2026 NBA playoff bracket: Matchups, schedule as Blazers advance to face Spurs

Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

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. Later on Tuesday night, the Trail Blazers used a late rally to beat the Suns in Phoenix and earn the West’s No. 7 seed. Portland will face Victor Wembanyama on Sunday in his playoff debut.

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.

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 Trail Blazers
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. 8 Trail Blazers 114, No. 7 Suns 110 — Portland wins 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, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
Suns 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 Trail Blazers, 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)