Following the 2024-25 NBA regular season which ended on April 13, the play-in tournament is scheduled to take place from April 15 to April 18. This precedes the first round of the playoffs by one day.
Introduced in the 2020-21 season, the play-in tournament expanded the NBA 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 currently competing for the No. 7 seed, which offers home-court advantage for the first play-in game. Meanwhile, the Chicago Bulls and Miami Heat are closely matched for the No. 9 and No. 10 seeds.
The Western Conference has seen intense competition throughout the season, making every remaining regular-season game crucial. The Golden State Warriors, currently the No. 6 seed, are just half a game ahead of the Minnesota Timberwolves, who are in turn only half a game ahead of the No. 8 seed LA Clippers. With several conference games still to be played in the coming weeks, the final postseason positions remain highly contested.
Here`s a comprehensive overview of the 2025 play-in tournament, including its format, 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 31st.
Regular-Season Games to Watch
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
Here’s a look at the potential 2025 play-in tournament matchups based on the current standings.
Eastern Conference
- No. 8 Orlando Magic at No. 7 Atlanta Hawks
- No. 10 Chicago Bulls at No. 9 Miami Heat
- Winner of 9/10 game vs. Loser of 7/8 game
Western Conference
- No. 8 LA Clippers at No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves
- No. 10 Sacramento Kings at No. 9 Dallas Mavericks
- Winner of 9/10 game vs. Loser of 7/8 game
How the NBA Play-In Tournament Works
The play-in tournament will feature a total of six games involving eight teams from both conferences.
The top six teams in each conference are guaranteed a playoff spot. Teams ranked 7th to 10th in each conference standings will participate in the play-in tournament. Teams ranked lower than 10th will 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 take place from April 15 to 18, leading up to the first round of the playoffs.
Here’s the game structure:
- Game 1s: In each conference, the No. 7 seed hosts the No. 8 seed. The winner secures the No. 7 playoff seed, while the loser gets another chance in Game 3 of their respective conference.
- Game 2s: In each conference, the No. 9 seed hosts the No. 10 seed. The winner advances to Game 3. The losers are eliminated and enter the NBA draft lottery.
- Game 3s: The loser of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game hosts the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 game. The winners earn the No. 8 playoff seed in their conference. 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. Teams with the 9th and 10th best records must win two consecutive games to advance.
