The NBA playoffs start on April 18, but before we get there, eight teams will be competing in the Play-In Tournament to earn the final two playoff spots in each conference. While the Play-In Tournament is in its sixth year, it’s still worth explaining how it all breaks down.
First, here are the eight teams in this year’s Play-In Tournament: It’s the 76ers, Magic, Hornets and Heat in the East. It’s the Suns, Trail Blazers, Clippers and Warriors in the West. The No. 7 seeds will be decided on Tuesday and Wednesday, and the No. 8 seeds will be on the line Friday night. Here’s the play-in schedule for this season.
Play-In Tournament schedule
Tuesday, April 14
- Hornets vs. Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason
- Suns vs. Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 7 seed
Wednesday, April 15
- 76ers vs. Magic, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 7 seed
- Clippers vs. Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason
Friday, April 17
- 76ers/Magic vs. Hornets/Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
- Suns/Trail Blazers vs. Clippers/Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
2026 NBA playoff bracket: Matchups, schedule with postseason field finalized
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What is the Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In Tournament is the round before the playoffs start, where the teams sitting No. 8 through No. 10 in each conference compete to earn the final two postseason spots. Think of it like the First Four in March Madness. The tournament was added to provide more incentive for teams further down in the standings and to curb significant tanking towards the end of the season. The Board of Governors and the players’ union approved the addition of the Play-In Tournament in June 2020, and it was added as part of the 2020 playoffs in the Orlando bubble.
While no Play-In team has won a championship yet, the Miami Heat reached the 2020 NBA Finals after having to go through the Play-In Tournament to earn their playoff spot. We’ll have to see if any of the Play-In teams from this year can have a similar Cinderella run.
How does it work?
The teams that finish No. 7 and No. 8 face each other, while the No. 9 and No. 10 teams compete against each other. The winner of the 7/8 matchup secures the No. 7 playoff spot in their conference, while the winner of the 9/10 matchup and the loser of the 7/8 game play each other to determine the eighth and final spot in each conference. The loser of the 9/10 game is eliminated, which officially ends their season. The host of each game is the higher-seeded team in the matchup.
