The are set to begin Saturday, rolling all the way until the middle of June. It’s sure to be an exciting run toward the NBA Finals, which begin June 3 and will be broadcast by ABC.
Can the , who locked in their third straight 1-seed in the Western Conference, repeat as champions? Which team will emerge from a crowded East field? Could there be upsets throughout the field?
But the playoff bracket isn’t set just yet. The play-in tournament begins Tuesday, with the Nos. 7 through 10 seeds playing to determine which teams get to face the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds in each conference.
After the play-in tournament concludes Friday, the playoffs begin with four games Saturday. Eight teams from each conference reach the first round and face off in a best-of-seven series to advance. All four rounds of the playoffs are best of seven, and teams are not reseeded after each round. The team with the better regular-season record in each series will have home-court advantage for that series. All series are played in a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team with the better record hosting Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.
Here’s what we know about the Eastern and Western Conference playoff brackets:
Eastern Conference
1. vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. vs. 6.
4. vs. 5.
Eastern Conference play-in
7. vs. 8.
9. vs. 10.
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Western Conference
1. vs. 8. Play-in winner TBD
2. vs. 7. Play-in winner TBD
3. vs. 6.
4. vs. 5.
Western Conference play-in
7. vs. 8.
9. vs. 10.
Loser 7/8 vs. Winner 9/10
Eastern Conference
(8) at (7)
Wednesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
(10) at (9)
Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Winner 9/10 at Loser 7/8
Friday, 7:30 p.m. ET
Western Conference
(8) at (7)
Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET
(10) at (9)
Wednesday, 10 p.m. ET
Winner 9/10 at 7/8 Loser
Friday, 10 p.m. ET
How the games will work:
Game 1s: Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losing teams get another chance in their respective conference’s Game 3.
Game 2s: Each conference’s No. 9 team will host the No. 10 team, with the winner moving on to Game 3. The losers are eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
Game 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 each conference’s No. 8 seed in the postseason. The losers of Game 3 enter the NBA draft lottery.
Game 1: at Detroit on Sunday, April 19, 6:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: at Detroit
Game 3: at Play-in winner
Game 4: at Play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): at Detroit
Game 6 (if necessary): at Play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): at Detroit
Game 1: at Boston on Sunday, April 19, 1 p.m. ET
Game 2: at Boston
Game 3: at Play-in winner
Game 4: at Play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): at Boston
Game 6 (if necessary): at Play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): at Boston
Game 1: at New York on Saturday, 6 p.m. ET
Game 2: at New York
Game 3: at Atlanta
Game 4: at Atlanta
Game 5 (if necessary): at New York
Game 6 (if necessary): at Atlanta
Game 7 (if necessary): at New York
Game 1: at Cleveland on Saturday, 1 p.m. ET
Game 2: at Cleveland
Game 3: at Toronto
Game 4: at Toronto
Game 5 (if necessary): at Cleveland
Game 6 (if necessary): at Toronto
Game 7 (if necessary): at Cleveland
Game 1: at Oklahoma City on Sunday, April 19, 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: at Oklahoma City
Game 3: at Play-in winner
Game 4: at Play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): at Oklahoma City
Game 6 (if necessary): at Play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): at Oklahoma City
Game 1: at San Antonio on Sunday, April 19, 9 p.m. ET
Game 2: at San Antonio
Game 3: at Play-in winner
Game 4: at Play-in winner
Game 5 (if necessary): at San Antonio
Game 6 (if necessary): at Play-in winner
Game 7 (if necessary): at San Antonio
Game 1: at Denver on Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: at Denver
Game 3: at Minnesota
Game 4: at Minnesota
Game 5 (if necessary): at Denver
Game 6 (if necessary): at Minnesota
Game 7 (if necessary): at Denver
Game 1: at Los Angeles on Saturday, 8:30 p.m. ET
Game 2: at Los Angeles
Game 3: at Houston
Game 4: at Houston
Game 5 (if necessary): at Los Angeles
Game 6 (if necessary): at Houston
Game 7 (if necessary): at Los Angeles
The 2026 NBA Finals will begin Wednesday, June 3, with each game tipping off at 8:30 p.m. ET. ABC will broadcast each game.
Game 1: Wednesday, June 3
Game 2: Friday, June 5
Game 3: Monday, June 8
Game 4: Wednesday, June 10
Game 5 (if necessary): Saturday, June 13
Game 6 (if necessary): Tuesday, June 16
Game 7 (if necessary): Friday, June 19
