The NBA regular season concluded on Sunday, finalizing the playoff picture and setting the matchups for the Play-In Tournament. In the Eastern Conference, the Toronto Raptors secured the No. 5 seed with a win, sending the Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando Magic to the play-in stage. In the West, the Denver Nuggets' victory earned them the No. 3 seed, pushing the Los Angeles Lakers to No. 4 and a first-round series against the Houston Rockets.
The Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 14th, with all games airing on Prime Video. The Eastern Conference action features the Charlotte Hornets hosting the Miami Heat, while the Western Conference sees the Portland Trail Blazers face the Phoenix Suns. The winners and losers of these games will determine the final playoff seeds.
The first round of the NBA playoffs tips off on Saturday, April 18th. Key matchups include the Cleveland Cavaliers hosting the Toronto Raptors, the Denver Nuggets facing the Minnesota Timberwolves, and the marquee showdown between the Los Angeles Lakers and the Houston Rockets. The full bracket is now set, with the top-seeded Detroit Pistons and Oklahoma City Thunder awaiting the winners of the Play-In Tournament.
A complete series schedule for all first-round matchups has been released, detailing game times and broadcast information for each potential game. The playoffs follow a best-of-seven format, with the higher seed hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7.