Following the conclusion of the 2024-25 NBA regular season on April 13, the play-in tournament will commence, starting on April 15 and concluding on April 18, one day before the playoffs begin.

Introduced in the 2020-21 NBA season, the play-in tournament expanded the postseason to include 20 teams, with 10 from each conference. The top six teams in each conference secure automatic playoff berths, while teams seeded 7th through 10th compete in the play-in tournament for a chance to continue their season.

Since its inception, the play-in tournament has intensified the competition for postseason spots each year.

In the Eastern Conference, the Atlanta Hawks and Orlando Magic are vying for the No. 7 seed and the home-court advantage in the first play-in game. Simultaneously, the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are closely competing for the 9th and 10th seeds.

The Western Conference has been highly competitive throughout the season, making every remaining regular-season game crucial. The Golden State Warriors, currently at the No. 6 seed, are only slightly ahead of the rising Minnesota Timberwolves, who are just ahead of the No. 8 LA Clippers. With several conference games left in the next two weeks, playoff positioning remains highly contested.

Here is a detailed guide to the 2025 play-in tournament, covering its mechanics, current standings, and possible matchups.


Current Standings

Eastern Conference Play-In Standings

Team W-L Win Pct. GB of 6th
6. Milwaukee Bucks 40-34 .541
7. Atlanta Hawks 36-38 .486 4
8. Orlando Magic 36-40 .474 5
9. Miami Heat 34-41 .453 6.5
10. Chicago Bulls 33-42 .440 7.5

Western Conference Play-In Standings

Team W-L Win Pct. GB of 6th
4. Los Angeles Lakers 45-29 .608 +3.5
5. Memphis Grizzlies 44-31 .587 +.5
6. Golden State Warriors 43-31 .581
7. Minnesota Timberwolves 43-32 .573 .5
8. LA Clippers 42-32 .573 .5
9. Dallas Mavericks 37-39 .487 7
10. Sacramento Kings 36-39 .480 7.5
11. Phoenix Suns 35-40 .467 8.5

Standings as of March 31.


Key Regular-Season Games

Eastern Conference

April 8: Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks, 7 p.m. ET
April 9: Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat, 8 p.m. ET
April 11: Detroit Pistons vs. Milwaukee Bucks, 7 p.m. ET
April 13: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Detroit Pistons, 1 p.m. ET
April 13: Atlanta Hawks vs. Orlando Magic, 1 p.m. ET

Western Conference

April 1: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Golden State Warriors, 8 p.m. ET
April 1: Denver Nuggets vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 10 p.m. ET
April 3: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Golden State Warriors, 10 pm. ET
April 4: Golden State Warriors vs. Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
April 4: LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 10:30 p.m. ET
April 5: LA Clippers vs. Dallas Mavericks, 10:30 p.m. ET
April 6: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 3:30 p.m. ET
April 6: Golden State Warriors vs. Houston Rockets, 8:30 p.m. ET
April 8: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Oklahoma City Thunder, 8 p.m. ET
April 9: Dallas Mavericks vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 7:30 p.m. ET
April 9: Sacramento Kings vs. Denver Nuggets, 10 p.m. ET
April 10: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. ET
April 11: Denver Nuggets vs. Memphis Grizzlies, 9 p.m. ET
April 11: Sacramento Kings vs. LA Clippers, 10 p.m. ET
April 11: Los Angeles Lakers vs. Houston Rockets, 10:30 p.m. ET
April 13: Houston Rockets vs. Denver Nuggets, 3:30 p.m. ET
April 13: Memphis Grizzlies vs. Dallas Mavericks, 3:30 p.m. ET
April 13: Golden States Warriors vs. LA Clippers, 3:30 p.m. ET
April 13: Sacramento Kings vs. Phoenix Suns, 3:30 p.m. ET


Projected Matchups

An early look at the potential 2025 play-in tournament brackets based on current standings.

Eastern Conference

  • No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 7 Atlanta Hawks

  • No. 10 Chicago Bulls at No. 9 Miami Heat

  • Winner 9/10 vs. loser 7/8

Western Conference

  • No. 8 LA Clippers at No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves

  • No. 10 Sacramento Kings at No. 9 Dallas Mavericks

  • Winner 9/10 vs. loser 7/8


How the NBA Play-in Tournament Works

The play-in tournament features a total of six games involving eight teams from both conferences.

The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed playoff spots, while teams ranked 7th to 10th participate in the play-in. Teams finishing below 10th enter the NBA draft lottery.

The 2024-25 NBA regular season concludes on April 13, with all 30 teams competing. The play-in tournament will then be held from April 15 to 18, preceding the first round of the playoffs.

Here’s a breakdown of the game structure:

  • Game 1s: The No. 7 seed in each conference hosts the No. 8 seed. The winner secures the No. 7 playoff seed, while the loser gets another chance in Game 3.

  • Game 2s: The No. 9 seed in each conference hosts the No. 10 seed. The winner advances to Game 3, and the losers are eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.

  • Game 3s: The losers from the No. 7 vs. No. 8 games host the winners from the No. 9 vs. No. 10 games. The winners earn the No. 8 seed in the playoffs, and the losers enter the NBA draft lottery.

This format gives teams with the 7th and 8th best records two opportunities to win one game for a playoff spot, while the 9th and 10th ranked teams must win two consecutive games to advance.