How Does The NBA Play-In Tournament Work? Rules, Bracket, Schedule Explained

The NBA Play-In Tournament is a mini-tournament between the No. 6-10 seeds in each conference to decide the last two playoff spots in each conference.

The tournament started in 2020 in the NBA bubble during COVID-19. While the initial format was slightly different, it changed to its current format during the 2020-21 season.

The NBA Play-In Tournament format is the same for both conferences. The No. 7 seed hosts the No. 8 seed in a game where the winner advances to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed while the loser hosts the winner of the game between the No. 9 and 10 seeds. The winner of that game makes the playoffs as a No. 8 seed.

The games are separate from the NBA regular season and playoffs, as they do not count for either.

The NBA Play-In Tournament typically takes place in mid-April following the conclusion of the regular season and before the first round of the playoffs.

The NBA Play-In Tournament 2025 will take place from April 15 to 18, 2025. It starts two days after the regular season ends and ends one day before the playoffs officially start.

The tournament consists of three NBA Play-In games in each conference (six total), all of which are hosted by the higher seed.

While NBA Play-In Tournament odds aren’t available yet, they’ll be announced once the regular season ends.

The NBA Play-In Tournament has six total games with three NBA Play-In games in each conference.

The NBA-Play In Tournament bracket is as follows:

• Each conference’s No. 9 seed hosts the No. 10 seed for one game. The winners advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament and the losers are eliminated.
• Each conference’s No. 7 seed hosts the No. 8 seed for one game. The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs, while the losers play the winners of the 9/10 matchups.
• The losers of the 7/8 matchups host the winners of the 9/10 matchups. The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and the losing teams are eliminated.

No, the Play-In Tournament is a standalone event separate from the NBA regular season and postseason. As such, the results don’t count toward team records or individual player stats.

Part of the reason is that the NBA Play-In Tournament has a totally different format from the NBA Playoffs. While the NBA postseason is comprised entirely of best-of-seven series, the NBA Play-In Tournament is much shorter.

The NBA Play-In Tournament is formatted as follows:

NBA Play-In Tournament Seeding

The seeding for the tournament is based on each team’s final place in the conference standings when the regular season ends. The No. 7 seed in a conference is the highest seed in the Play-In Tournament, followed by seeds 8-10.

Playoff seeding can change as a result of the tournament. For example, if the No. 8 seed beats the No. 7 seed, the No. 8 seed enters the playoffs as the No. 7 seed.

All Play-In Tournament games are hosted by the higher seed.

The 2024 play in tournament bracket-
Wish us luck! #nba #basketball pic.twitter.com/aeNqHswAA2

— golden state warriors (@thewarriors_9) April 21, 2024

Prior to the introduction of the Play-In Tournament, the top eight seeds in each conference simply went straight to the playoffs.

The NBA Play-In Tournament rules are as follows:

Game 1s

The first games of the Play-In Tournament are between the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference. These games are always hosted by the No. 7 seeds.

The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed in each conference, while the losers must face the Game 2 winners in Game 3 (see below).

Game 2s

The second games of the Play-In Tournament are between the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds in each conference. These games are always hosted by the No. 9 seeds.

The winners earn matchups with the Game 1 losers in Game 3, while the Game 2 losers are eliminated.

Game 3s

The third games of the Play-In Tournament are between the losers of Game 1 and the winners of Game 2. The higher seed always hosts.

The winners of these games advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed in each conference, while the losers are eliminated.

No, a Play-In team has never won the NBA Finals.

The closest a team came was in 2023 when the Miami Heat advanced to the Finals, where they lost 4-1 to the Denver Nuggets. Along with being the first (and only) Play-In team to make the Finals, they were the first team in NBA Play-In Tournament history to win a playoff series.

That’s not surprising, as Play-In teams enter the playoffs as the No. 7 or No. 8 seeds, which means they immediately face the No. 1 or No. 2 seeds in the first round. Upsets are rare in the NBA postseason, so Play-In teams rarely survive the first round, especially since they start on the road with a rest disadvantage.

The road for Play-In teams is longer and tougher, as they must win more games and beat more teams to win a championship.

The NBA Playoffs format has remained the same since the Play-In Tournament began. The postseason typically starts in mid-April and extends into June, as the NBA Finals don’t start until early June.

The 2025 NBA Playoffs start on April 19 and conclude with the NBA Finals, which begin on June 5.

The NBA has a near-constant stream of games throughout the regular season, Play-In Tournament and postseason. You can bet on NBA games at all of our favorite betting sites.

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