The 2026 NBA postseason officially tips off Saturday, closing a play-in round that starts Tuesday and runs through Friday. The playoffs will stretch into mid-June, with the NBA Finals set to begin Wednesday, June 3 on ABC.
Key seeds
Oklahoma City secured the Western Conference’s No. 1 seed for the third consecutive season, while Detroit finished atop the Eastern Conference. San Antonio, Denver and the Los Angeles Lakers round out the West’s top four, and Boston, New York and Cleveland hold the next three positions in the East.
Play-in matchups
Eastern Conference
- (8) Orlando Magic at (7) Philadelphia 76ers – Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- (10) Miami Heat at (9) Charlotte Hornets – Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
- Winner 9/10 at Loser 7/8 – Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Western Conference
- (8) Portland Trail Blazers at (7) Phoenix Suns – Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET
- (10) Golden State Warriors at (9) LA Clippers – Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET
- Winner 9/10 at Loser 7/8 – Friday, 10 p.m. ET
The No. 7 vs. No. 8 winners claim the seventh seeds, while the third play-in games determine each conference’s eighth seed. Losers of the second and third play-in contests enter the draft lottery.
First-round pairings
Eastern Conference
- (1) Detroit Pistons vs. Play-in winner – Game 1 in Detroit, Sunday, April 19, 6:30 p.m. ET
- (2) Boston Celtics vs. Play-in winner – Game 1 in Boston, Sunday, April 19, 1 p.m. ET
- (3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks – Game 1 in New York, Saturday, 6 p.m. ET
- (4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors – Game 1 in Cleveland, Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Western Conference
- (1) Oklahoma City Thunder vs. Play-in winner – Game 1 in Oklahoma City, Sunday, April 19, 3:30 p.m. ET
- (2) San Antonio Spurs vs. Play-in winner – Game 1 in San Antonio, Sunday, April 19, 9 p.m. ET
- (3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves – Game 1 in Denver, Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
- (4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets – Game 1 in Los Angeles, Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET
All series follow a best-of-seven, 2-2-1-1-1 format. Teams are not reseeded, and home-court advantage belongs to the club with the superior regular-season record.
NBA Finals schedule
- Game 1 – Wednesday, June 3
- Game 2 – Friday, June 5
- Game 3 – Monday, June 8
- Game 4 – Wednesday, June 10
- Game 5* – Saturday, June 13
- Game 6* – Tuesday, June 16
- Game 7* – Friday, June 19
*If necessary
The postseason concludes once a champion is crowned no later than Friday, June 19.
Source: ESPN
