When do the NBA playoffs start in 2026?

The classic NBA postseason will begin on April 18, 2026, following the play-in tournament.

What is the NBA play-in tournament schedule?

The play-in tournament games will be played from April 14 to April 17, 2026.

How close are NBA playoff team standings?

As of March 18, 2026, the Eastern Conference's No. 2 seed is only eight games ahead of the No. 8 seed, and the Western Conference's No. 3 and 6 seeds are within 1.5 games.

Home / Sports / NBA Playoffs: Tight Races Heat Up

NBA Playoffs: Tight Races Heat Up

19 Mar

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Summary

Eastern Conference seeds 2-8 are within eight games.
Western Conference seeds 3-6 are within 1.5 games.
Play-in tournament games run from April 14-17, 2026.

The NBA playoffs are rapidly approaching, with most playoff teams solidified but significant jockeying for position still in play. As of Wednesday, March 18, 2026, many teams are clustered together in the standings, potentially impacting home-court advantage. In the Eastern Conference, the second-ranked Boston Celtics are only eight games ahead of the eighth-ranked Atlanta Hawks. The Western Conference shows a tighter race, with seeds three through six separated by a mere 1.5 games.

The regular season concludes on Sunday, April 12, 2026. Following this, the NBA play-in tournament will commence on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, and run through Friday, April 17, 2026. This tournament will determine the final playoff spots, with games structured to pit higher seeds against lower seeds to secure the remaining playoff berths.

Disclaimer: This story has been auto-aggregated and auto-summarised by a computer program. This story has not been edited or created by the Feedzop team.