play1:55Stephen A.: We aren’t debating the greatness of SGAKendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith react to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being called for an offensive foul at the end of regulation vs. the Pistons.
play1:14Redick makes the case for Luka as MVPLakers coach JJ Redick explains why Luka Doncic should be in consideration to win the NBA’s MVP award.
play1:13Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game HighlightsBoston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game Highlights
play1:13Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat: Game HighlightsPhiladelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat: Game Highlights
Windy on SGA’s MVP case: It’s ‘airtight, but not locked down’ (0:55)Brian Windhorst discusses why he believes Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has not yet secured NBA MVP. (0:55)
Stephen A.: We aren’t debating the greatness of SGAKendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith react to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being called for an offensive foul at the end of regulation vs. the Pistons.
Kendrick Perkins and Stephen A. Smith react to Shai Gilgeous-Alexander being called for an offensive foul at the end of regulation vs. the Pistons.
Redick makes the case for Luka as MVPLakers coach JJ Redick explains why Luka Doncic should be in consideration to win the NBA’s MVP award.
Lakers coach JJ Redick explains why Luka Doncic should be in consideration to win the NBA’s MVP award.
Philadelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat: Game HighlightsPhiladelphia 76ers vs. Miami Heat: Game Highlights
The NBA’s regular season has reached its final two weeks, but most non-lottery teams still have plenty to play for as the schedule winds down.
In the East, the Detroit Pistons have a strong lead atop the conference. But which playoff matchups will follow and which teams will fall into the play-in tournament?
With only a handful of games left on each team’s schedule but lots still to be decided, our NBA insiders look at the top storylines to watch for each of the 30 teams in this week’s Power Rankings.
Note: Team rankings are based on where members of our panel (ESPN’s Anthony Slater, Dave McMenamin, Jamal Collier, Michael C. Wright, Ohm Youngmisuk, Tim Bontemps, Tim MacMahon, Vincent Goodwill and Zach Kram) think teams belong.
Stephen A.: We aren’t debating the greatness of SGA
Boston will wind up either second or third in the East standings, so the question surrounding the Celtics for the final few games is, what will Jayson Tatum look like in the playoffs? He did win Eastern Conference Player of the Week honors last week, but Sunday’s breakout shooting performance in a win at Charlotte was an outlier following his return. With several playoff-caliber opponents on the schedule down the stretch, Tatum will get more chances to round his game into form. — Tim Bontemps
The Lakers have two races they will try to win as they sprint toward the finish line. The first is holding off Denver, Minnesota and Houston to keep the No. 3 seed in the Western Conference. The other is continuing to make a case for Luka Doncic to be named MVP for the first time in his career. Lakers coach JJ Redick said this week that if Los Angeles and Doncic stay as hot as they’ve been down the stretch, then “to me, he is the MVP.” — Dave McMenamin
Who will emerge as the Cavaliers’ first-round foe? Cleveland has spent most of the second half locked into the No. 4 spot in the East, but its opponent has been in flux. There are two teams, Toronto and Atlanta, currently tied for the No. 5 seed, with Philadelphia only 1.5 games behind. There’s also a chance Cleveland moves up in the standings. Entering Tuesday, the Cavs trailed the Knicks by one game for the third seed. — Jamal Collier
Boston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game HighlightsBoston Celtics vs. Atlanta Hawks: Game Highlights
Thanks in part to a 52-point win (!) over Orlando on Sunday, the Raptors remain favored to finish in the top six in the East and avoid the play-in tournament. As long as the Raptors take care of business against the three tanking teams left on their schedule (Sacramento, Memphis and Brooklyn) and don’t get swept by the non-tanking teams (Boston, Miami, twice, and New York), they should automatically qualify for their first postseason appearance since the 2021-22 campaign. — Zach Kram
Three of Phoenix’s final four games could have major playoff implications for the seventh-place Suns. They host the Rockets, currently No. 6 in the West, then play the Lakers in L.A. before finishing off at Oklahoma City. Despite remaining 3.5 games behind Houston, if the Suns can keep winning down the stretch, maybe they can catch the Rockets and avoid the play-in. — McMenamin
The Clippers have two games remaining against Portland and one versus Golden State. They are currently No. 8 in the West, the Blazers are No. 9 and the Warriors are No. 10. The outcome of those matchups down the stretch could shake up the order of the play-in seeding and determine if the Clips will host a game or go on the road to try to extend their season. — McMenamin
Will Giannis Antetokounmpo play again this campaign? Milwaukee will miss the playoffs for the first time in nine seasons, and although nine players sat out Sunday against the Clippers, the team still hasn’t ruled its superstar out. Even though the Bucks haven’t made an official distinction, coach Doc Rivers said last week that Antetokounmpo — who has appeared in only 36 games — still hasn’t practiced with the team since his latest knee injury on March 15. — Collier
Mark Cuban admits he regrets who he sold Mavericks to
Cooper Flagg’s pursuit of Rookie of the Year is the only reason worth watching the Mavs as they limp toward another lottery pick. Flagg has had a historic rookie season — joining Larry Bird, Michael Jordan and Luka Doncic as the only first-year players since the ABA-NBA merger to average at least 20 points, six rebounds and four assists. However, Flagg’s former Duke roommate Kon Knueppel has supplanted him as the ROY betting favorite. — MacMahon
Jazz fans surely would prefer to fast-forward to next season, when the franchise intends to be competitive after a tank-filled four-year rebuild. In the meantime, Utah can focus on the potential and the development of rookie Ace Bailey, the fifth pick who had three 30-point performances in March. — MacMahon
Tied for the worst record in the league, the Pacers are on track to finish with primo lottery odds. But with the Nets at 18 wins (and with one game left against Indiana) and the Kings at 19, every game still counts for a team that is hoping to land one big prospect before returning to contention in 2026-27. — Kram
Stop us if you’ve heard this before … Tied for the worst record in the league, the Wizards are on track to finish with primo lottery odds. But with the Nets at 18 wins (and with one game left against Washington) and the Kings at 19, every game still counts for a team that is hoping to land one big prospect before returning to contention in 2026-27. — Kram
It appears San Antonio is peaking at just the right time. But the question now is whether the Spurs can take it up another notch while resting key contributors for the postseason. As winners of nine consecutive games with a record of 25-2 since Feb. 1, this young and confident team still believes the best is yet to come, especially with French phenom Victor Wembanyama embarking on a tear to try to capture his first MVP. The guard trio of De’Aaron Fox, Stephon Castle and Dylan Harper is flourishing at attacking the paint, which provides clean looks from deep for Julian Champagnie, Harrison Barnes and Devin Vassell. — Michael C. Wright
With a four-game lead on the Celtics and the tiebreaker, the Pistons look like a team that can hold onto the top seed. To keep Detroit afloat in Cade Cunningham’s injury absence that is expected to last until the playoffs, coach J.B. Bickerstaff has thrust players into increased roles. Jalen Duren is becoming more of a primary scorer, while Daniss Jenkins has thrived with the added responsibility. The Pistons also have rediscovered their hellacious defense, which had suffered some slippage in the second half of the campaign. Knowing that Cunningham will return, Bickerstaff has to get his players back into roles more suited to the playoffs — assuming the Pistons clinch soon. — Vincent Goodwill
How important is the best seed versus getting players ready for the postseason? It’s a delicate balance that Mike Brown has to walk as the return of Miles McBride from hernia surgery means the coach can go as deep as nine in his rotation for the postseason. It would be a deviation from his last playoff team with Sacramento, which had seven players getting 20 minutes or more in its first-round playoff series in 2023. The starters’ minutes are down across the board for the Knicks from last season, as Josh Hart is playing seven fewer minutes per game and Karl-Anthony Towns is down five. But will this team be in a rhythm, especially with three games at Madison Square Garden to finish? Will they try to catch the Celtics as the second seed or sit comfortably in third, even as the Cavaliers are closing in? — Goodwill
Consistency and late-game execution remain issues Houston hopes to solve before the start of the postseason. On top of everything else, the Rockets find themselves looking to create ways to rest veteran Kevin Durant ahead of the playoffs. The 37-year-old swingman ranks third in the NBA in average minutes (36.4) after playing in 72 games. With Houston in striking distance of Denver and Minnesota in the West standings and trying to hold off seventh-place Phoenix, the Rockets need to win games, improve consistency and find ways to rest their most potent offensive weapon. Not an easy task. — Wright
With a handful of games left, Philadelphia — after dealing with almost its entire starting five being out for several weeks — is on the verge of making it into the top six in the East playoff race. There might not be a team that needs to climb out of the play-in more than Philadelphia, to avoid any extra chances for injury while having its full group ready when the playoffs arrive. If the 76ers can manage to do that, they will be a dangerous first-round opponent for whichever team in the top half of the bracket lands them. — Bontemps