The 2026 playoffs de la nba began April 14 with a play-in tournament that sent two more teams through and left four others fighting for the last spots. The Miami Heat and Los Angeles Clippers have already been eliminated, while the Philadelphia 76ers and Portland Trail Blazers have secured places in the regular playoff field.
The final elimination games were set for Friday, April 17, with the Orlando Magic facing the Charlotte Hornets in the East at 7:30 p.m. and the Phoenix Suns meeting the Golden State Warriors in the West at 10 p.m. The regular playoffs were set to begin April 18, making Friday the last night before the bracket turns over to the first round.
The play-in tournament was built around the 7th through 10th seeds in each conference, which means the path into the postseason stays tight even for teams that finished near the top of the standings. In the East, the Miami Heat played the Charlotte Hornets and the Orlando Magic faced the Philadelphia 76ers. In the West, the Portland Trail Blazers played the Phoenix Suns and the Golden State Warriors played the Los Angeles Clippers.
All play-in games from April 14-17 were streamed exclusively on Prime Video, a setup that gave the tournament a single home as fans waited for the full playoffs to open. Amazon Prime costs $14.99 per month or $139 per year and includes free delivery on millions of items, access to the ad-supported Prime Video plan, Amazon Music and more; a free 30-day trial was available for viewers who wanted to watch the games.
The schedule now moves quickly. The Conference Semifinals were set to begin May 4, with a possible start as early as May 2 or 3. The Eastern Conference Finals were scheduled to start May 19 on and ABC and could move up to May 17, while the Western Conference Finals were set for May 20 on NBC and Peacock and could move up to May 18.
The postseason then pushes into June, when NBA Finals Game 1 was scheduled for June 3 on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET. Game 2 was set for June 5, Game 3 for June 8, Game 4 for June 10 and Game 5 for June 13 if necessary, all on ABC at 8:30 p.m. ET.
What makes this week matter is not just who survived the play-in, but how quickly the league moves from a streaming-only opening round to the full weight of the playoffs. By the time the first round begins April 18, the teams that held on through the bracket’s narrowest margin will have earned a short rest and very little room for error.
