NBA power rankings: Where do Lakers go with Luka Dončić injury?

We’re coming down to the final stretch of the NBA regular season, and multiple races are tightening up.

Not only are the discussions for NBA Most Valuable Player and Rookie of the Year intensifying, teams are closing their seasons with playoff seeding top of mind.

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And the tightest cluster is in the middle of the Eastern Conference, where the race for the automatic playoff bid of the No. 6 seed will go down to the wire. Six different teams — the Hawks, 76ers, Raptors, Hornets, Magic and Heat — each have pathways to end up there.

Here are USA TODAY Sports’ NBA power rankings after Week 22 of the 2025-26 regular season:

1 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

1 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Dallas Mavericks’ Cooper Flagg dunks the ball past the Toronto Raptors’ Sandro Mamukelashvili at the American Airlines Center.

2 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Washington Wizards’ Cam Whitmore dunks the ball against the Charlotte Hornets at Capital One Arena.

3 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 26: The Brooklyn Nets’ Michael Porter Jr. dunks in front of the San Antonio Spurs’ Victor Wembanyama at Frost Bank Center.

4 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 25: The Denver Nuggets’ Christian Braun dunks the ball against the Phoenix Suns’ Grayson Allen at Ball Arena.

5 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 24: The Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. dunks against the Miami Heat at FedExForum.

6 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 24: The Miami Heat’s Bam Adebayo dunks over the Memphis Grizzlies’ Jaren Jackson Jr. at FedExForum.

7 / 8

Dribble into this collection of dunk photos as NBA stars posterize opponents

Oct. 22: The New York…

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Publish date : 2026-04-06 17:02:00

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