PHOENIX, ARIZONA - FEBRUARY 22: Mark Williams #15 of the Phoenix Suns drives to the basket against Scoot Henderson #00 of the Portland Trail Blazers during the first half at Mortgage Matchup Center on February 22, 2026 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Blazers defeated the Suns 92-77. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Chris Coduto/Getty Images) | Getty Images
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The 2026 play-in tournament starts tonight, and the only game that Spurs fans really need to be interested in is the second matchup, which will decide San Antonio’s first round opponent. Will it be Dillon Brooks, Devin Booker and the Suns, or will it be Tiago Splitter’s overperforming Blazers squad. No one is really giving Portland much of a chance to beat Phoenix, but the teams are pretty evenly matched with the Suns leading the season series 2-1. The last game was on February 22, a 92-77 rock fight win by the Blazers. Both teams are more healthy tonight, so perhaps at least one of them will score in triple digits tonight. The winner will face the Spurs in the first round series beginning at the Frost Bank center on April 19, and the loser will go on to face the winner of the tomorrow’s Clippers/Warriors game on Friday for the chance to be dismantled by the Thunder in their first round matchup. I’m kind of hoping that the Warriors will end up facing the Thunder because their shooting could cause problems for OKC, and also because I don’t like the Suns or the Clippers. Let’s go Blazers!
Game Prediction:
Jeff Bezos will use his Blue Origin rocket to attend both games in person, which will create quite a mess when it lands in the parking lot at the Mortgage Matchup Center in Phoenix.
Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets—6:30 PM Phoenix Suns vs Portland Trail Blazers—9:00 PM April 14, 2026 TV: Amazon Prime Reminder: It is against site policy to post links to illegal streams in the comments.
CHARLOTTE, N.C. (AP) — You think the Charlotte Hornets were starving for a home postseason game?
It’s been a decade since the Hornets hosted a postseason game, and the team is doing what it can to celebrate the accomplishments of Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball and generate excitement among its fan base.
Prior to Tuesday night's play-in tournament game against the Miami Heat, the Hornets placed a black “Protect the Hive" T-shirt on each of the 19,444 seats in Spectrum Center.
“I expect it to be lit,” Hornets coach Charles Lee said of the atmosphere.
The Hornets need to beat the Heat and then defeat the loser of the Wednesday night’s Orlando-Philadelphia game to qualify for its first playoff series in 10 years and snap the longest drought in the league.
"My wife was actually able to go to the (Carolina) Panthers’ playoff game and I remember her calling me ... and she’s like, ‘This is insane! People are going crazy! This town is ready for a winning team, playoff atmosphere!'" Lee said of the Panthers' first playoff home game in January after seven seasons of missing the playoffs. "So that was exciting to hear. And so I expect a very similar environment here.”
The Heat-Hornets game is a sellout.
“We have an exciting, young team that has earned this moment and brings an energy that’s fun to watch and easy to rally behind,” Hornets president of business operations Shelly Cayette-Weston said. “Protect the Hive represents the connection between our team and our fans at the highest level.”
BROOKLYN, NY - APRIL 3: Nic Claxton #33 of the Brooklyn Nets looks on during the game against the Atlanta Hawks on April 3, 2026 at Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Mike Lawrence/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
If there’s one thing all NBA fans love more than tanking, it has to be numbers and math, right?
A few years ago, our old pal Kevin Durant rhetorically (and rather vulgarly) questioned if anyone wants to “look at graphs” while having a conversation about hoops. It’s since become something of a rallying cry for the Ball Don’t Stop’s of the world, those who aren’t just standing pat along the fan dividing line, but pushing against the against the tide of the analytics-minded voices in basketball.
Indeed, part of the game has gotten lost in the pool of digits we’ve collectively paddled our way across. While Durant’s mid-range remains pure in the big 2026, the back-to-the-basket game seemed to fade away with Al Jefferson and the Gasol brothers. We live in a world where the great Kevin Garnett’s highlight reel almost feels unsettling to watch with every catch from behind the arc, singular step in, and then high-arching jumper he takes.
That said, teams are undoubtedly the performing better because of it. Offensive records are continually broken year after year by players, teams and the league at large. It’s cliché to say, “the game has changed,” but there’s no arguing against that notion.
Now, I’d never call myself a “numbers” guy. I majored in writing and never got farther than Precalc in high school. Take a wild guess at what I struggled with growing up and eventually began to utterly detest by adulthood. That’s right, numbers and math.
However, I do believe those who don’t get on the analytics train will be left behind. And in that, I’ve learned to appreciate the value of a telling stat, and would argue everyone else should to.
So, with us now at the conclusion of Brooklyn’s 2025-26 campaign, I found three stats that exemplify its season. All of them are rather rudimentary, but might’ve gotten swept under the rug amid all the roster turnover and phantom injuries.
Spoiler alert: none of them are particularly positive. However, when you’re serving up a 60-loss dish, that’s just what the recipe calls for. Let’s dive in. The dessert will hopefully come later in the summer.
The Rookies got Their Shots Up
From day one, or even day negative one and beyond, this season was all about the rookies for the Brooklyn Nets. That feeling was so abundant that Jordi Fernández even felt the need to remind the media on more than one occasion that the rookies aren’t the only ones on the team.
Nevertheless, Brooklyn’s shot diet this year did more to endorse the former sentiment. This season, the Nets led the league in total rookie field goal attempts with 2,231. Sure, Brooklyn drafted five rooks last June, the most ever by an NBA team, then added three more. The next closest team was the New Orleans Pelicans, who had three in their rotation as well in Derik Queen, Jeremiah Fears, and Micah Peavy.
Still, New Orleans trailed the Nets by a whopping 171 shots. The Nets also led in triples taken by rookies by over one hundred. And, speaking of that shot…
They had a misplaced Confidence in the Three
Brooklyn finished this season with the worst offense in the league, averaging the fewest points per game and lowest field goal percentage. That’s not a shocking metric to hear if you watched the team at any point this year. The Nets often posted scoring totals that looked like they were ripped off the box score from a 90s game, frequently struggling to crack triple digits.
But while Brooklyn’s shot diet was rather modern, averaging the 11th most triples taken per game in the league, it didn’t do them any good.
If you live and die by the three, the Nets sure as hell died by it, historically. This year, they averaged 38.4 triples per game, but made them at just a 34% clip. That ranks as the third worst percentage on that many attempts or more in NBA history. Only the Washington Wizards, who shot 33.5% on 39.1 attempts per game last year, the Houston Rockets, who shot 33.9% on 40.6 attempts per game in 2020-21, and the Minnesota Timberwolves, who shot 33.6% on 39.7 attempts per game in 2019-20 insisted on launching more threes … despite having so little success to show for it.
I’m not prepared to argue the Nets would have had any more luck had they pressured the rim or ventured into the midrange more frequently. However, there’s no debating the notion that their investment in the deep ball was a poor one.
One of the worst clutch teams in recent memory
Any successful tank involves fumbling a few games at the goal line. Whether by design or not, this past year, nobody did that better than Brooklyn. In the clutch, which the NBA defines as a game within five points and with five or fewer minutes to play, Brooklyn had a .235 win percentage in this woeful season. That ranks worst in the league.
It was also the third worst posted by any NBA team in the past decade. The Detroit Pistons had a .229 wining percentage in clutch games during the 2023-24 season and a .219 one in 2020-21. The Philadelphia 76ers, being the tanking GOATs that they are, also had a ludicrous .143 clutch winning percentage in 2015-16. Not really surprising when, as Sean Marks mentioned in his YES Network interview, Brooklyn’s roster was the youngest not just this season, but in the last 20 as well.
If this is it for Nic Claxton and the Nets, and if somehow Brooklyn’s somehow able secure a top three pick this summer, fans should applaud Nic Claxton for his efforts in this regard. Clax was a team-worst -64 in 66 clutch minutes this year, with nearly 20 points separating him from the next closest guy.
Woe is us? No question and any deep dive would tell you the eye test was the least of it.
The All-Big West Conference honorable mention selection out of UC-San Diego and, most notably this month, NCAA transfer portal entrant had lost track of days, let alone the “hundreds” of phone calls and texts from potential basketball suitors.
On Tuesday, Mayes made official the next step in his blossoming college basketball career — and spoke about the choice exclusively to USA TODAY Sports.
The 6-5, 200-pound rising sophomore guard has signed with Eric Olen’s New Mexico program. Olen guided the Lobos to 26 wins and an NIT semifinals appearance in his debut, 2025-26 season at the helm.
“It felt like absolutely forever. If you asked me how long ago, I would tell you two months ago not officially one week in the portal,” Mayes, the Tritons’ No. 2 scorer at 11.1 points per game, told USA TODAY Sports after he ended a recruitment that also included Baylor, Notre Dame and Syracuse among top contenders. “I tried not to let myself get too stressful with it. My agent (NBA certified agent KJ Smith of Range Sports) told me once you do enter, you’re going to get hundreds of texts and calls.
“I wasn’t thinking about the portal; I was trying to help us win the Big West (tournament). But there were too many opportunities that we heard about and knew from trusted sources that were real. My dream has always been to play the highest level of college basketball and get to the highest level of college basketball. I told coach Olen (Monday afternoon), and I slept great last night.”
The son of former Notre Dame All-America wideout and Green Bay Packers Super Bowl champion Derrick Mayes, grandson of Naismith Hall of Famer and former ABA star Roger Brown, Hudson Mayes started 12 of San Diego’s final 13 games, scored in double figures in the season’s last 10 games and helped the Tritons close with eight wins in their final 11 games.
Multiple Power conference programs “offered significant money” and “multiple six figures.” Olen’s New Mexico program offered an immediate chance to compete for a starting role — and the familiarity of having already been recruited by Olen and multiple members of the Lobos staff from their previous time at San Diego.
“Coming into the portal, I obviously had pretty much every Power Five Conference and every other conference trying to get me to commit there,” Mayes said. “They were throwing me different offers. I kept money out of my decision and made a basketball decision.
“We were prepared for that, for the money, but we knew this was going to be a decision that we would have to make based on relationships and what’s best basketball-wise and what’s the best path.”
Olen doubled down on the Lobos program's ability to stand toe-to-toe with the sport's more renowned program.
"New Mexico’s rich with tradition and we want to continue that here and that just starts with building really good basketball teams," Olen told USA TODAY Sports Tuesday afternoon by phone. "It’s a great place to play college basketball, up there with the best home environments anywhere in the country and we believe in what this place can be.
"We think New Mexico basketball is a national brand, we want to be relevant on that stage and Hudson helps us do that."
With three years’ eligibility remaining, Mayes hasn’t given his New Mexico decision a moment of doubt — even as teams pressed for a final opportunity to woo the versatile combo guard who led San Diego with 5.7 rebounds per game.
“I turned down several offers from teams, at-large (NCAA) tournament teams that I kind of just decided to go with my gut,” Mayes said. “I believe next year New Mexico can be an NCAA Tournament team.”
After missing 27 consecutive games with a knee injury before returning earlier this month, Steph Curry will look to drag the Warriors to more postseason success.
The Warriors secured the No. 10 seed in the NBA play-in tournament and will be taking on the Los Angeles Clippers on Wednesday. While Curry is back in the lineup, coach Steve Kerr confirmed that the sharpshooter, along with big men Al Horford and Kristaps Porziņģis, will be on a minutes restriction of sorts.
He elaborated on the topic during a Tuesday appearance on 95.7 The Game’s “Willard & Dibs.”
“I think that’s just a figure of speech of ‘Minutes Restriction,’ it’s not like hey we want to limit this person to a certain number of minutes,” Kerr explained. “It’s literally that the person cannot play that many minutes. This is all about health, and so you have to be mindful of health as you play these games. You have to be mindful of how many minutes can a guy play and be expected to be effective. So that’s really what we’re facing.”
"It's not about how badly we want to win, it's just how many minutes guys can literally play and stay effective."
– Steve Kerr explains why Steph Curry, Kristaps Porzingis, and Al Horford will be on minutes limits tomorrow night vs. the Clippers (via @WillardAndDibs). pic.twitter.com/O0XQJQBnLA
When asked if limiting these players was due to them not being in good enough shape to play more minutes or for further risk of injury, Kerr revealed it was actually both.
“Both, those things go hand in hand,” Kerr said. “I would say if we had another couple of weeks of Steph recovering from his absence, he’d be able to play more minutes. This is just the reality of where he is, where Al is, Kristaps…”
If Golden State wins, they will take on the Phoenix Suns for the No. 8 seed on Friday.
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The NBA Play-In Tournament continues tonight with the first Western Conference matchup, which will determine the No. 7 seed.
The Portland Trail Blazers (42-40) are hoping to end a five-year playoff drought with a win tonight against the Phoenix Suns (45-37). The last time the Trail Blazers appeared in the playoffs was 2021, while the team’s last playoff series win came in 2019.
Phoenix won two of three games against Portland in the regular season, but Portland won the most recent matchup on February 22.
Trail Blazers vs. Suns: what to know
What: NBA Play-In Tournament
When: April 14, 10 p.m. ET
Where: Mortgage Matchup Center (Phoenix, Arizona)
Streaming: Prime Video (try it free)
Both teams in tonight’s Play-In game will have a chance to continue on in the playoffs; the winner will advance directly into the playoff bracket as the Western Conference’s No. 7 seed (to face the Spurs in the first round), while the loser will face off with either the Clippers or Warriors on Friday to determine the No. 8 seed.
Trail Blazers vs. Suns start time:
Tonight’s (April 14) Trail Blazers vs. Suns game tips off at 10:00 p.m. ET.
How to watch Trail Blazers vs. Suns for free:
The NBA Play-In Tournament, including tonight’s Trail Blazers vs. Suns matchup, is streaming exclusively on Prime Video, so you’ll need an Amazon Prime subscription to watch the game.
If you aren’t a Prime Video subscriber yet, you can get started with a 30-day Amazon Prime free trial, including Prime perks like the Prime Video streaming service, free two-day shipping, exclusive deals, and more. After the free trial, Amazon Prime costs $14.99/month or $139/year.
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This article was written by Angela Tricarico, Commerce Streaming Reporter for Post Wanted Shopping, Page Six, and Decider.com. Angela keeps readers up to date with cord-cutter-friendly deals, and information on how to watch your favorite sports teams, TV shows, and movies on every streaming service. Not only does Angela test and compare the streaming services she writes about to ensure readers are getting the best prices, but she’s also a superfan specializing in the intersection of shopping, tech, sports, and pop culture. When she’s not writing about (or watching) TV, movies, and sports, she’s also keeping up on the underrated perfume dupes at Bath & Body Works and testing headphones. Prior to joining Decider and The New York Post in 2023, she wrote about streaming and consumer tech at Insider Reviews.
After reports surfaced on Monday, April 13 that Los Angeles Lakers stars Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves are inching closer to their returns from injuries, head coach JJ Redick made it clear on Tuesday, April 14 that there will be no further updates in the near future.
"Look, they're out indefinitely," Redick told reporters during his media availability at Tuesday's practice. "I'm not gonna have an update for you this week. They're out indefinitely."
NBA insider Marc Stein confirmed an earlier report that Doncic is scheduled to return to the Lakers on Friday and will be re-evaluated after undergoing multiple injection procedures in Spain in hopes of accelerating his recovery from a grade 2 left hamstring strain.
Reaves, meanwhile, has been rehabbing a grade 2 left oblique muscle strain in Los Angeles. Both Reaves and Doncic sustained their injuries during a blowout loss in Oklahoma City on April 2 and missed the rest of the regular season and will likely be out through at least the first round of the playoffs, where the No. 4-seeded Lakers will take on the No. 5 seed Houston Rockets.
While they're considered out indefinitely, both injuries usually carry a standard recovery window of about four-to-six weeks, which would sideline Doncic and Reaves through the first week of May. It's currently unclear how effective the treatment Doncic got in Spain actually was or if it impacted his timeline at all, and it most likely won't be known until after his re-evaluation at the end of the week.
What is a grade 2 hamstring strain?
A Grade 2 hamstring strain is a “moderate injury that is typically a partial tear in the muscle; patients are likely to limp when walking and will have occasional twinges of pain during activity,” according to Mercy Health.
The injury could take close to a month to heal, but “returning to sports before the injury is fully healed can cause more severe injuries.”
What is a grade 2 oblique strain?
A grade 2 oblique strain is another moderate strain in which "one of the abdominal muscles (internal or external oblique muscles) becomes frayed, torn or detached, often from the lower four ribs," according to Performance Place. The injury makes it painful for someone to breathe, cough and laugh and is common among baseball players and golfers.
NEW YORK, NY - APRIL 12: Coby White #3 of the Charlotte Hornets dribbles the ball during the game against the New York Knicks on April 12, 2026 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Nathaniel S. Butler/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
Later tonight, the NBA Playoffs are set to begin. Well, somewhat. Tonight starts the Play-In Tournament that decides the final teams to make the playoffs, but either way, the march towards the NBA Finals begins over the next couple days. While UNC’s lack of a former player being a leading player on a championship-contending team has been well covered (and will hopefully change with Caleb Wilson’s ascendance), there are still a number of former Tar Heels around the bracket. With that in mind, let’s take a look at the former North Carolina players who will try and bring home the Larry O’Brien Trophy this year.
We’ll start with a Tar Heel who will quickly be in action this postseason, but will be up against it as far making a long stay is concerned.
After a midseason trade sent him to the Charlotte Hornets, Coby White has helped them back to the playoffs…somewhat. Later tonight, the Hornets will host the Heat in the 9/10 game in the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament. In order to get into the main bracket, White and Charlotte will have to knockoff Miami tonight and then beat the loser of the 7/8 game between the 76ers and Magic. Even if they make it through that, the Hornets would then be tasked with facing the #1 seed and 60-win Pistons squad.
The Tar Heel with probably the most intriguing title chances this year is Harrison Barnes with the San Antonio Spurs. While Victor Wenbanyama is the key cog in the Spurs’ machine, Barnes has been a solid veteran presence as they’ve returned to the postseason this year. He’s put up 9.9 points per game and is knocking down a little under 40% of his three-point attempts as San Antonio cracked the 60-win mark. Barnes and the Spurs will go in as the #2 seed in the West, and will take on the winner of the Suns/Blazers play-in game. However, as a #2 seed, it’ll be hard for them not to hope for a deep playoff run.
Harrison Ingram is also on the Spurs’ roster, although he averages less than four minutes per game in only seven appearances this season, so he likely won’t be a key part of their playoff run.
Another Carolina player on a team hoping to make it far will be Cameron Johnson on the Denver Nuggets. He’s one of my favorite recent Tar Heels, so by no means do I say this to disparage him; by all accounts, he hasn’t been quite as good as what Denver was hoping for when they added him in on offseason trade. However, he’s still put up over double digits points per game and makes threes at a good clip. Denver will probably need him to be even better than that if they want to make another run at a championship, though. Their run will start with a series against the Timberwolves, which begins Saturday.
As mentioned, the Blazers will compete for one of the last couple places out West in the play-in tournament. He spent time in the G-League, as he’s on a two-way deal, but Caleb Love plays for Portland. When he’s been up with the NBA team, he’s averaged over 20 minutes a game in 49 appearances, so he’ll probably get some amount of run should the Blazers make the full playoffs — how much remains to be seen.
Best of luck to all the Tar Heels who will be competing over the coming weeks and months. My personal rooting interest does not have a former Carolina player, so I can’t say as of now that I’m rooting for one of them to win it all, but I certainly hope they all play well.
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA - MARCH 06: LaMelo Ball #1 of the Charlotte Hornets knocks the ball away from Bam Adebayo #13 of the Miami Heat in the second half during their game at Spectrum Center on March 06, 2026 in Charlotte, North Carolina. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and or using this photograph, User is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. (Photo by Jacob Kupferman/Getty Images) | Getty Images
Welcome to the 2026 play-in tournament! This is the sixth season of the play-in.
History of the NBA play-in tournament
The play-in tournament technically started in the bubble in the 2019-20 season. It differs from the current form, but the first game was the Grizzlies vs. the Trail Blazers. Portland went on to win and earn the No. 8 seed, facing the Lakers in the first round.
The play-in expanded the following season to its current format, with the 7-10 seeds at the end of the regular season facing off to earn the seven and eight seeds in both conferences.
In 2021, the Grizzlies beat the Warriors in OT. This was the first time the lower seed beat the higher seed. The Grizzlies beat the Warriors, the No. 8 seed, as the No. 9 seed in a 117-112 overtime game.
2022 brought typical results in the matchups with the seedings. In the 2023 play-in, the Lakers beat the Timberwolves in the 7-8 matchup. The Wolves would go on to defeat the Thunder. This is the game where Pat Bev climbed on the announcing desk to celebrate the win.
In 2024, the Lakers beat the Pelicans twice, once at the end of the regular season and then in the play-in. That season, the Lakers lost to the Nuggets in the first round. Finally, last season, the Heat and Hawks matchup to become the No. 8 seed wasn’t exciting.
The Lakers have been without Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves for nearly two weeks, and that isn’t changing entering the playoffs.
Coach JJ Redick said after Tuesday’s practice, the first before the Lakers’ first round series against the Rockets, that the team’s star guards remain sidelined and there isn’t an update on their status.
“They’re out indefinitely,” Redick said. “I’m not going to have an update for you this week. They’re out indefinitely.”
Luka Doncic and Austin Reaves of the Los Angeles Lakers smile during the game against the Chicago Bulls on March 12, 2026 at Crypto.Com Arena in Los Angeles, California. NBAE via Getty Images
Game 1 of Lakers-Rockets is scheduled for Saturday (5:30 p.m. tipoff) at Crypto.com Arena.
Doncic (Grade 2 left hamstring strain) and Reaves (Grade 2 left oblique strain) both suffered their regular season-ending injuries during the Lakers’ April 2 road loss to the Thunder.
Reaves was at the Lakers’ practice facility on Tuesday and was seen shooting on the court during the portion of practice that was open to media members.
While wearing slides, Reaves participated in a free throw shooting contest at the end of practice, missing a trio of free throws to the delight of his teammates. He made a corner 3-pointer before walking off the court.
The chase for the Larry O’Brien Trophy is officially on! Every night of the 2026 NBA Playoffs brings fresh drama, from superstar takeovers to bracket-busting upsets that can flip the postseason picture in a heartbeat.
Whether you're tracking every first-round matchup, checking the latest results, or looking ahead to what's next, our NBA bracket hub has you covered.
Follow along for live scores, updated schedules, and playoff format details to help guide your NBA picks.
2026 NBA playoffs bracket
NBA Playoff printable and downloadable bracket
Downloadable NBA Playoff bracket
Print the PDF for a clean, easy-to-read bracket you can fill out by hand, or save it digitally if you prefer to make your picks on a screen.
Start by writing in your winners for each matchup and advancing teams round by round. Whether you are joining an office pool, competing with friends, or following the tournament for fun, this blank bracket makes it simple to keep up with every result.
2026 NBA Playoffs matchups and results
First Round - East
(2) Boston Celtics vs. (7) Philadelphia 76ers
Team
To win
Celtics
-900
76ers
+600
(3) New York Knicks vs. (6) Atlanta Hawks
Team
To win
Knicks
-270
Hawks
+220
(4) Cleveland Cavaliers vs. (5) Toronto Raptors
Team
To win
Cavaliers
-550
Raptors
+400
First Round - West
(2) San Antonio Spurs vs. (7) Portland Trail Blazers
Team
To win
Spurs
-2000
Trail Blazers
+1000
(3) Denver Nuggets vs. (6) Minnesota Timberwolves
Team
To win
Nuggets
-350
Timberwolves
+275
(4) Los Angeles Lakers vs. (5) Houston Rockets
Team
To win
Lakers
+450
Rockets
-600
2026 NBA Playoffs schedule
Event
Date
NBA Play-In Tournament
April 14-17
NBA Playoffs begin
April 18
NBA Conference Semifinals
TBD
NBA Conference Finals
TBD
NBA Finals Game 1
June 3
NBA Finals Game 2
June 5
NBA Finals Game 3
June 8
NBA Finals Game 4
June 10
NBA Finals Game 5 (if necessary)
June 13
NBA Finals Game 6 (if necessary)
June 16
NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)
June 19
NBA playoff format
The NBA playoffs adopt a format designed to favor successful teams while giving underdogs a shot at the championship. Here's a brief look at the structure:
The postseason begins with a Play-In Tournament featuring the 7th through 10th-ranked teams in each conference. This extends from April 14 to 17.
The NBA Playoffs kick off with the first round on April 18, where the top one to six teams in each conference join the winners of the Play-In.
The matchups are set as No. 1 vs. No. 8 seed, No. 2 vs. No. 7 seed, No. 3 vs. No. 6 seed, and No. 4 vs. No. 5 seed.
Each playoff round, including the Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and NBA Finals, features a seven-game series.
In these series, the higher-seeded team hosts Games 1, 2, 5 (if necessary), and 7 (if necessary) following a 2-2-1-1-1 format.
The NBA Finals start on June 3.
Looking for more intel? Our NBA Championship odds breaks down the clubs with the best odds of winning the NBA Finals. And be sure to check out our NBA Finals MVP odds page to see which player is most likely to hoist the Bill Russell Trophy when the dust settles.
BOSTON, MA - APRIL 12: The sneakers worn by Paolo Banchero #5 of the Orlando Magic during the game against the Boston Celtics on April 12, 2026 at TD Garden in Boston, Massachusetts. NOTE TO USER: User expressly acknowledges and agrees that, by downloading and/or using this Photograph, user is consenting to the terms and conditions of the Getty Images License Agreement. Mandatory Copyright Notice: Copyright 2026 NBAE (Photo by Brian Babineau/NBAE via Getty Images) | NBAE via Getty Images
The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers fight over the East's No. 7 seed in the NBA Play-In Tournament.
With Joel Embiid out and Orlando reeling from a bellyflop in the season finale, oddsmakers expect a tight finish in Philly.
I’m leaning toward the home side but giving each team’s respective superstar their due in my NBA same game parlay for Wednesday night.
Here are my best NBA picks and predictions for Magic vs. 76ers on April 15.
Our best Magic vs 76ers SGP for April 15
The Philadelphia 76ers are short chalk for this Play-In tilt, scoring home court thanks to the Orlando Magic missing the mark in the season finale against the Celtics’ skeleton crew. Philadelphia is used to playing without Embiid and owns a 19-8 SU record as home favorites this season.
Paolo Banchero took the blame for the loss to Boston – a game in which he fired up 22 field goal attempts. I see another aggressive attack from Orlando’s standout, with game projections sitting between 23.5 and 25 points Wednesday.
Tyrese Maxey seems to find another gear when Embiid goes down. He’s become a fantastic inside-out scorer with improved shooting from deep. He knocked down three or more triples in two of the three meeting with the Magic and projection call for another 3+ day from 3-point land for Maxey.
Odds are correct at the time of publishing and are subject to change. Not intended for use in MA. Affiliate Disclosure: Our team of experts has thoroughly researched and handpicked each product that appears on our website. We may receive compensation if you sign up through our links.
On today’s episode, Ryan Eichten and Leo Sun discuss the Minnesota Timberwolves drawing the Denver Nuggets in the first round of the playoffs and what the series might look like:
— With the Nuggets’ win as huge underdogs while sitting most of their roster in the final game of the season against the San Antonio Spurs, they secured the third seed and a matchup with the Wolves. It ends up as a huge missed opportunity for the Wolves, who could have instead played an injured Los Angeles Lakers team.
— Can Julius Randle get back to his near All-Star level of play from the first half of the season? If he can, the Wolves will have a much better chance of upsetting the Nuggets in this series.
— Another looming question for this series is whether or not Rudy Gobert can impact the game on the offensive end of the court. Given how good the Nuggets’ offense has been this season, the Wolves will likely need Gobert to play as much as possible and will need to find a way to better incorporate him into the offense to keep him on the court this series.
— The Nuggets do not have a great option to guard Anthony Edwards; instead, they will likely throw double-teams at him whenever they can. How well Edwards can deal with different types of coverage will play a big role in which team advances out of the first round.
— The Nuggets are -350 to win the series over the Wolves (roughly 75 percent implied odds). Is that giving the Wolves enough credit in this matchup?
The NBA Finals are the true show-stopper of the basketball season, where fortunes can change as quickly as a chase-down block, a ruptured Achilles, or an improbable offensive rebound turning into a corner-3.
We've got you covered for all things NBA Finals, including NBA odds, picks, and predictions for the league's ultimate showdown.
NBA Finals odds
Keep an eye on our NBA Finals odds page as we document which teams' fortunes are falling and rising ahead of the NBA's championship series.
📅 2026 NBA Finals schedule
Game
Date/Time
Venue
Game 1
June 3 @ 8:30 pm ET
TBD
Game 2
June 5 @ 8:00 pm ET
TBD
Game 3
June 8 @ 8:30 pm ET
TBD
Game 4
June 10 @ 8:30 pm ET
TBD
Game 5 (if necessary)
June 13 @ 8:30 pm ET
TBD
Game 6 (if necessary)
June 16 @ 8:30 pm ET
TBD
Game 7 (if necessary)
June 19 @ 8:00 pm ET
TBD
NBA Finals format
The NBA Finals take place between the winners of the Eastern and Western Conference Finals, following a best-of-seven format. The team with the better regular-season record is awarded homecourt advantage, hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6.
📊 2026 NBA Finals odds over time
Here's a visual representation of how the NBA championship odds have evolved over the course of this season.
📺 Where to watch the NBA Finals
The NBA Finals will air on ABC in the United States. Mike Breen will handle play-by-play duties for the 21st straight year. Those without cable can stream the games live on Fubo and NBA League Pass.
How to bet on the NBA Finals
The NBA Playoffs bring out plenty of new bettors looking to wager on basketball for the first time. If you fit this category, let us teach you how to bet on basketball with some betting basics and tips for tackling the basketball world’s biggest competition.
💵 Where to bet on the NBA Finals
Basketball betting is booming, and the NBA has embraced it with open arms. Basketball’s popularity spawns fun and unique ways to wager on the action almost all year round. Where you bet on basketball is just as important as what you bet, and we review the best basketball betting sites available in your region.
Oklahoma City Thunder
Boston Celtics
Denver Nuggets
Golden State Warriors
Milwaukee Bucks
Los Angeles Lakers
Toronto Raptors
Cleveland Cavaliers
San Antonio Spurs
Miami Heat
Dallas Mavericks
Detroit Pistons