NBA play‑in set brackets
The NBA play‑in wrapped up April 14 with the Philadelphia 76ers beating the Orlando Magic 109‑97 to lock the East No. 7 seed. (usatoday.com)
Philadelphia is in as the Eastern Conference No. 7 seed after beating Orlando 109-97 on April 15, and the 76ers now open the first round against Boston. (espn.com) Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points for Philadelphia, while V.J. Edgecombe added 19 points and 11 rebounds in a win the 76ers secured without Joel Embiid. (espn.com) The other East play-in game already knocked out Miami, with Charlotte beating the Heat 127-126 in overtime on April 14 to move on. Orlando now faces Charlotte for the final East playoff spot. (espn.com) The play-in is the National Basketball Association’s four-team scramble for the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference. Teams that finish seventh and eighth get two chances to win one game, while the ninth and 10th seeds must survive elimination games. (nba.com) That format turned one regular-season tie into a direct postseason pivot in the East. Philadelphia and Orlando both finished 45-37, but the 76ers won the 7-versus-8 game and avoided the risk of a second do-or-die night. (nba.com) The rest of the Eastern Conference first round is already set: Detroit, at 60-22, waits for the No. 8 seed; New York faces Atlanta in the 3-versus-6 series; and Cleveland meets Toronto in the 4-versus-5 matchup. (nba.com) In the West, Portland grabbed the No. 7 seed by beating Phoenix 114-110, and the Trail Blazers will face San Antonio in the first round. Golden State then beat the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 to stay alive for the last West berth against Phoenix. (espn.com) The full playoffs begin April 18, after the final play-in games on April 17 decide Orlando-versus-Charlotte in the East and Phoenix-versus-Golden State in the West. (nba.com)
