{
 "updated": "2026-07-02",
 "league": "NBA",
 "last_season": "2025-26",
 "next_season": "2026-27",
 "champion": {
  "team": "New York Knicks",
  "result": "New York Knicks def. San Antonio Spurs 4-1",
  "dates": "June 3 · June 13, 2026",
  "note": "The Knicks' third NBA championship and their first since 1973 · they won Games 1 and 2 on the road, lost Game 3, took Game 4 on an OG Anunoby tip-in after trailing by 29, and clinched Game 5 by four points."
 },
 "bracket": {
  "note": "2026 NBA playoffs · every series verified against the playoff bracket.",
  "east": {
   "round1": [
    {"high": "Detroit Pistons", "high_seed": 1, "low": "Orlando Magic", "low_seed": 8, "winner": "Detroit Pistons", "score": "4-3"},
    {"high": "Cleveland Cavaliers", "high_seed": 4, "low": "Toronto Raptors", "low_seed": 5, "winner": "Cleveland Cavaliers", "score": "4-3"},
    {"high": "New York Knicks", "high_seed": 3, "low": "Atlanta Hawks", "low_seed": 6, "winner": "New York Knicks", "score": "4-2"},
    {"high": "Boston Celtics", "high_seed": 2, "low": "Philadelphia 76ers", "low_seed": 7, "winner": "Philadelphia 76ers", "score": "4-3", "note": "76ers came back from 3-1 down"}
   ],
   "semis": [
    {"high": "Detroit Pistons", "high_seed": 1, "low": "Cleveland Cavaliers", "low_seed": 4, "winner": "Cleveland Cavaliers", "score": "4-3"},
    {"high": "New York Knicks", "high_seed": 3, "low": "Philadelphia 76ers", "low_seed": 7, "winner": "New York Knicks", "score": "4-0"}
   ],
   "final": {"high": "New York Knicks", "high_seed": 3, "low": "Cleveland Cavaliers", "low_seed": 4, "winner": "New York Knicks", "score": "4-0"}
  },
  "west": {
   "round1": [
    {"high": "Oklahoma City Thunder", "high_seed": 1, "low": "Phoenix Suns", "low_seed": 8, "winner": "Oklahoma City Thunder", "score": "4-0"},
    {"high": "Los Angeles Lakers", "high_seed": 4, "low": "Houston Rockets", "low_seed": 5, "winner": "Los Angeles Lakers", "score": "4-2"},
    {"high": "Denver Nuggets", "high_seed": 3, "low": "Minnesota Timberwolves", "low_seed": 6, "winner": "Minnesota Timberwolves", "score": "4-2"},
    {"high": "San Antonio Spurs", "high_seed": 2, "low": "Portland Trail Blazers", "low_seed": 7, "winner": "San Antonio Spurs", "score": "4-1"}
   ],
   "semis": [
    {"high": "Oklahoma City Thunder", "high_seed": 1, "low": "Los Angeles Lakers", "low_seed": 4, "winner": "Oklahoma City Thunder", "score": "4-0"},
    {"high": "San Antonio Spurs", "high_seed": 2, "low": "Minnesota Timberwolves", "low_seed": 6, "winner": "San Antonio Spurs", "score": "4-2"}
   ],
   "final": {"high": "Oklahoma City Thunder", "high_seed": 1, "low": "San Antonio Spurs", "low_seed": 2, "winner": "San Antonio Spurs", "score": "4-3"}
  },
  "finals": {"high": "New York Knicks", "low": "San Antonio Spurs", "winner": "New York Knicks", "score": "4-1"}
 },
 "playin": {
  "note": "Play-in tournament, April 14–17, 2026.",
  "east": [
   {"game": "7–8 game", "matchup": "Philadelphia 76ers def. Orlando Magic", "score": "109-97", "result": "76ers took the 7 seed"},
   {"game": "9–10 game", "matchup": "Charlotte Hornets def. Miami Heat", "score": "127-126 (OT)", "result": "Heat eliminated"},
   {"game": "8-seed game", "matchup": "Orlando Magic def. Charlotte Hornets", "score": "121-90", "result": "Magic took the 8 seed"}
  ],
  "west": [
   {"game": "7–8 game", "matchup": "Portland Trail Blazers def. Phoenix Suns", "score": "114-110", "result": "Trail Blazers took the 7 seed"},
   {"game": "9–10 game", "matchup": "Golden State Warriors def. LA Clippers", "score": "126-121", "result": "Clippers eliminated"},
   {"game": "8-seed game", "matchup": "Phoenix Suns def. Golden State Warriors", "score": "111-96", "result": "Suns took the 8 seed"}
  ]
 },
 "standings": {
  "east": [
   {"seed": 1, "team": "Detroit Pistons", "record": "60-22"},
   {"seed": 2, "team": "Boston Celtics", "record": "56-26"},
   {"seed": 3, "team": "New York Knicks", "record": "53-29"},
   {"seed": 4, "team": "Cleveland Cavaliers", "record": "52-30"},
   {"seed": 5, "team": "Toronto Raptors", "record": "46-36"},
   {"seed": 6, "team": "Atlanta Hawks", "record": "46-36"},
   {"seed": 7, "team": "Philadelphia 76ers", "record": "45-37"},
   {"seed": 8, "team": "Orlando Magic", "record": "45-37"},
   {"seed": 9, "team": "Charlotte Hornets", "record": "44-38", "note": "play-in"},
   {"seed": 10, "team": "Miami Heat", "record": "43-39", "note": "play-in"},
   {"seed": 11, "team": "Milwaukee Bucks", "record": "32-50"},
   {"seed": 12, "team": "Chicago Bulls", "record": "31-51"},
   {"seed": 13, "team": "Brooklyn Nets", "record": "20-62"},
   {"seed": 14, "team": "Indiana Pacers", "record": "19-63"},
   {"seed": 15, "team": "Washington Wizards", "record": "17-65"}
  ],
  "west": [
   {"seed": 1, "team": "Oklahoma City Thunder", "record": "64-18"},
   {"seed": 2, "team": "San Antonio Spurs", "record": "62-20"},
   {"seed": 3, "team": "Denver Nuggets", "record": "54-28"},
   {"seed": 4, "team": "Los Angeles Lakers", "record": "53-29"},
   {"seed": 5, "team": "Houston Rockets", "record": "52-30"},
   {"seed": 6, "team": "Minnesota Timberwolves", "record": "49-33"},
   {"seed": 7, "team": "Portland Trail Blazers", "record": "42-40"},
   {"seed": 8, "team": "Phoenix Suns", "record": "45-37"},
   {"seed": 9, "team": "Los Angeles Clippers", "record": "42-40", "note": "play-in"},
   {"seed": 10, "team": "Golden State Warriors", "record": "37-45", "note": "play-in"},
   {"seed": 11, "team": "New Orleans Pelicans", "record": "26-56"},
   {"seed": 12, "team": "Dallas Mavericks", "record": "26-56"},
   {"seed": 13, "team": "Memphis Grizzlies", "record": "25-57"},
   {"seed": 14, "team": "Sacramento Kings", "record": "22-60"},
   {"seed": 15, "team": "Utah Jazz", "record": "22-60"}
  ]
 },
 "standings_note": "Final 2025-26 regular-season standings in standings order; playoff seeds 7-8 were settled by the play-in tournament (Philadelphia and Orlando in the East; Portland and Phoenix in the West). Every team's home/road splits sum to 82 games and league-wide wins total 1,230 · both checks exact.",
 "next_season_dates": {
  "regular_season": "October 2026 · April 2027 · 82 games (opening date expected with the August schedule release)",
  "nba_cup": "NBA Cup: October 30 · December 11, 2026",
  "all_star": "All-Star Game: February 21, 2027 · Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix",
  "play_in": "Play-in tournament: April 2027",
  "playoffs": "Playoffs April–May 2027 · Finals June 2027",
  "extra": "International games: Rockets vs. Mavericks in Macau, October 9 & 11, 2026. First overall draft pick: AJ Dybantsa (Washington Wizards)."
 },
 "source": "2026 NBA Finals, 2026 NBA playoffs, 2025–26 NBA season (standings templates cite NBA.com) and 2026–27 NBA season · fetched and cross-checked 2 July 2026. Swatches use each team's official palette, picking a distinguishable colour where the primary is black or shared.",
 "colours": {
  "Atlanta Hawks": "#C8102E", "Boston Celtics": "#008348", "Brooklyn Nets": "#3d3d3d",
  "Charlotte Hornets": "#00788C", "Chicago Bulls": "#CE1141", "Cleveland Cavaliers": "#860038",
  "Dallas Mavericks": "#0064B1", "Denver Nuggets": "#0E2240", "Detroit Pistons": "#1D428A",
  "Golden State Warriors": "#FFC72C", "Houston Rockets": "#CE0E2D", "Indiana Pacers": "#0C2340",
  "Los Angeles Clippers": "#12173F", "Los Angeles Lakers": "#31006F", "Memphis Grizzlies": "#5D76A9",
  "Miami Heat": "#98002E", "Milwaukee Bucks": "#00471B", "Minnesota Timberwolves": "#236192",
  "New Orleans Pelicans": "#0C2340", "New York Knicks": "#F58426", "Oklahoma City Thunder": "#007AC1",
  "Orlando Magic": "#0050B5", "Philadelphia 76ers": "#1D428A", "Phoenix Suns": "#1D1160",
  "Portland Trail Blazers": "#E03A3E", "Sacramento Kings": "#5A2D81", "San Antonio Spurs": "#8a8d8f",
  "Toronto Raptors": "#CE1141", "Utah Jazz": "#4E008E", "Washington Wizards": "#002B5C"
 }
}