The 2026 NBA Playoff Bracket Is Locked In, and the Play-In Tournament Starts Tonight
All 20 seeds are officially set. The 2025-26 NBA regular season wrapped on Sunday night, and now we know exactly who is dancing and who is going home. The Play-In Tournament tips off Tuesday, and the real playoff action hits the court Saturday. This is it. This is what everyone has been waiting for since October.
The Seeds Are Set Across Both Conferences
The Raptors secured the final top-six seed in the East and locked in a guaranteed playoff berth on Sunday. Out West, the Nuggets clinched the No. 3 seed and closed out the regular season ahead of the Lakers. The Play-In Tournament will run through Friday and determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference, but we already know half of the first-round matchups.
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👉 Claim Your Free $10 at KalshiIn the East, the No. 3 Knicks are set to face the No. 6 Hawks, and the No. 4 Cavaliers will battle the No. 5 Raptors. Out West, the Nuggets take on the Timberwolves in the 3-6 matchup, while the Lakers face the Rockets in the 4-5. The Pistons, Celtics, Thunder, and Spurs are waiting for the Play-In winners.
Play-In Tournament and First-Round Action
The Play-In Tournament starts Tuesday with the Hornets versus Heat at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Suns against the Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET. Wednesday brings the 76ers versus Magic at 7:30 p.m. ET and the Clippers against the Warriors at 10 p.m. ET. Friday's final Play-In games will determine the last two playoff seeds.
Once the dust settles, the first round begins Saturday, April 18. The Cavaliers and Raptors tip off at 1 p.m., followed by the Nuggets and Timberwolves at 3:30 p.m., the Knicks and Hawks at 6 p.m., and the Lakers and Rockets at 8:30 p.m. Sunday features four more first-round games starting at 1 p.m. with the Celtics against the Play-In winner from the East.
The Finals are scheduled to begin June 3, with Game 7 potentially going to June 19. This playoff run is about to be special.
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