The first-round field for the NBA Playoffs 2026 is set after the play-in tournament, and the top-two teams in each conference now know who they will face. In the West, Oklahoma City drew Phoenix and San Antonio drew Portland. In the East, Detroit will play Orlando and Boston will meet Philadelphia.
The playoff schedule begins April 18 at 20.00 Moscow time, with Cleveland against Toronto opening the first round. That game starts the race that runs through the rest of the bracket, as the field shifts from qualification to elimination.
For the teams that earned the top-two spots, the draw gives them opponents but no room to ease into the postseason. Oklahoma City gets Phoenix, while San Antonio faces Portland, and both Eastern Conference matchups carry the same first-round pressure for Detroit and Boston. The pairings turn the page from the play-in tournament into a full playoff slate, where every series now has a defined path.
The timing matters because the first-round schedule begins immediately on April 18, and Cleveland and Toronto are first to go. The matchups were determined after the play-in tournament ended, which left the bracket complete and the postseason clock running. What comes next is straightforward: eight teams move into the opening round with no more waiting and no more uncertainty about the bracket.
