Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA regular season on April 13, the play-in tournament will begin, starting on April 15 and ending on April 18, one day before the first round of the playoffs. The tournament determines the final two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference.
NBA Play-In Tournament Format
The play-in tournament expands the NBA’s postseason field to 20 teams — 10 from each conference. The top six teams from each conference automatically qualify for the playoffs, while the 7-seeds through 10-seeds compete in the play-in tournament for a playoff spot.
There will be six total games involving eight teams as part of the play-in tournament — four teams from each conference. Any team that fails to finish with at least the No. 10 seed will be in the NBA draft lottery.
Teams with the seventh- and eighth-highest winning percentages will have two opportunities to win one game to earn a playoff spot. Teams with the ninth- and 10th-highest winning percentages need to win two straight games to advance.
How Does The NBA Play-In Tournament Work
- Game 1s: Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losing teams get another chance in their respective conference’s Game 3.
- Game 2s: Each conference’s No. 9 team will host the No. 10 team, and the winner will move on to Game 3. The losers are eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
- Game 3s: The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups, with the victors securing each conference’s No. 8 seed. The losing teams of Game 3 enter the NBA draft lottery.
In the Eastern Conference, the four play-in teams are set. The Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic are battling it out for the No. 7 seed and the chance to host the first play-in game, while the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are fighting for the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds.
Meanwhile, the Western Conference has been competitive throughout the entire course of the 82-game regular season, meaning seeding will come down to the wire. The Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, and Memphis Grizzlies are all aiming to win out to avoid play-in spots.
NBA Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament Matchups
If the season ended Friday, here’s the projected format of the Eastern Conference play-in tournament:
Seventh-place Orlando Magic vs. eighth-place Atlanta Hawks
- Winner faces No. 2 seed Boston Celtics
- Losing team will play in second round of play-in tournament
Ninth-place Chicago Bulls vs. 10th-place Miami Heat
- Winner plays in second round of play-in tournament
- Loser eliminated
NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament Matchups
If the season ended Friday, here’s the projected format of the Western Conference play-in tournament:
Seventh-place Memphis Grizzlies vs. eighth-place Minnesota Timberwolves
- Winner faces No. 2 seed Houston Rockets
- Losing team will play in second round of play-in tournament
Ninth-place Sacramento Kings vs. 10th-place Dallas Mavericks
- Winner plays in second round of play-in tournament
- Loser eliminated
NBA Play-In Bracket
NBA Teams To Watch
Fans will be watching the Orlando Magic in the Eastern Conference this season, considering the team last season clinched its first playoff berth since the bubble-shortened 2019-20 season and won the Southeast division for the first time since the 2018-19 campaign. The Magic faced the Cleveland Cavaliers in the first round, where they lost in seven games.
Although the Magic picked up their 36th loss of the season last month and failed to improve on their win total from last season, they still clinched a play-in berth following the Detroit Pistons’ 117-105 victory over the Toronto Raptors on April 4. This is Orlando’s fourth season with Jamahl Mosley as head coach.
Heading over to the Western Conference, one team in particular that everyone will be checking out is the Dallas Mavericks. General manager Nico Harrison shocked the NBA community when he traded superstar Luka Doncic to the Los Angeles Lakers for Anthony Davis. It was arguably the most controversial trade in NBA history.
In Davis’ first game with the Mavericks, he suffered an adductor injury in his debut on February 8, causing him to miss extended time. Kyrie Irving also suffered a season-ending ACL tear on March 3, while several other Mavs players were sidelined with injuries.
By March 15, only eight players were considered healthy enough to play, which was the bare minimum amount of players an NBA team is required to have active for games.
On Wednesday, the Mavs became the last Western Conference team to clinch a play-in spot after the Oklahoma City Thunder defeated the Phoenix Suns. It will be interesting to see how the Mavs perform in the postseason without Irving. That’s if they survive the play-in tournament.
