NBA Play-In Tournament Opens Wednesday With Magic-76ers, Clippers-Warriors Showdowns
nba-play-in-tournament-wednesday-matchups-2026
The NBA’s 2026 play-in tournament resumes tonight, April 15, with two win-or-survive games that will shape the final playoff brackets in both conferences.
East: Magic vs. 76ers
The first tip-off features the Orlando Magic and the Philadelphia 76ers, each finishing the regular season 45-37. Philadelphia took the regular-season series, but the teams have not met since January.
The winner will move on to face the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics. The loser gets a second chance Friday against the Charlotte Hornets, who edged the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime Tuesday to stay alive for the eighth seed.
Orlando arrives after winning five straight before dropping its finale in Boston, where the Celtics rested several starters. Philadelphia closed its schedule with back-to-back victories following a three-game skid.
West: Clippers vs. Warriors
The nightcap pairs the LA Clippers and the Golden State Warriors, matching former Finals MVPs Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry in the first play-in meeting of former winners of that award, according to ESPN Research.
Leonard recorded career bests this season with 27.9 points, 6.4 rebounds and 1.9 steals per game. Curry, limited to 43 games by a knee injury—his fewest since 2019-20—averaged 26.6 points. The Clippers won the season series 3-1.
The winner advances to Friday’s matchup with the Phoenix Suns for the West’s final playoff spot. Portland’s 114-110 victory over Phoenix on Tuesday sent the Trail Blazers to a first-round date with the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs.
Both contests will determine which clubs stay on course for postseason berths and which face immediate elimination later in the week.
Source: ESPN
