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The 2026 NBA has a typically swift turnaround between the end of the regular season and the start of the posteseason.
Four teams each from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will take part in play-in games for the right to join 12 rivals in the first round of the playoffs.
Among the hopefuls, the Boston Celtics are in the playoffs for a 12th straight season and the Phoenix Suns are part of the play-ins for the first time in franchise history.
Here’s when the NBA playoffs start and key details on the action, including how long they could last and how to watch live.
When does the NBA Play In tournament start?
The Play-In tournament takes place between April 14 and 17.
In the Eastern Conference, the winners of the game between the 76ers and Magic advance to the play-offs as the seventh seed, with the losers taking on the Hornets or Heat for the right to be eighth seeds.
In the Western Conference, the seventh-seeded Suns play the eighth-seeded Trail Blazers and the Clippers, who finished ninth, take on the 10th-placed Warriors.
All of the play-in games are on Prime Video in the US. Start times with an asterisk are the following day.
| Date | Conference | Fixture | ET start time | PT | BST |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Tue, April 14 | East | Heat (10) vs Hornets (9) | 19:30 | 16:30 | 00:30* |
| Tue, April 14 | West | Trail Blazers (8) vs Suns (7) | 22:00 | 19:00 | 03:00* |
| Wed, April 15 | East | Magic (8) vs 76ers (7) | 19:30 | 16:30 | 00:30* |
| Wed, April 15 | West | Warriors (10) vs Clippers (9) | 22:00 | 19:00 | 03:00* |
| Fri, April 17 | East | 7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner | 19:30 | 16:30 | 00:30* |
| Fri, April 17 | West | 7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner | 22:00 | 19:00 | 03:00* |
When do the NBA playoffs start? 2026 dates
The NBA playoffs start on April 18 and run until June.
All playoff rounds are best of seven-game series, with home-court advantage going to the higher-seeded teams and the team with the best regular-season record in the final.
The hosting sequence for each series adopts a 2–2–1–1–1 format. You can see the latest bracket and schedule on the NBA’s site.
When are the 2026 NBA Finals? Dates, times, schedule
Following the Conference first round, semi-final and final stages, the NBA Finals will start on Wednesday, June 3.
The champions could be decided by June 10 or the series could last until nine days after that, depending on who reaches four wins first.
Here’s the schedule for the finals, which will be live on ABC in the US. Start times with an asterisk are the following day.
| Date | Game | ET | PT | BST |
| Wed, June 3 | 1 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
| Fri, June 5 | 2 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
| Mon, June 8 | 3 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
| Wed, June 10 | 4 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
| Sat, June 13 | 5 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
| Tue, June 16 | 6 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
| Fri, June 19 | 7 | 20:30 | 17:30 | 01:30* |
How to watch NBA playoffs 2026: TV channel, live online stream
Prime Video, ABC and NBC/Peacock have rights to the first round games. Broadcast details for the Conference semi-finals and finals will be confirmed after each round.
In the US, Prime Video costs $8.99 monthly. Students pay $7.49 monthly or $69 yearly. A 30-day free trial is available.
ABC is available through ESPN Plus, starting at $29.99 per month.
Peacock costs $10.99 a month or $109.99 annually, or $16.99 per month ($169.99 a year) with downloads and no adverts.
In the UK, the NBA League Pass shows games live and costs £16.99 a month or £22.99 per month with no commercials, offline viewing and concurrent streams on up to three devices.
