For just the third year in NBA history, three teams failed to make the playoffs despite finishing the regular season with a winning record.
The previous two seasons with three teams missing the playoffs were 1970-71 and 2021-22. In all seasons prior to 1970, every winning team qualified for the playoffs.
Advertisement
In total, 43 teams in NBA history have finished the regular season with a record above .500 but didn’t make the playoffs. That means teams with winning records make the playoffs 95.1% of the time.
⠀
In 2025-26, Charlotte finished 44-38, Miami 43-39, and the Los Angeles Clippers 42-40 — but all three missed out on the playoffs after losing in the play-in tournament.
Despite all three teams this year posting winning records, none are close to the all-time highest winning percentage for a non-playoff team.
That honor goes to the 1971-72 Phoenix Suns, who finished 49-33 — a .598 clip — but missed out on the playoffs in a Western Conference led by the 69-win Los Angeles Lakers. The Suns have three of the best non-playoff records — in 1970-71 and 2013-14 the franchise posted identical 48-34 marks (Golden State also equaled that record in 2007-08).
Advertisement
Golden State and Houston are the franchises that have finished above .500 but missed out on the playoffs the most. Each team has done so six times.
Notably, out of the 43 times this feat has occurred, 31 happened to teams currently in the Western Conference, while just 12 are in the Eastern Conference.
Methodology note: USA TODAY analyzed data from Sport Reference’s Stathead site to compile this chart.
This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Winning teams usually make the NBA playoffs. This season, three did not.
