The 2026 NBA playoffs are set to start Saturday, rolling all the way in which till the center of June. It is positive to be an thrilling run towards the NBA Finals, which start June 3 and will probably be broadcast by ABC.
Can the Oklahoma City Thunder, who locked of their third straight 1-seed within the Western Convention, repeat as champions? Which group will emerge from a crowded East discipline? Might there be upsets all through the sector?
However the playoff bracket is not set simply but. The play-in event begins Tuesday, with the Nos. 7 by way of 10 seeds enjoying to find out which groups get to face the Nos. 1 and a pair of seeds in every convention.
After the play-in event concludes Friday, the playoffs start with 4 video games Saturday. Eight groups from every convention attain the primary spherical and face off in a best-of-seven sequence to advance. All 4 rounds of the playoffs are better of seven, and groups should not reseeded after every spherical. The group with the higher regular-season report in every sequence can have home-court benefit for that sequence. All sequence are performed in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the group with the higher report internet hosting Video games 1, 2, 5 and seven.
Here is what we all know concerning the Japanese and Western Convention playoff brackets:
Full NBA playoff bracket
Japanese Convention
1. Detroit Pistons vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. Boston Celtics vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. New York Knicks vs. 6. Atlanta Hawks
4. Cleveland Cavaliers vs. 5. Toronto Raptors
Japanese Convention play-in
7. Philadelphia 76ers vs. 8. Orlando Magic
9. Charlotte Hornets vs. 10. Miami Heat
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Convention
1. Oklahoma City Thunder vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. San Antonio Spurs vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. Denver Nuggets vs. 6. Minnesota Timberwolves
4. Los Angeles Lakers vs. 5. Houston Rockets
Western Convention play-in
7. Phoenix Suns vs. 8. Portland Trail Blazers
9. LA Clippers vs. 10. Golden State Warriors
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Play-in event schedule
Japanese Convention
(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 Convention
(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 7/8 Loser
Friday, 10 p.m. ET
How the video games will work:
Sport 1s: Every convention’s No. 7 group within the standings will host the No. 8 group, with the winner incomes the No. 7 seed within the playoffs. The dropping groups get one other probability of their respective convention’s Sport 3.
Sport 2s: Every convention’s No. 9 group will host the No. 10 group, with the winner shifting on to Sport 3. The losers are eradicated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
Sport 3s: The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups, with the victors grabbing every convention’s No. 8 seed within the postseason. The losers of Sport 3 enter the NBA draft lottery.
Japanese Convention first spherical
Sport 1: at Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 6:30 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at Detroit
Sport 3: at Play-in winner
Sport 4: at Play-in winner
Sport 5 (if essential): at Detroit
Sport 6 (if essential): at Play-in winner
Sport 7 (if essential): at Detroit
Sport 1: at Boston on Sunday, April 19, 1 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at Boston
Sport 3: at Play-in winner
Sport 4: at Play-in winner
Sport 5 (if essential): at Boston
Sport 6 (if essential): at Play-in winner
Sport 7 (if essential): at Boston
Sport 1: at New York on Saturday, 6 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at New York
Sport 3: at Atlanta
Sport 4: at Atlanta
Sport 5 (if essential): at New York
Sport 6 (if essential): at Atlanta
Sport 7 (if essential): at New York
Sport 1: at Cleveland on Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at Cleveland
Sport 3: at Toronto
Sport 4: at Toronto
Sport 5 (if essential): at Cleveland
Sport 6 (if essential): at Toronto
Sport 7 (if essential): at Cleveland
Western Convention first spherical
Sport 1: at Oklahoma Metropolis on Sunday, April 19, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at Oklahoma Metropolis
Sport 3: at Play-in winner
Sport 4: at Play-in winner
Sport 5 (if essential): at Oklahoma Metropolis
Sport 6 (if essential): at Play-in winner
Sport 7 (if essential): at Oklahoma Metropolis
Sport 1: at San Antonio on Sunday, April 19, 9 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at San Antonio
Sport 3: at Play-in winner
Sport 4: at Play-in winner
Sport 5 (if essential): at San Antonio
Sport 6 (if essential): at Play-in winner
Sport 7 (if essential): at San Antonio
Sport 1: at Denver on Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at Denver
Sport 3: at Minnesota
Sport 4: at Minnesota
Sport 5 (if essential): at Denver
Sport 6 (if essential): at Minnesota
Sport 7 (if essential): at Denver
Sport 1: at Los Angeles on Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Sport 2: at Los Angeles
Sport 3: at Houston
Sport 4: at Houston
Sport 5 (if essential): at Los Angeles
Sport 6 (if essential): at Houston
Sport 7 (if essential): at Los Angeles
NBA Finals schedule
The 2026 NBA Finals will start Wednesday, June 3, with every recreation tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET. ABC will broadcast every recreation.
Sport 1: Wednesday, June 3
Sport 2: Friday, June 5
Sport 3: Monday, June 8
Sport 4: Wednesday, June 10
Sport 5 (if essential): Saturday, June 13
Sport 6 (if essential): Tuesday, June 16
Sport 7 (if essential): Friday, June 19
