2026 NBA Play-In Tournament: Schedule, how does it work, which teams are in, how to watch

2026 NBA Play-In Tournament: Schedule, how does it work, which teams are in, how to watch

Looking back, it seems wild to think how hard a sell the Play-In Tournament was just six years ago. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver spent a lot of political capital to make it happen, and there were plenty of skeptics.

It's hard to imagine the NBA without it now — the win-or-go-home drama is built into the postseason. Here is everything you need to know about the 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament.

What is the Play-In?

This was one of the NBA's first attempts to stop (or reduce) tanking, and it has been one of the more effective. NBA Commissioner Adam Silver pushed for it and it has been one of his bigger successes as commissioner — it gave more teams something to play, more fan bases something to root for, and along the way created some drama.

The No. 7 and 8 seeds no longer automatically make the playoffs, and seeds No. 9 and 10 can earn their way in. In addition, one of the benefits of the play-in is it created an incentive to win enough games to be a top-six seed and avoid the play-in. There is a genuine push by teams to avoid the potential pitfalls of the play-in.

There are some big names in the play-in this year, including former MVPs Stephen Curry and Joel Embiid.

How does the play-in work?

It's become familiar and is pretty simple to follow, with four teams in each conference competing for two playoff spots.

• Regular season seeds No. 7 and 8 play a single game, with the winner going straight to the playoffs as the No. 7 seed (to face the No. 2 seed).

• Regular season seeds Nos. 9 and 10 play a single-elimination game, from which the loser is out and goes home.

• The winner of the 9/10 game and the loser of the 7/8 game play a single elimination game to advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seed (to face the No. 1 seed). The loser of this final play-in game is done for the season.

Eastern Conference play-in schedule, where to watch

Tuesday, April 14

• 9/10 game: Miami Heat at Charlotte Hornets (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Wednesday, April 15

• 7/8 Game: Orlando Magic at Philadelphia 76ers (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Friday, April 17

• 9/10 winner at 7/8 loser (7:30 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Western Conference play-in schedule, where to watch

Tuesday, April 14

• 7/8 Game: Portland Trail Blazers at Phoenix Suns (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Wednesday, April 15

• 9/10 game: Golden State Warriors at LA Clippers (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Friday, April 17

• 9/10 winner at 7/8 loser (10 p.m. ET, Prime Video)

Has any team reached the NBA Finals out of the play-in?

Yes, but just once. In 2023, the Miami Heat were the No. 7 seed, lost the first play-in game to Atlanta, and then had to come from behind in the final play-in game to beat Chicago and advance as the No. 8 seed. Once in the playoffs, Miami beat Milwaukee, New York, and Boston to advance to the NBA Finals.