NBA MVP: SGA or Wemby?
Breaking down the NBA MVP race and who’s leading as the season winds to a close.
The NBA regular season is over – at least for 14 of the 15 Eastern Conference teams – bringing some clarity – finally! – to the postseason.
But before we can get to the traditional best-of-seven series that make the NBA playoffs thrilling, we’ve got the heart-pounding Play-In Tournament.
Teams that finished No. 7 through No. 10 in each of the Eastern and Western Conference final standings will square off beginning Tuesday, April 14 to determine the final two playoff spots in each conference.
The prize for advancing? Matchups against the top two seeds – the Dertroit Pistons and Boston Celtics in the East and the Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs in the West.
Here is how the bracket is shaking out, the full schedule for this year’s Play-In Tournament, and how to watch the action:
When does the NBA Play-In Tournament begin?
The annual Play-In Tournament begins in just two days, on Tuesday, April 14. The tournament will run through Friday, April 17. All games will be broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime Video.
Stream NBA Play-In Tournament on Prime Video
NBA Play-In Tournament schedule, matchups
The losers of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups will be eliminated from the postseason. The winners of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 games will solidify the No. 7 seeds in the NBA playoffs. The losers of those games will play the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups to claim the No. 8 seeds in the playoffs.
Tuesday, April 14
- East: No. 10 Miami Heat at No. 9 Charlotte Hornets, 7:30 p.m. ET
- West: No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers at No. 7 Phoenix Suns, 10 p.m. ET
Wednesday, April 15
- East: No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers, 7:30 p.m. ET
- West: No. 10 Golden State Warriors at No. 9 L.A. Clippers, 10 p.m.
Friday, April 17
- East: No. 9/10 winner at No. 7/8 loser, 7:30 p.m. ET
- West: No. 9/10 winner at No. 7/8 loser, 10 p.m. ET
NBA standings for play-in Tournament teams
Eastern Conference
(Philaelphia holds tiebreaker over Orlando)
- 7. Philadelphia 76ers: 45-37
- 8. Orlando Magic: 45-37
- 9. Charlotte Hornets: 44-38
- 10. Miami Heat: 43-39
Western Conference
(Trail Blazers hold tiebreaker over Clippers)
- 7. Phoenix Suns: 48-37
- 8. Portland Trail Blazers: 42-40
- 9. Los Angeles Clippers: 42-40
- 10. Golden State Warriors: 37-45
How does the Play-In Tournament work?
The Play-In Tournament is a set of three games pinning each conference’s 7-10 seeds against one another for the final two playoff spots in each conference.
The team that finished the regular season as the No. 7 seed will host a game against the No. 8 seed. The winner of said game will participate in the NBA playoffs as the No. 7 seed, while the loser will play the winner of a game between the No. 9 and 10 seeds to determine who will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs.
When do the NBA Playoffs begin?
The NBA Playoffs will begin on Saturday, April 18. Game 1 of the NBA Finals is set for Wednesday, June 3.
