The 2026 NBA playoffs first round begins April 18, following the conclusion of the regular season on Sunday. Game times for opening matchups were announced that night, with four series already set. The Play-In Tournament starts today to finalize the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in each conference.
The postseason bracket features 20 teams after the 2025-26 regular season ended. In the East, the No. 3 New York Knicks face the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks, while the No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers meet the No. 5 Toronto Raptors. Out West, the No. 3 Denver Nuggets take on the No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves, and the No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers play the No. 5 Houston Rockets in a series pitting LeBron James against Kevin Durant for the first time since the 2018 NBA Finals. The top seeds—Detroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the East, Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West—await Play-In outcomes before their Game 1s on Sunday, April 19. The Play-In Tournament runs Tuesday through Friday. On April 14 at 7:30 p.m. ET, the Charlotte Hornets face the Miami Heat, with the loser eliminated; at 10 p.m., the Phoenix Suns play the winner of Portland Trail Blazers or Los Angeles Clippers for the West No. 7 seed. Wednesday features Philadelphia 76ers vs. Orlando Magic for East No. 7 and Trail Blazers/Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors. Friday decides the No. 8 seeds. First-round action starts Saturday, April 18: Cavaliers-Raptors at 1 p.m. ET, Nuggets-Timberwolves at 3:30 p.m., Knicks-Hawks at 6 p.m., and Lakers-Rockets at 8:30 p.m. on ABC. Sunday's games include Celtics vs. West No. 7 at 1 p.m., Thunder vs. West No. 8 at 3:30 p.m., Pistons vs. East No. 8 at 6:30 p.m. on NBC, and Spurs vs. East No. 7 at 9 p.m. on NBC. Further dates will follow.
