2026 NBA Playoffs: Schedule, Scores, News & Highlights

The 2026 NBA postseason opens Saturday, April 18 and stretches into mid-June. The Finals start June 3 and air on ABC.

Play-in tournament

The play-in begins Tuesday, April 14 and ends Friday, April 17. Seeds seven through ten will compete for the final playoff berths.

• Tuesday, April 14 — (10) Miami Heat at (9) Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 p.m. ET.
• Wednesday, April 15 — (8) Orlando Magic at (7) Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET.
• Friday, April 17 — Winner 9/10 at Loser 7/8, 7:30 p.m. ET.

The No.7 vs. No.8 winner secures the No.7 seed. The No.9 vs. No.10 winner advances to a deciding game.

How the play-in works

The No.7 team hosts the No.8 team in Game 1. The winner becomes the No.7 seed.

The No.9 team hosts the No.10 team in Game 2. The loser is eliminated and enters the draft lottery.

Game 3 pits the loser of 7/8 against the winner of 9/10. The victor earns the No.8 seed.

Eastern Conference bracket

The East bracket is set while the West finalizes later Sunday. Matchups pair the Pistons, Celtics, Knicks, and Cavaliers with their opponents.

• 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.

First-round home-court assignments

• Detroit series — Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 in Detroit; Games 3, 4 and 6 at opponent.
• Boston series — Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 in Boston; Games 3, 4 and 6 at opponent.
• New York vs. Atlanta — Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 in New York; Games 3, 4 and 6 in Atlanta.
• Cleveland vs. Toronto — Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 in Cleveland; Games 3, 4 and 6 in Toronto.

Western Conference notes

The Oklahoma City Thunder secured their third straight No.1 seed in the West. The full Western bracket will be announced Sunday night.

Questions remain about potential upsets and a title repeat. The West remains deep and unpredictable.

Series format and seeding rules

All four playoff rounds are best-of-seven series. There is no reseeding after each round.

Home-court goes to the team with the better regular-season record. Series follow a 2-2-1-1-1 pattern.

NBA Finals schedule

The Finals open Wednesday, June 3 with each game at 8:30 p.m. ET. ABC will broadcast every matchup.

• Game 1 — Wednesday, June 3.
• Game 2 — Friday, June 5.
• Game 3 — Monday, June 8.
• Game 4 — Wednesday, June 10.
• Game 5 (if needed) — Saturday, June 13.
• Game 6 (if needed) — Tuesday, June 16.
• Game 7 (if needed) — Friday, June 19.

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