NBA Playoffs 2026: Full schedule and bracket as play-in tips off on Tuesday

Fixtures, times, dates and match-ups — before the playoffs begin, the play-in tips off on Tuesday night with Suns vs. Blazers and Hornets vs. Heat, before the first round gets under way on Saturday.

Fifteen final regular-season games, two late shifts in the standings and now it is time for the NBA Playoffs. The action gets under way on Tuesday night with the play-in tournament for the teams seeded seventh through tenth. The Hornets and the Heat will open proceedings before the Suns take on the Blazers, with the winner set to face the Spurs in the first round. The 76ers face the Magic and the Clippers face the Warriors on Wednesday, before the final two play-in games take place on Friday.

The playoffs proper begin on Saturday with four games, followed by four more on Sunday for a headline opening weekend. Below is the full schedule.

THE BRACKET IS SET ? pic.twitter.com/bqSnxeDnzv

— NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2026

Play-in schedule

Tuesday 14th April

Hornets vs. Heat (00:30 BST)
Suns vs. Blazers (03:00 BST)

Wednesday 15th April

76ers vs. Magic (00:30 BST)
Clippers vs. Warriors (03:00 BST)

Friday 17th April

76ers vs. Magic loser / Hornets vs. Heat winner (00:30 BST)
Suns vs. Blazers loser / Clippers vs. Warriors winner (03:00 BST)

The play-in format works as follows. The seventh and eighth seeds play each other, with the winner advancing directly to the playoffs as the seventh seed. The ninth and tenth seeds meet, with the loser eliminated and the winner playing the loser of the first game. That final play-in game determines the eighth seed. The seventh and eighth seeds therefore need just one win to qualify, while the ninth and tenth seeds need two — and cannot both advance.

2026 Playoffs bracket

Eastern Conference

(1) Pistons vs. (8) Friday play-in winner — first game Sunday 23:30 BST
(2) Celtics vs. (7) 76ers vs. Magic winner — first game Sunday 18:00 BST
(3) Knicks vs. (6) Hawks — first game Saturday 23:00 BST
(4) Cavaliers vs. (5) Raptors — first game Saturday 18:00 BST

Western Conference
(1) Thunder vs. (8) Friday play-in winner — first game Sunday 20:30 BST
(2) Spurs vs. (7) Suns vs. Blazers winner — first game Monday 02:00 BST
(3) Nuggets vs. (6) Timberwolves — first game Saturday 20:30 BST
(4) Lakers vs. (5) Rockets — first game Sunday 01:30 BST