Although the NBA Play-In Tournament has been a fixture for several seasons, the rules and format may still be confusing to some fans.
The play-in, essentially, is like the playoffs before the playoffs, the NBA’s version of the First Four in the NCAA Tournament.
In an attempt to expand the field of teams eligible for the NBA playoffs, the Play-In Tournament was launched before the 2021 postseason and has injected some competition and excitement to the bottom quarter of the respective brackets in the Eastern and Western conferences.
Here’s everything you need to know about the NBA Play-In Tournament:
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The tournament involves the teams ranked seventh through 10th in each conference. The games will determine the seventh and eighth seeds, the final two playoff teams in each conference bracket.
Any stats recorded during play-in games do not count toward a player or team’s regular season or postseason records. In simplest terms, the Play-In Tournament is considered a separate event in between the regular season and playoffs.
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
The tournament is divided into two rounds:
Round 1
Game 1: No. 7 seed vs. No. 8 seed
Game 2: No. 9 seed vs. No. 10 seed
The No. 7 and No. 9 seeds play at home in the first round. The winner of Game 1 secures the No. 7 seed in their respective conference playoff bracket. The loser of Game 1 continues to the second round and hosts the winner of Game 2. The loser of Game 2 is eliminated from playoff contention.
Round 2
Game 1 loser vs. Game 2 winner
The winner of this game secures the No. 8 and final seed in the playoffs. The loser is eliminated from playoff contention.
2025 NBA Play-In Tournament schedule
The tournament runs from Tuesday, April 15 through Friday, April 18. Round 1 games are scheduled on April 15 and 16 with Round 2 games in each conference set for April 18. The NBA playoffs begin a day later.
Final 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament bracket
With all regular season games completed, the NBA standings are final, meaning the bracket of the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament is officially set:
Eastern Conference
No. 7 Orlando Magic (41-41) vs. No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (40-42)
No. 9 Chicago Bulls (39-43) vs. No. 10 Miami Heat (37-45)
Western Conference
No. 7 Golden State Warriors (48-34) vs. No. 8 Memphis Grizzlies (48-34)
No. 9 Sacramento Kings (40-42) vs. No. 10 Dallas Mavericks (39-43)
NBA Play-In Tournament history
2021
Western Conference
Round 1:
No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers 103, No. 8 Golden State Warriors 100
No. 9 Memphis Grizzlies 100, No. 10 San Antonio Spurs 96
Round 2:
No. 9 Memphis Grizzlies 117, No. 8 Golden State Warriors 112 (OT)
Los Angeles and Memphis advanced.
Eastern Conference
Round 1:
No. 7 Boston Celtics 118, No. 8 Washington Wizards 100
No. 9 Indiana Pacers 144, No. 10 Charlotte Hornets 117
Round 2:
No. 8 Washington Wizards 142, No. 9 Indiana Pacers 115
Boston and Washington advanced.
2022
Western Conference
Round 1:
No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves 109, No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers 104
No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans 113, No. 10 San Antonio Spurs 103
Round 2:
No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans 105, No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers 101
Minnesota and New Orleans advanced.
2023
Eastern Conference
Round 1:
No. 7 Brooklyn Nets 115, No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers 108
No. 9 Atlanta Hawks 132, No. 10 Charlotte Hornets 103
Round 2:
No. 9 Atlanta Hawks 107, Cleveland Cavaliers 101
Brooklyn and Atlanta advanced.
2024
Western Conference
Round 1:
No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers 108, No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves 102 (OT)
No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder 123, No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans 118
Round 2:
No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves 120, No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder 95
Los Angeles and Minnesota advanced.
Eastern Conference
Round 1:
No. 8 Atlanta Hawks 116, No. 7 Miami Heat 105
No. 10 Chicago Bulls 109, No. 9 Toronto Raptors 105
Round 2:
No. 7 Miami Heat 102, No. 10 Chicago Bulls 91
Atlanta and Miami advanced.
Has an NBA Play-In Tournament team made the Finals?
In 2023, the No. 7 seed Heat lost a Round 1 game but won in Round 2, advancing to the NBA Finals. Miami played the Denver Nuggets, eventually losing in five games.
In 2023, the No. 7 seed Lakers made the Conference Finals.
