Play‑In kicks off Tuesday

The National Basketball Association’s Play-In Tournament opens Tuesday, April 14, with eight teams chasing the last four spots in the postseason. (nba.com) The field is set around the 7-through-10 finishers in each conference: Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers in the East 7-8 game, Charlotte Hornets and Miami Heat in the East 9-10 game, Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers in the West 7-8 game, and Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors in the West 9-10 game. (nba.com) The schedule runs April 14-17. Tuesday’s games are Hornets-Heat at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and Suns-Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. Eastern; Wednesday’s games are 76ers-Magic at 7:30 p.m. Eastern and Clippers-Warriors at 10 p.m. Eastern; the two final play-in games are Friday at 7:30 p.m. and 10 p.m. Eastern. (nba.com) The format gives the No. 7 and No. 8 teams two chances to qualify. The winner of each 7-8 game claims the No. 7 seed, while the loser hosts the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed; the 9-10 loser is out immediately. (nba.com) That means four teams will survive this week and four teams will see their seasons end before the first round starts Saturday, April 18. The National Basketball Association says the playoff bracket is finalized Monday, April 13, at 3 p.m. Eastern. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The play-in has become the league’s bridge between the 82-game regular season and the 16-team bracket. Teams that finish 1 through 6 avoid it entirely, while teams that land 7 through 10 have to win their way in over a four-day sprint. (nba.com) This year’s standings show how narrow that margin can be. Phoenix finished 44-37 and Portland 41-40 in the West’s 7-8 slots, while Orlando finished 45-36 and Philadelphia 44-37 in the East; Charlotte and Miami landed ninth and 10th in the East, and the Clippers and Warriors took those spots in the West. (nba.com) The first-round matchups already locked in include New York Knicks against Atlanta Hawks and Cleveland Cavaliers against Toronto Raptors in the East, plus Minnesota Timberwolves against the West’s No. 3 seed and Houston Rockets against the West’s No. 4 seed, with the play-in winners filling the remaining openings. (nba.com) Every play-in game will stream exclusively on Prime Video, according to the league’s schedule page and play-in guide. By Friday night, the bracket will be complete and the playoffs will move on to best-of-seven series. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2)