NBA Play-In Tournament Format and Current Standings as Regular Season Ends

The 2025-26 NBA regular season enters its final week, with teams in both conferences competing for playoff seeding. The Play-In Tournament, starting Tuesday, April 14, 2026, will involve the No. 7 through No.

10 seeds in each conference to secure the final two playoff positions per conference. The top six seeds in each conference receive automatic playoff berths. In the Western Conference, the Oklahoma City Thunder, the defending champions, occupy the No.

1 position and are positioned to secure that seed for the third consecutive season. The San Antonio Spurs hold the No. 2 spot. With three games left, outcomes could affect first-round matchups and Play-In participation.

The Eastern Conference standings show the Detroit Pistons having clinched the No. 1 seed, with the Boston Celtics currently at No. 2. Remaining games may alter other conference seedings. The Play-In Tournament concludes on Friday, April 17, 2026, with all games streaming on Prime Video.

The tournament format requires the No.

7 seed to face the No. 8 seed in each conference, with the winner advancing directly to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed. The No. 9 seed plays the No. 10 seed, and the loser of the 7-8 game faces the winner of the 9-10 game for the No.

8 seed. This process determines the final two playoff teams per conference. The full NBA Playoffs begin on Saturday, April 18, 2026, featuring 16 teams in best-of-seven series. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is scheduled for Wednesday, June 3, 2026, on ABC.

The tournament affects teams' postseason paths and fan engagement in the closing regular season stages.

on standings after games on Tuesday, April 7, 2026, the Western Conference Play-In games are Phoenix Suns (No.

7) versus LA Clippers (No. 8), and Portland Trail Blazers (No. 9) versus Golden State Warriors (No. 10). In the Eastern Conference, the matchups are Philadelphia 76ers (No. 7) versus Orlando Magic (No.

8), and Charlotte Hornets (No. 9) versus Miami Heat (No. 10). These pairings reflect the situation if the season ended on that date, though final results depend on remaining contests. The Play-In outcomes will influence playoff brackets, potentially affecting higher-seeded teams' opponents.

Teams eliminated from the Play-In end their season, while participants gain opportunities for extended play. The process highlights the competitiveness of the league's postseason qualification.