NBA Play‑In snapshot
The NBA Play‑In Tournament will feature teams that finished 7th through 10th in each conference, with the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game deciding the seventh seed and the loser getting one more chance against the winner of No. 9 vs. No. 10 for the eighth seed. (sports.yahoo.com) Notable clubs still needing to earn spots include Miami, Philadelphia and Golden State, and the league locked regular‑season seeding—Denver took No. 3 and the Lakers No. 4 in the West—while the Bucks’ coach Doc Rivers announced he will step down after a 32–50 season. ( )
The National Basketball Association’s play-in field is set, and Miami, Philadelphia and Golden State still need wins this week to reach the 2026 playoffs. (nba.com) The play-in tournament runs from Tuesday, April 14, through Friday, April 17, and the first round of the playoffs starts Saturday, April 18. The National Basketball Association’s official bracket lists Philadelphia 76ers-Orlando Magic and Charlotte Hornets-Miami Heat in the East, with Phoenix Suns-Portland Trail Blazers and Los Angeles Clippers-Golden State Warriors in the West. (nba.com) The format gives the No. 7 and No. 8 teams two chances to qualify. The winner of each 7-versus-8 game takes the conference’s seventh seed, and the loser plays the winner of the 9-versus-10 game for the eighth seed. (nba.com) Sunday’s final regular-season slate locked the top six seeds in both conferences and pushed the remaining four teams in each conference into the play-in. The official playoff bracket now has Detroit, Boston, New York, Cleveland, Toronto and Atlanta already through in the East, and Oklahoma City, San Antonio, Denver, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston and Minnesota already through in the West. (nba.com) That left Philadelphia at No. 7 and Orlando at No. 8 in the East, with Charlotte at No. 9 and Miami at No. 10. In the West, Phoenix finished No. 7, Portland No. 8, the Clippers No. 9 and Golden State No. 10. (nba.com) Denver’s finish at No. 3 set a first-round series with No. 6 Minnesota, while the No. 4 Lakers drew No. 5 Houston. The top two Western Conference seeds belong to Oklahoma City and San Antonio. (nba.com) The East’s fixed first-round matchups are No. 3 New York against No. 6 Atlanta and No. 4 Cleveland against No. 5 Toronto, while No. 1 Detroit and No. 2 Boston wait on play-in winners. The West’s No. 1 Thunder and No. 2 Spurs are also waiting for the two surviving play-in teams. (espn.com) Milwaukee will not be part of the postseason after finishing 32-50, and ESPN reported Sunday that Doc Rivers is departing as Bucks coach. ESPN also reported that Rivers and the franchise are discussing whether he could move into an advisory role. (espn.com) The schedule now turns quickly: the play-in games begin Tuesday, April 14, and by Friday night the final two seeds in each conference will be decided. By Saturday, April 18, the full 16-team playoff bracket will be on the floor. (nba.com)
