Why are the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers listed in different NBA standings tables? And what does it mean when a team sits sixth, seventh or tenth in its conference?
NBA standings do more than show which teams have won the most games. They help fans understand each team’s position in the regular-season race and its chances of reaching the playoffs.
At ArenaLive, we display available NBA standings with Eastern and Western Conference views, making it easier for basketball fans in the Philippines to follow their favourite teams.
Here’s how NBA standings work, what the numbers mean and why conference rankings become especially important towards the end of the regular season.
How Do NBA Standings Work?
The NBA has 30 teams divided into two conferences:
- Eastern Conference — 15 teams
- Western Conference — 15 teams
Each conference has three divisions, with five teams per division.
During the regular season, teams compete to build the strongest possible win-loss record.
Their results determine their position in the conference standings.
Unlike a single league table containing all 30 teams, NBA conference standings rank teams separately within the East and West.
That means the team ranked first in the Eastern Conference is not necessarily compared directly with the team ranked first in the Western Conference for playoff seeding.
Each conference has its own postseason qualification race.
What Is the NBA Eastern Conference?
The Eastern Conference contains 15 NBA teams organised into three divisions.
Atlantic Division
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- New York Knicks
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors
Central Division
- Chicago Bulls
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Milwaukee Bucks
Southeast Division
- Atlanta Hawks
- Charlotte Hornets
- Miami Heat
- Orlando Magic
- Washington Wizards
When you select the East standings, you’re comparing teams competing for positions within the Eastern Conference.
A team’s division is part of the NBA’s organisational structure, but its conference position is particularly important for postseason qualification.
What Is the NBA Western Conference?
The Western Conference also contains 15 teams across three divisions.
Northwest Division
- Denver Nuggets
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
Pacific Division
- Golden State Warriors
- LA Clippers
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Phoenix Suns
- Sacramento Kings
Southwest Division
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
- Memphis Grizzlies
- New Orleans Pelicans
- San Antonio Spurs
The West standings show how these teams compare during the regular season.
For example, the Lakers and Warriors both belong to the Pacific Division and the Western Conference.
Their results contribute to their overall conference ranking, not just their position within the Pacific Division.
What Do W, L and PCT Mean in NBA Standings?
When looking at NBA standings, you’ll commonly see three important columns:
W — Wins
The number of regular-season games a team has won.
L — Losses
The number of regular-season games a team has lost.
PCT — Winning Percentage
The proportion of games a team has won out of its total games played.
The formula is:
Winning Percentage = Wins ÷ (Wins + Losses)
For example:
| Wins | Losses | Winning Percentage |
|---|---|---|
| 8 | 2 | .800 |
| 7 | 3 | .700 |
| 5 | 5 | .500 |
| 2 | 8 | .200 |
These are hypothetical examples, not current NBA team records.
A team with eight wins and two losses has won 80% of its games.
A team with five wins and five losses has a .500 winning percentage.
Understanding PCT is especially helpful early in the season, when teams may have played different numbers of games.
For instance, a team with six wins in seven games has a better winning percentage than a team with seven wins in ten games.
This is why total wins alone don’t always tell you which team has the stronger record.
Why Can Two NBA Teams Have the Same Record but Different Rankings?
Two teams can finish with identical win-loss records.
When that happens, the NBA uses official tiebreaking procedures to determine their order where necessary.
For a two-team tie, the head-to-head winning percentage is an important first criterion.
Additional rules may consider factors such as division status, conference records and other results.
The procedures differ for two-team and multi-team ties.
This means two teams with matching records aren’t necessarily given the same final postseason seed.
If a ranking seems unusual, check the applicable NBA tiebreaking rules rather than assuming the table is incorrect.
How Many NBA Teams Make the Playoffs?
The NBA postseason qualification system gives teams several possible paths after the regular season.
The key conference positions are:
| Conference Position | Postseason Situation |
|---|---|
| 1st–6th | Directly qualify for the playoffs |
| 7th–8th | Enter the Play-In Tournament with two chances to qualify |
| 9th–10th | Enter the Play-In Tournament; must win twice to qualify |
| 11th–15th | Do not qualify for the postseason |
These positions refer to the final regular-season standings, not provisional rankings during the season.
The same structure applies separately to the Eastern and Western Conferences.
What Happens to Teams Ranked 1st to 6th?
Teams finishing in the top six of their conference receive direct playoff berths.
They do not need to participate in the Play-In Tournament.
Higher-ranked teams generally receive more favourable seeding and potential home-court advantages according to the playoff format.
However, a high ranking doesn’t guarantee that a team will advance through the playoffs.
What Happens to Teams Ranked 7th to 10th?
Teams finishing seventh through tenth enter the NBA Play-In Tournament.
These games determine the final two playoff seeds in each conference.
A seventh-place finish is therefore valuable, but it doesn’t automatically guarantee a place in the main playoff bracket.
How Does the NBA Play-In Tournament Work?
The Play-In Tournament uses a short competition involving the teams ranked seventh, eighth, ninth and tenth.
Here’s the format.
Game 1: 7th Place vs 8th Place
The winner claims the seventh playoff seed.
The losing team gets another opportunity.
Game 2: 9th Place vs 10th Place
The winner advances to another Play-In game.
The loser is eliminated.
Game 3: Final Play-In Game
The loser of the 7th-versus-8th game faces the winner of the 9th-versus-10th game.
The winner claims the eighth playoff seed.
This means teams finishing seventh or eighth have two opportunities to qualify, while teams finishing ninth or tenth must win both games.
After the Play-In Tournament, each conference has eight teams in the main playoff bracket.
Can NBA Standings Change After Every Game?
Yes.
During the regular season, teams continue adding wins and losses.
A single result can affect a conference’s ranking, particularly when several teams have similar records.
For example, two teams competing for sixth place may exchange positions as the season progresses.
A team can also move from a Play-In position into the top six if its results improve.
However, standings don’t necessarily update at exactly the same moment a game finishes.
Updated rankings depend on confirmed results, the sports data source and any applicable tiebreaking calculations.
At ArenaLive, we display available season records from supported sports data sources rather than calculating missing results ourselves.
We recommend checking the latest available standings when comparing teams.
How to Check NBA East and West Standings on ArenaLive
You can follow available NBA conference standings directly through our website.
Step 1: Open ArenaLive
Visit the ArenaLive Live page and scroll to Scores & Standings.
Look for the section labelled NBA Standings.
Step 2: Choose East or West
Use the available conference buttons to switch between:
- East — Eastern Conference standings
- West — Western Conference standings
This lets you focus on the teams in the conference you’re following.
Step 3: Check the Team Records
Review the displayed ranking, team name, wins, losses and winning percentage.
Pay particular attention to teams around sixth, seventh, eighth and tenth place.
Those positions become increasingly important as the regular season approaches its conclusion.
Step 4: Follow the Team’s Upcoming Games
Standings are useful for understanding the overall season, but individual results explain how a team’s record changes.
You can check available NBA fixtures through our NBA games and scores section.
Remember that the standings and match listings serve different purposes.
A score tells you what happened in one game. The standings show a team’s accumulated regular-season record.
If current standings are temporarily unavailable, check again later rather than relying on an incomplete ranking.
Do Philippine Time Zones Affect NBA Standings?
Time zones don’t change the rules used to rank NBA teams.
However, they can affect when Filipino fans see a completed game and its updated results.
An NBA matchup scheduled for Monday evening in the United States may finish on Tuesday morning in the Philippines.
ArenaLive displays basketball match times in Philippine Time (PHT, UTC+8).
For more information about the difference between US and Philippine game dates, read our NBA Game Times in the Philippines guide.
The important distinction is that game schedules follow local time conventions, while season standings depend on official competition results.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between the NBA East and West?
The NBA has two conferences containing 15 teams each. Eastern and Western Conference standings rank teams separately for regular-season competition and postseason qualification.
What does PCT mean in NBA standings?
PCT means winning percentage. It is calculated by dividing a team’s wins by its total games played. A .750 winning percentage means the team has won 75% of its games.
How many teams qualify directly for the NBA playoffs?
Six teams from each conference qualify directly. The seventh and eighth playoff seeds are determined through the Play-In Tournament.
Can a 10th-place NBA team still make the playoffs?
Yes. A team finishing tenth can qualify by winning both of its required Play-In games.
Where can I check NBA standings in the Philippines?
Visit ArenaLive’s Scores & Standings section and select East or West. You can review available team records and compare conference positions.
Follow the NBA Standings Throughout the Season
NBA standings help explain more than which team currently has the most wins.
They show how each team is performing over the regular season, which conference positions matter for playoff qualification and why the Play-In Tournament keeps the race competitive.
Once you understand W, L, PCT and the postseason qualification system, it’s easier to follow changes in the Eastern and Western Conference rankings.
At ArenaLive, we help basketball fans in the Philippines explore available NBA standings, game scores and upcoming fixtures in one place.
Follow your favourite teams, compare their records and keep track of the NBA playoff race with ArenaLive.