Play‑In sets Friday deciders
Two elimination games were set after Wednesday’s play‑in: the Philadelphia 76ers beat the Orlando Magic 107–104 to lock the East’s No. 7 seed, and the Golden State Warriors rallied past the Los Angeles Clippers 126–121 to stay alive in the West (usatoday.com) (x.com). Philadelphia pulled that win without Joel Embiid, Stephen Curry poured in 38 points with 14 in the fourth, and the schedule now puts Warriors at Suns and Hornets at Magic on April 17 for the final play‑in berths (nba.com) (dknetwork.draftkings.com).
Friday’s National Basketball Association play-in slate is set: Golden State goes to Phoenix in the West, and Charlotte goes to Orlando in the East. (nba.com) The winners on Friday, April 17, take the No. 8 seeds and the last two spots in the 2026 playoffs. The play-in tournament runs April 14-17, and the first round starts April 18. (nba.com) Philadelphia already claimed the East’s No. 7 seed on Wednesday, April 15, by beating Orlando 109-97 at home. Tyrese Maxey scored 31 points, and the 76ers advanced despite Joel Embiid’s absence. (nba.com) (espn.com) That result sent Orlando into one more elimination game, this time against Charlotte for the conference’s final berth. The winner will open the first round against the top-seeded Detroit Pistons on Sunday, April 19. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) Golden State kept its season going later Wednesday with a 126-121 win over the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors closed on a 16-6 run, according to the league’s play-in bracket page. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The Warriors now travel to Phoenix on Friday for the West’s last play-in game. The winner gets the No. 8 seed and opens the playoffs against the Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday, April 19. (nba.com 1) (nba.com 2) The play-in format gives teams that finish seventh through 10th a path into the main bracket. The seventh-place and eighth-place teams get two chances to win one game, while the ninth-place and 10th-place teams must win twice. (nba.com) That structure is why Orlando and Phoenix are still alive after losses, and why the Clippers were eliminated immediately. Charlotte and Golden State, both lower seeds, stayed alive by winning their first elimination games. (nba.com) (nba.com) By late Friday night, the bracket will be full. Boston will host Philadelphia as the East’s 2-versus-7 series, and Oklahoma City will learn whether Phoenix or Golden State is coming next. (nba.com) (nba.com)
