The 2026 NBA Playoffs are scheduled to begin on Saturday, April 18, 2026, immediately following the Play-In Tournament (April 14–17). The postseason concludes with the NBA Finals, which are set to tip off on Wednesday, June 3, 2026. All major playoff games will be broadcast across the league’s new media partners, including ABC, ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video.
2026 NBA Postseason Key Dates & Schedule
The 2025-26 season marks the first year of the NBA’s landmark 11-year media rights deal. This change introduces a new viewing rhythm for fans, with playoff coverage now spanning traditional broadcast networks and major streaming platforms.
Important Postseason Milestones:
- Regular Season Ends: April 12, 2026
- NBA Play-In Tournament: April 14–17, 2026
- NBA Playoffs Start: April 18, 2026
- Conference Semifinals: May 5–6, 2026
- Conference Finals: May 20, 2026
- NBA Finals Game 1: June 3, 2026
- NBA Finals Game 7 (if nec.): June 19, 2026
Expert Note from the SportsBrackets Analyst: The 2026 NBA Finals feature a unique Wednesday-Friday-Monday rotation for the first three games, a shift designed to optimize rest cycles and travel days. When filling out your bracket, keep a close eye on the Western Conference Wild Card spots; with the addition of Amazon Prime as a Friday night broadcaster, teams with heavy national exposure during the regular season often show better road resilience in the early rounds.
*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 .
Last updated: February 21, 2026
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.
- SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament: April 14-17, 2026
- NBA Playoffs First Round: Begins April 18, 2026
- Conference Semifinals: Tentatively May 5-6, 2026 (could start as early as May 3-4 depending on first-round outcomes)
- Conference Finals: Approximately May 20, 2026
- NBA Finals: Begins June 3, 2026, with potential Game 7 on June 19, 2026
- Game 1: Wednesday, June 3 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 2: Friday, June 5 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 3: Monday, June 8 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 4: Wednesday, June 10 (8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 5: Saturday, June 13 (if necessary, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 6: Tuesday, June 16 (if necessary, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
- Game 7: Friday, June 19 (if necessary, 8:30 p.m. ET, ABC)
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 3-19, 2026. 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 3 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 2 | June 5 | 8:00 PM | ABC |
| Game 3 | June 8 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 4 | June 10 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 5* | June 13 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 6* | June 16 | 8:30 PM | ABC |
| Game 7* | June 19 | 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.
