NBA Play-In Tournament Schedule-How It Works

Four teams from each conference will battle it out for the NBA‘s final postseason slots in the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament, which begins on Tuesday evening.

The Play-In Tournament will feature six total games (three for each conference). Here’s how the bracket works:

The No. 9 and No. 10 seed teams from each conference will face off in a win-or-go-home matchup. The winner of that No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchup will move on to face off against the loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 seed matchup.

The winner of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 seed matchup secures the No. 7 seed for the NBA playoffs. The winner of the losers’ bracket matchup claims the final No. 8 seed.

The No. 9 seed Charlotte Hornets will host the No. 10 seed Miami Heat in the first game of the NBA Play-In Tournament at 7:30 p.m. ET on Tuesday. The loser will be eliminated, and the winner will move on to face off against the loser of the No. 7 seed Philadelphia 76ers vs. the No. 8 seed Orlando Magic - who will play at 7:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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Following the Hornets-Heat matchup, the No. 7 seed Phoenix Suns will host the No. 8 seed Portland Trail Blazers at 10 p.m. ET. The winner will secure the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference and the loser will fall back to play against the winner of the No. 9 seed Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 10 seed Golden State Warriors - who will tip-off at 10 p.m. ET on Wednesday.

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Whoever lands the No. 7 seed in the Western Conference gets a first-round matchup against Victor Wembanyama and the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs. The No. 8 seed will match up against Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the reigning-champion Oklahoma City Thunder.

The No. 7 seed in the Eastern Conference will play the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in Round 1. The No. 8 seed will match up against the No. 1 seed Detroit Pistons.

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This story was originally published April 14, 2026 at 12:54 PM.