2026 NBA playoff bracket: Matchups, schedule as postseason field gets finalized
All seeds in the 2026 NBA playoff bracket will be decided on Sunday night
By
Brad Botkin
Apr 12, 2026
at
6:49 pm ET
•
2 min read
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
The 2026 NBA playoff bracket will be set on Sunday night. Half of the postseason’s 20 seeds will be decided on Sunday as all 30 teams play their final regular-season games. We know 11 of the 12 teams who are guaranteed top-six playoff seeds, and we know six of the eight teams heading to the Play-In Tournament. But the finishing touches on the bracket will all be made in the coming hours.
The biggest questions on Sunday include who will get the final top-six spot in the East? It’s win and in for the Raptors, while the Magic and 76ers are lurking if Toronto slips up. In the West, the biggest question is if the Nuggets can lock up the No. 3 seed and keep the Lakers at No. 4. The West’s No. 3 seed would face the Wolves in the first round, while the Rockets await the No. 4 seed.
While we wait and see how the final seeds shake out, here’s an up-to-date look at the 2026 NBA playoff bracket, as well as the schedule for the Play-In Tournament and key dates for the next two months.
2026 NBA playoff bracket
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports
2026 NBA Playoff Picture
NBA postseason bracket entering Sunday
Play-In Tournament
East: No. 7 Magic vs. No. 8 76ers | No. 9 Hornets vs. No. 10 Heat
West: No. 7 Suns vs. No. 8 Trail Blazers | No. 9 Clippers vs. No. 10 Warriors
East first round No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Raptors No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Hawks
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
Tuesday, April 14
East No. 7 vs. East No. 8, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 7 seed
Suns vs. Trail Blazers/Clippers, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 7 seed
Wednesday, April 15
Hornets vs. Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason
Trail Blazers/Clippers vs. Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason
Friday, April 17
TBD vs. TBD, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
TBD vs. TBD, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
2026 NBA playoffs schedule
Saturday, April 18
Four first-round playoff games (times and matchups TBD)
Sunday, April 19
Four first-round playoff games (times and matchups TBD)
