2026 NBA playoffs schedule: Game times, key dates as bracket gets finalized

The 2026 NBA playoffs kick off on April 18, and some first-round matchups will be determined on Sunday

By Brad Botkin

Apr 12, 2026 at 2:34 pm ET • 1 min read

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The 2025-26 NBA regular season draws to a close on Sunday with every team in action one last time. Here is a look at where everything stands and all the seeding scenarios still at stake. At the conclusion of Sunday's games, we will know two of the four first-round series matchups in each conference (3 vs. 6 and 4 vs. 5), as well as the first four play-in games.

In the West, six of the 10 postseason seeds are set: the Thunder and Spurs will be Nos. 1 and 2. The Rockets are the fifth seed, the Wolves are the sixth seed, and the Suns (No. 7) and Warriors (No. 10) are on opposite ends of the Play-In Tournament.

In the East, Charlotte and Miami are locked into the 9-10 game, but can flip positions. The No. 5-10 seeds all will be sorted on Sunday, and the Raptors, Magic and 76ers are fighting for the final top-six playoff spot.

Below is a look at what we know about the postseason schedule so far, with play-in games set to begin on Tuesday. The Play-In Tournament runs through Friday, with the playoffs beginning on Saturday.

This post will be updated as dates and times are revealed.

Play-In Tournament schedule

Tuesday, April 14

East No. 7 vs. East No. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime -- Winner gets East No. 7 seed
Suns vs. Trail Blazers/Clippers, 10 p.m. ET, Prime -- Winner gets West No. 7 seed

Wednesday, April 15

Hornets vs. Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime -- Loser is eliminated from postseason
Trail Blazers/Clippers vs. Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime -- Loser is eliminated from postseason

Friday, April 17

TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime -- Winner gets East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
TBD vs. TBD, 10 p.m. ET, Prime -- Winner gets West No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason