The 2026 NBA Playoff schedule starts on or around Saturday, April 18th, 2026. The playoffs wrap up with the NBA Finals that start on Thursday, June 4th, 2026. Prior to the playoffs, the NBA holds a Play-In tournament between the #7 through #10 seeds in each conference. The outcome of these games is the winners are the #7 and #8 seeds in each respective conference bracket.
*Note: All dates listed are notional based on the 2025 NBA Playoff schedule. Once the NBA confirms the dates and times, we will update you here for the 2026 NBA Playoff schedule . We’ll know more after the 2025-26 NBA schedule release.
When does the 2026 NBA Playoff Start?
The 2026 NBA Playoffs start with the Play-in tournament. The tournament is held right after the regular season concludes. The Play-in tourney takes place April 14-17th, 2026 this year. The first round of the NBA Playoffs gets started on April 18th, 2026. (tentative)
2026 NBA Playoff Schedule
Here’s the high-level 2026 NBA Playoff schedule. In the NBA, there are four rounds of play in the postseason. The NBA allows the postseason schedule to be fluid between the first round and the Finals. This way, if you see too many sweeps, we don’t have as long of a pause in the action.
- NBA Play-in Tournament: April 14-17, 2026
- NBA Playoffs – First Round: April 18-28
- Conference Semifinals: TBD
- Conference Finals: TBD
- NBA Finals June TBA
Once we have all of the finalized seeds and brackets, we’ll update the NBA Playoff schedule and sports bracket for you to follow the tournament.
When Do the 2026 NBA Finals Take Place?
The 2026 NBA Finals take place around June 4-21, 2026 (if the series goes for the complete seven games). These are another best of seven game contest. Once a team gets to four wins, they win the NBA Championship. You can checkout all of the NBA Finals winners here too.
2026 NBA Play-In Schedule
Here’s the 2026 NBA Play-in schedule. Please note, these dates are notional and based on the 2024 NBA Play-in schedule until revised by the NBA.
| Date | Game | Match | Result/ Outcome |
| April 14 | 1 | East 7 vs East 8 | Winner earns 7 seed |
| April 14 | 2 | W7 vs W8 | Winner earns 7 seed |
| April 15 | 3 | East 9 vs East 10 | Winner plays loser E7 vs E8 |
| April 15 | 4 | W9 vs W10 | Winner plays loser E7 vs E8 |
| April 17 | 5 | E Loser 7/8 vs E Winner 9/10 | Winner earns 8 seed |
| April 17 | 6 | W Loser 7/8 vs W Winner 9/10 | Winner earns 8 seed |
2026 NBA Playoff Schedule
The 2026 NBA Playoff schedule kicks off right after the Play-in tournament concludes.
2026 NBA Playoffs – First Round
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Seed 1 vs. Seed 8 | April 19-TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 2 vs. Seed 7 | April 19-TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 3 vs. Seed 6 | April 19-TBD | TBD | TBD |
| Seed 4 vs. Seed 5 | April 19-TBD | TBD | TBD |
2026 NBA Playoffs – Conference Semifinals
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Winner of 1-8 vs. Winner of 4-5 | May 6-7 | TBD | TBD |
| Winner of 2-7 vs. Winner of 3-6 | May 6-7 | TBD | TBD |
2026 NBA Playoffs – Conference Finals
| MATCHUP | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Winner of 1-4-5-8 vs. Winner of 2-3-6-7 | May 21-22 | TBD | TBD |
2026 NBA Playoffs – Finals
| GAME | DATE | TIME (ET) | TV |
| Game 1 | June 5 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 2 | June 8 | 8:00 PM | ABC |
| Game 3 | June 11 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 4 | June 13 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 5* | June 16 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 6* | June 19 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 7* | June 22 | 8:00 PM | ABC |
Printable 2026 NBA Playoff Bracket
Most fans enjoy having a printable 2026 NBA playoff bracket. We have one here for you that you can use for your projections throughout the offseason and regular season of play. The bracket can be printed to PDF or as is if you prefer to have it on a piece of paper to follow the action. You can checkout the 2025 NBA Playoff bracket here.
