2026 NBA Playoffs Schedule: Opening Weekend and Play-In Tournament Game Times

The 2026 NBA postseason begins on April 14, 2026, with the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament, leading into the first round of the NBA Playoffs presented by Google, which officially tips off on April 18, 2026.

The Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, April 14, to Friday, April 17, to determine the final No. 7 and No. 8 seeds for both the Eastern and Western Conferences. All Play-In games will be broadcast exclusively on Prime Video.

Play-In Tournament Schedule

The tournament opens on Tuesday, April 14, 2026. In the Eastern Conference, the Charlotte Hornets (9) face the Miami Heat (10) at 7:30 p.m. ET, with the loser being eliminated from the postseason. In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns (7) play the winner of the Los Angeles Clippers and Portland Trail Blazers matchup at 10 p.m. ET, with the winner securing the West’s No. 7 seed.

On Wednesday, April 15, 2026, the Eastern Conference sees the Philadelphia 76ers (7) take on the Orlando Magic (8) at 7:30 p.m. ET, where the winner earns the East’s No. 7 seed. The Western Conference action continues at 10 p.m. ET as the Los Angeles Clippers or Portland Trail Blazers face the Golden State Warriors (10), with the loser of that game eliminated.

The Play-In Tournament concludes on Friday, April 17, 2026. The losers of the 7/8 matchups will face the winners of the 9/10 matchups to determine the final No. 8 seeds. The Eastern Conference game is scheduled for 7:30 p.m. ET, followed by the Western Conference game at 10 p.m. ET.

First Round Matchups and Key Series

While the top seeds must wait for the Play-In results to determine their opponents, four first-round series have already been confirmed based on the regular season standings.

• In the Eastern Conference, the third-seeded New York Knicks will face the sixth-seeded Atlanta Hawks.
• The fourth-seeded Cleveland Cavaliers are set to play the fifth-seeded Toronto Raptors.
• In the Western Conference, the third-seeded Denver Nuggets will meet the sixth-seeded Minnesota Timberwolves.
• The fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will face the fifth-seeded Houston Rockets.

The series between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets is highlighted by a matchup between LeBron James and Kevin Durant. This marks the first time the two have met in the playoffs since the 2018 NBA Finals, when Durant’s Golden State Warriors defeated James’ Cleveland Cavaliers.

The top seeds in each conference—the Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the East, and the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West—will all host their first-round Game 1s on Sunday, April 19, 2026.

Postseason Context and Team Streaks

The 2026 playoffs feature several significant milestones regarding team consistency. The Boston Celtics have reached the playoffs for the twelfth consecutive season, the longest such streak in NBA history. The Denver Nuggets have now made the postseason for eight consecutive seasons, while the Minnesota Timberwolves have appeared for five straight years.

Other teams continuing their postseason runs include the Oklahoma City Thunder, appearing for the third consecutive season, and the New York Knicks, Los Angeles Lakers, and Cleveland Cavaliers, all making their fourth consecutive appearance. The Detroit Pistons and Houston Rockets have qualified for the second consecutive season.

Several teams return to the playoffs after an absence. The San Antonio Spurs have qualified for the first time since 2019, the Atlanta Hawks for the first time since 2023, and the Toronto Raptors for the first time since 2022.

Notable Absences

The 2026 postseason also sees several prominent teams miss the bracket. The Indiana Pacers, who were the defending Eastern Conference champions from 2025, will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2023.

The Milwaukee Bucks will miss the postseason for the first time since 2016, and the Memphis Grizzlies will miss the playoffs after appearing the previous year. Other teams missing the postseason include the New Orleans Pelicans and Dallas Mavericks for the second consecutive season, and the Brooklyn Nets and Sacramento Kings for the third consecutive season.

The Utah Jazz and Chicago Bulls will miss the playoffs for the fourth consecutive season, while the Washington Wizards have now missed the postseason for five consecutive years.

Following the conclusion of the first round and subsequent playoff rounds, the 2026 NBA Finals will begin with Game 1 scheduled for June 3, 2026.