Wednesday
The winners of the 7-8 games (the Trail Blazers and 76ers) advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seeds; the losers (Suns and Magic) will play again on Friday.
The winners of the 9-10 games (Hornets and Warriors) will play again Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seeds; the losers will be eliminated.
Friday
- (9) Hornets vs. (8) Magic, 7:30 p.m. ET
- (10) Warriors vs. (7) Suns, 10 p.m. ET
The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seeds; the losers will be eliminated.
- Raptors vs. Cavaliers: Is Cleveland in danger of an early exit? Series keys, schedule and prediction
- Chris Paul dances on Clippers’ grave with meme after former team’s play-in collapse vs. Warriors
- NBA ref Ben Taylor exits Warriors-Clippers play-in game with apparent injury
How the play-in tournament works
The current format of the play-in tournament was introduced during the 2020-21 season. Teams that finish 7 through 10 in the standings will participate in a two-round tournament for a shot at the playoffs as the seventh and eighth seeds.
From the NBA:
Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losers will get another chance to earn a playoff spot.
Each conference’s No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winners will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The losers are eliminated.
The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups. The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs for its conference. The losing teams are eliminated.
The 2026 NBA Playoffs begin April 18.
