NBA Regular Season Ends: Play-In Tournament Matchups Set

The 2026 NBA postseason officially begins on April 14, 2026, with the start of the Play-In Tournament. Following the conclusion of the regular season on April 12, 2026, 20 teams remain in contention for the Larry O’Brien trophy, with eight of those teams required to compete in the Play-In Tournament to secure the final two playoff berths in each conference.

The Play-In Tournament serves as a preliminary round where teams seeded eighth through tenth in the Eastern and Western Conferences compete for the seventh and eighth seeds. The tournament is designed to provide additional incentive for teams lower in the standings and to reduce the practice of tanking during the regular season.

Eastern Conference Play-In Schedule

In the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat are the four teams competing for the final spots. The schedule for the East is as follows:

• April 14, 2026: The Charlotte Hornets face the Miami Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET. The loser of this matchup is eliminated from postseason contention.
• April 15, 2026: The Philadelphia 76ers face the Orlando Magic at 7:30 p.m. ET. The winner of this game secures the No. 7 seed in the East.
• April 17, 2026: The winner of the April 14 game and the loser of the April 15 game meet at 7:30 p.m. ET. The winner of this final game earns the No. 8 seed, while the loser is eliminated.

Western Conference Play-In Schedule

The Western Conference Play-In features the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, Los Angeles Clippers, and Golden State Warriors. The schedule for the West is as follows:

• April 14, 2026: The Phoenix Suns face the Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET. The winner of this game secures the No. 7 seed in the West.
• April 15, 2026: The Los Angeles Clippers face the Golden State Warriors at 10 p.m. ET. The loser of this matchup is eliminated from postseason contention.
• April 17, 2026: The loser of the April 14 game and the winner of the April 15 game meet at 10 p.m. ET. The winner of this game earns the No. 8 seed, while the loser is eliminated.

Confirmed First-Round Matchups

While the final two seeds in each conference are still being decided, four of the eight first-round matchups are already locked. The first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs is scheduled to tip off on April 18, 2026.

In the Eastern Conference, the No. 3 New York Knicks will face the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks. The No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers are set to play the No. 5 Toronto Raptors, who clinched the final top-six seed on April 12, 2026.

In the Western Conference, the No. 3 Denver Nuggets will face the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves. The No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers are scheduled to play the No. 5 Houston Rockets.

Top Seeds and Playoff Outlook

The top two seeds in each conference are awaiting the results of the Play-In Tournament to determine their first-round opponents. The NBA does not reseed after the Play-In Tournament.

In the East, the No. 1 Detroit Pistons will face the team that earns the No. 8 seed, and the No. 2 Boston Celtics will play the team that secures the No. 7 seed. In the West, the No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder will face the No. 8 seed, while the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs will play the No. 7 seed. The matchup for the San Antonio Spurs will mark the playoff debut of Victor Wembanyama.

All Play-In Tournament games are being broadcast on Prime Video.