In just a few short weeks, the NBA playoffs will arrive. With it comes a plethora of storylines.
The Oklahoma City Thunder look to be the favorites to repeat another title. After winning it all in 2025, the Thunder are on pace to finish with NBA’s best regular-season record.
Standing in their way in the West are the upstart San Antonio Spurs, the only team that can still catch OKC in the regular season standings, as well as veteran powerhouses in the Lakers and Nuggets.
In the Eastern Conference, the Pistons have already clinched a regular-season conference title. However, they haven’t escaped the opening round since 2008, which could pose an uphill battle
Alas, the NBA has released much of its playoff schedule, so let’s take a closer look.
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When do the 2026 NBA playoffs start? Start: Saturday, April 18
The quarterfinals of each conference will tip off on Saturday, April 18. However, first comes the Play-In Tournament.
Each team seeded 7-10 in its respective conference standings will have a shot to earn a playoff bid. The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds, however, just need to win one of two games, while the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds will need back-to-back victories to secure their spot.
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NBA Play-In Tournament Tuesday, April 14 (Times TBD) East 7 vs. East 8 (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed), Prime VideoWest 7 vs. West 8 (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed), Prime VideoWednesday, April 15 (Times TBD) East 9 vs. East 10 (loser is eliminated), Prime VideoWest 9 vs. West 10 (loser is eliminated), Prime VideoFriday, April 18 (Times TBD) East 7/8 loser vs. East 9/10 winner (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed), Prime VideoWest 7/8 loser vs. West 9/10 winner (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed), Prime VideoWhen are the 2026 NBA Finals? Wednesday, June 3: Game 1 of the 2026 NBA Finals
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NBA playoff schedule
At the moment, the NBA has released anticipated start dates for each round. However, there is no certain confirmation on the exact dates or start times until the NBA Finals.
Conference Semifinals
When: May 4 (but the NBA notes that these can move up to May 2 or 3)
Eastern Conference Finals
When: May 19 (but the NBA notes that these can move up to May 17)
Where: ESPN and ABC
Western Conference Finals
When: May 20 (but the NBA notes that these can move up to May 18)
Where: NBC and Peacock
NBA Finals ScheduleGameDateTimeTV Channel1June 38:30 p.m. ETABC2June 58:30 p.m. ETABC3June 88:30 p.m. ETABC4June 108:30 p.m. ETABC5June 138:30 p.m. ETABC (if necessary)6June 168:30 p.m. ETABC (if necessary)7June 198:30 p.m. ETABC (if necessary)