2026 NBA playoff bracket: Matchups, schedule as Hornets knock Heat out of play-in

The 2026 NBA postseason kicked off Tuesday night, and the first game brought the first memorable moment. The Hornets are moving on in the Play-In Tournament thanks to LaMelo Ball’s game-winning lay-up in overtime against the Heat. Charlotte will now play either the Magic or 76ers on Friday for the No. 8 seed. Miami’s season is over. The postseason bracket now stands at 19 teams, and it will be trimmed to 16 by Friday night.

The first round of the playoffs will tip off on Saturday (April 18). The play-in will decide the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in both conferences, but we already know four of the eight first-round matchups. In the East, the No. 3 Knicks will face the No. 6 Hawks, and the No. 4 Cavaliers will go up against the No. 5 Raptors. In the West, it’s the Nuggets against the Timberwolves in the conference’s 3-6 matchup, and the Lakers facing the Rockets in the 4-5.

The Pistons, Celtics, Thunder and Spurs await the winners of the Play-In Tournament. The Celtics, as the East’s No. 2 seed, will face either the 76ers or the Magic in the first round; the Spurs will battle either the Suns or Trail Blazers in Victor Wembanyama’s playoff debut.

Here’s a look at the now official 2026 NBA playoff bracket.

2026 NBA playoff bracket

2026 NBA Playoff Picture

NBA postseason bracket

East first round
No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Hawks
No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Raptors

West first round
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 Nuggets vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Lakers vs. No. 5 Rockets

Play-In Tournament schedule, scores

Tuesday, April 14

• No. 9 Hornets 127, No. 10 Heat 126 (OT) — Miami is eliminated
• No. 7 Suns vs. No. 8 Trail Blazers, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 7 seed

Wednesday, April 15

• No. 7 76ers vs. No. 8 Magic, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 7 seed
• No. 9 Clippers vs. No. 10 Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason

Friday, April 17

• 76ers/Magic vs. Hornets/Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
• Suns/Trail Blazers vs. Clippers/Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason

2026 NBA playoffs schedule

All times Eastern. Games on ABC and ESPN are streaming on fubo (Try for free).

Saturday, April 18

• No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Raptors, 1 p.m., Prime 
• No. 3 Nuggets vs. No. 6 Timberwolves, 3:30 p.m., Prime 
• No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Hawks, 6 p.m., Prime 
• No. 4 Lakers vs. No. 5 Rockets, 8:30 p.m., ABC/fubo 

Sunday, April 19

• No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD, 1 p.m., ABC/fubo 
• No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD, 3:30 p.m., ABC/fubo
• No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD, 6:30 p.m., NBC
• No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 TBD, 9 p.m., NBC

2026 NBA playoffs key dates

• April 18-19: First-round series begin
• May 2-4: Second round begins
• May 10: 2026 NBA Draft Lottery
• May 19: Eastern Conference Finals begin
• May 20: Western Conference Finals begin
• June 3: NBA Finals Game 1
• June 19: NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)