NBA Central Division Standings 2026-27
Central standings for the 2026-27 NBA season. The season is about to begin. Records update automatically after every game. The Pistons are the defending champions after winning the Central at 60-22 in 2025-26.
| # | Team | W | L | PCT | GB | HOME | AWAY | DIV | CONF | PF | PA | DIFF | STRK | L5 | PROJ | MAGIC | NEXT |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  Chicago BullsCHI |
0 | 0 | .000 | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | @ TOR Wed 10/21 |
| 2 |  Cleveland CavaliersCLE |
0 | 0 | .000 | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | @ PHI Thu 10/22 |
| 3 |  Detroit PistonsDET |
0 | 0 | .000 | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | vs BOS Tue 10/20 |
| 4 |  Indiana PacersIND |
0 | 0 | .000 | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | @ NOP Wed 10/21 |
| 5 |  Milwaukee BucksMIL |
0 | 0 | .000 | – | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | – | – | – | – | @ WAS Wed 10/21 |
Legend
- #
- Place in division
- W
- Wins
- L
- Losses
- PCT
- Winning percentage
- GB
- Games behind division leader
- HOME
- Home record
- AWAY
- Away record
- DIV
- Division record
- CONF
- Conference record
- PF
- Points for
- PA
- Points against
- DIFF
- Point differential
- STRK
- Current streak
- L5
- Last 5 games
- PROJ
- Projected final wins at the current rate
- MAGIC
- Magic number: any combination of leader wins and second-place losses that clinches the division (E = elimination number; 0 = out of the division race)
- NEXT
- Next game
Clinch tags
- x
- Clinched playoff berth
- p
- Clinched play-in spot
- z
- Clinched division
- *
- Clinched No. 1 seed and home-court advantage
- e
- Eliminated from playoff contention
- ▲ ▼
- Moved up or down since the last games
- Playoff cutoff after seed 6, play-in cutoff after seed 10
Standings are updated with the completion of each game. Clinch tags use wins-only maths and appear once a spot is mathematically settled.
Central Teams
Chicago Bulls0-0 · Eastern Conference No. 3Next: @ Raptors, Wed, Oct 21 7:30 PMCleveland Cavaliers0-0 · Eastern Conference No. 6Next: @ 76ers, Thu, Oct 22 7:00 PMDetroit Pistons0-0 · Eastern Conference No. 7Next: vs Celtics, Tue, Oct 20 3:00 PMIndiana Pacers0-0 · Eastern Conference No. 8Next: @ Pelicans, Wed, Oct 21 8:00 PMMilwaukee Bucks0-0 · Eastern Conference No. 10Next: @ Wizards, Wed, Oct 21 7:00 PMCentral Games
Upcoming division games
Recent Central Champions
Detroit Pistons60-22 · +6692024-25Cleveland Cavaliers64-18 · +7822023-24Milwaukee Bucks49-33 · +2152022-23Milwaukee Bucks58-24 · +2982021-22Milwaukee Bucks51-31 · +275Central title history
Since 2021-22 the Central has been won by 3 different teams. The Milwaukee Bucks have the most titles in that span with 3. The strongest champion was the Cavaliers in 2024-25 at 64-18. In the NBA a division title is a tiebreaker, not a seed: playoff position comes from conference record.
📋 Full Eastern Conference standings → 🏆 Playoff picture →
Central FAQ
Who is leading the Central?
No games have been played yet. Check back after the opening week.
Which teams are in the Central?
Chicago Bulls, Cleveland Cavaliers, Detroit Pistons, Indiana Pacers, Milwaukee Bucks.
When is the next Central game?
Bulls at Bucks on Friday, October 23.
Who won the Central last season?
The Detroit Pistons, at 60-22 in 2025-26.
Who has won the Central most often recently?
The Milwaukee Bucks, with 3 titles in the last 5 seasons.
How is the Central winner decided?
Best winning percentage over the 82-game regular season. If two teams tie, head-to-head record decides first, then division record and conference record.
Does the Central winner make the playoffs?
Not automatically. NBA seeds are by record; a division winner still needs a top-six record for a direct spot or a top-ten record for the play-in.
What does GB mean?
Games behind the division leader. A half game means the teams have played a different number of games.
Updated · last result change Sep 11