Play‑In starts tonight
The NBA Play‑In Tournament begins tonight, April 14, with the first matchups already set and the postseason bracket finalized. ( ) Networks and outlets have updated schedules and the Play‑In will decide the final playoff slots ahead of the first-round series. (cbssports.com)
The National Basketball Association Play-In Tournament opens Tuesday, April 14, with four teams in each conference chasing the last two playoff spots. (nba.com) The format is the same as in recent seasons: the No. 7 seed plays the No. 8 seed for the conference’s seventh playoff berth, and the No. 9 seed plays the No. 10 seed in an elimination game. The loser of the 7-versus-8 game then faces the winner of the 9-versus-10 game for the No. 8 seed on Friday, April 17. (nba.com) In the Eastern Conference, the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic finished 45-37 and meet in the 7-versus-8 game, while the Charlotte Hornets at 44-38 host the Miami Heat at 43-39 in the 9-versus-10 game. (nba.com) In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns at 45-37 face the Portland Trail Blazers at 42-40 in the 7-versus-8 game, and the Los Angeles Clippers at 42-40 play the Golden State Warriors at 37-45 in the 9-versus-10 game. (nba.com) Tuesday’s schedule starts with Miami at Charlotte at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time, followed by Portland at Phoenix at 10 p.m. Eastern time. Wednesday’s games are Orlando at Philadelphia at 7:30 p.m. Eastern time and Golden State at Los Angeles at 10 p.m. Eastern time. (espn.com) The first-round bracket is already partly locked. In the East, Detroit drew the No. 8 seed winner, Boston gets the No. 7 seed winner, New York faces Atlanta, and Cleveland faces Toronto. In the West, Oklahoma City gets the No. 8 seed winner, San Antonio gets the No. 7 seed winner, Denver faces Minnesota, and the Los Angeles Lakers draw Houston. (nba.com) The play-in exists to keep more teams alive at the end of the regular season. Instead of stopping at the top six in each conference, the league gives teams that finish seventh through 10th one more path into the postseason. (nba.com) The timing is tight. The play-in ends Friday, April 17, and the standard seven-game first round begins the next day, Saturday, April 18. (nba.com) By the end of Friday night, the 16-team playoff field will be complete, and the bracket that starts tonight will be the one that carries into the National Basketball Association Finals in June. (nba.com)
