2026 NBA Play-In Tournament: How it works, schedules, results

The NBA regular season has concluded and the league is set to head into the postseason, which begins on Tuesday, April 14 (US time), with four teams from each conference competing in the Play-In Tournament with the seventh and eighth playoff seeds at stake.

Here’s what you need to know about the 2026 edition of the NBA Play-In.

What is the NBA Play-In Tournament and how does it work?

Introduced in its current format in the 2020-21 season, the play-in tournament involves the teams with seventh to 10th best percentages in each conference after the regular season. The four-team playoff determines which two teams enter their conference’s bracket as the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the playoffs.

The first round of play-in games feature the 7th place team and the 8th place team going head-to-head in the 7/8 game and the 9th place team and 10th place team battling it out in the 9/10 game.

The winner of the 7/8 game becomes the No. 7 seed and moves on to play their conference’s No. 2 seed in the playoffs. The loser of the 9/10 game, meanwhile, is eliminated.

The loser of the 7/8 game gets another chance to make the playoffs, playing the winner of the 9/10 game for the No. 8 seed in their conference. They will take on the No. 1 seed in the first round of the playoffs.

Which teams are competing in the 2026 NBA Play-In?

Eastern Conference

7 Philadelphia 76ers (45-37, .549)
8 Orlando Magic (45-37, .549)
9 Charlotte Hornets (44-38, .537)
10 Miami Heat (43-39, .524)

Western Conference

7 Phoenix Suns (45-37, .549)
8 Portland Trail Blazers (42-40, .512)
9 Los Angeles Clippers (42-40, .512)
10 Golden State Warriors (37-45, .451)

Schedule and results (in US time):

Tuesday, April 14

East 9/10 game: Miami Heat vs. Charlotte Hornets (Preview)
West: 7/8 game: Portland Trail Blazers vs Phoenix Suns (Preview)

Wednesday, April 15

East 7/8 game: Orlando Magic vs Philadelphia 76ers
West 9/10 game: Golden State Warriors vs Los Angeles Clippers

Friday, April 17

East 7/8 loser vs. 9/10 winner
West 7/8 loser vs. 9/10 winner

—JMB, GMA News