Play‑in schedule condensed
The NBA play‑in is running across Tuesday–Friday with six games total: the No.7 vs No.8 game awards the No.7 seed, while the No.9 vs No.10 game is an elimination game and the remaining matchup decides the No.8 seed. (sportingnews.com) (cbssports.com)
The National Basketball Association’s play-in round is packed into four nights, from Tuesday, April 14, through Friday, April 17, before the playoffs open Saturday, April 18. (nba.com) The format covers teams that finished seventh through 10th in each conference, and it fills only the last two playoff spots: the No. 7 seed and the No. 8 seed in the East and West. (nba.com) The first two games in each conference split the bracket in different ways. The No. 7 team hosts the No. 8 team for the No. 7 seed, while the No. 9 team hosts the No. 10 team in a loser-goes-home game. (nba.com) That setup gives the seventh- and eighth-place teams two chances to qualify, while the ninth- and 10th-place teams must win twice to reach the main bracket. The final game in each conference matches the loser of the 7-versus-8 game against the winner of the 9-versus-10 game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) This year’s schedule started Tuesday, April 14, with the Eastern Conference 9-versus-10 game and the Western Conference 7-versus-8 game. Wednesday, April 15, carries the Eastern Conference 7-versus-8 game and the Western Conference 9-versus-10 game. (sportingnews.com) The two final play-in games are set for Friday, April 17, one in each conference, after Thursday is left open. The first round of the playoffs begins the next day, leaving no extra week between the play-in and the full 16-team bracket. (cbssports.com) The compressed calendar means six total play-in games decide four postseason berths in 72 hours of game days. The league’s official schedule says all 2026 play-in games are carried exclusively on Prime Video. (nba.com) Results were already moving the bracket by late Tuesday. Charlotte beat Miami 127-126 in overtime in the East 9-versus-10 game, eliminating the Heat, and Portland beat Phoenix 114-110 in the West 7-versus-8 game to claim the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed. (nba.com) That leaves Wednesday and Friday to settle the remaining spots. By the end of Friday night, each conference will have its full eight-team playoff field set for the series that start on Saturday, April 18. (nba.com)
