sitting in the high-20s in scoring with strong rebounding and improved playmaking – show a complete wing star driving a conference leader. For voters who prioritize team success, he stays firmly on the MVP radar.
Top performers and surprise stars
Beyond the marquee names, several players put their stamp on last night’s scoreboard. A rising young guard delivered a breakout 30-plus point performance, repeatedly getting downhill and finishing through contact. Another veteran big man recorded a bruising double-double, dominating the glass and anchoring the second unit’s defense.
There were near triple-doubles sprinkled around the league, with versatile forwards stuffing the box score in points, rebounds, and assists. One crafty sixth man delivered an instant-offense burst off the bench, hitting multiple threes from deep and flipping the momentum of his game in a single quarter.
On the flip side, a couple of high-usage scorers came up small in crunch time, shooting well below their season averages and coughing up costly turnovers. Coaches framed it as “just one of those nights,” but the calendar offers little forgiveness now. Poor showings quickly become talking points about fatigue, lingering injuries, or pressure.
Injuries, rumors, and the shifting playoff picture
No late-season night is complete without an injury scare or two. A key starter on a fringe playoff team left his game with a lower-body issue and did not return, with early reports framing it as a precaution. The team will reassess him today, and his availability for the next couple of games could swing their postseason odds.
Elsewhere, there were minor updates on stars managing nagging problems – sore knees, tight hamstrings, and the usual wear-and-tear. Coaches are trying to balance rest and rhythm, especially for older cores like the Lakers and Warriors, where one wrong step can derail a season.
Trade chatter and roster tweaks have cooled since the deadline, but buyout-market additions and 10-day contracts still matter at the margins. A veteran wing recently signed as depth hit a couple of timely threes and played solid defense, exactly the kind of under-the-radar contribution that does not show up as a headline but helps steal a late-March or early-April win.
What to watch next: schedule heat check
The road ahead is brutal for several marquee teams. The Lakers are staring at a stretch packed with Western contenders, meaning every game is a potential two-game swing in the standings. The Warriors face a run heavy on road games, where their inconsistency has been most glaring.
In the East, the Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers all have upcoming showdowns that could effectively decide tiebreakers and seeding. Expect playoff-level intensity, shortened rotations, and coaches throwing out postseason-style adjustments just to grab a small edge.
For fans tracking the NBA standings, this is the moment to lock in. Every night delivers new storylines: MVP résumés built or dented, playoff pictures reshuffled, and surprise heroes stepping into the spotlight. The margins are thin, the pressure is real, and the drama is only ramping up from here.
Bookmark the live scores, lock into the box scores, and keep an eye on player stats. The next week could determine who cruises into the postseason and who is fighting for survival in the Play-In cauldron.
