The 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, but there is still much to be decided with two days of games remaining in the NBA’s regular season. The play-in tournament will feature the teams that finish 7 through 10 in the East and West standings, and will give them a chance to earn the final two playoff spots in each conference.
While the East play-in field is set, three teams — the Hawks, Bulls and Heat — are still battling for position (the Magic have secured the No. 7 seed). The West, meanwhile, is still very much up in the air. Let’s break it down:
Play-In Tournament schedule
Tuesday
• East 7 vs. East 8 (Time TBD)
• West 7 vs. West 8 (Time TBD)
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The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 7 seeds; the losers will play again on Friday.
Wednesday
• East 9 vs. East 10 (Time TBD)
• West 9 vs. West 10 (Time TBD)
The winners will play again Friday for a shot at the No. 8 seeds; the losers will be eliminated.
Friday, April 18
• East 7/8 loser vs. East 9/10 winner (Time TBD)
• West 7/8 loser vs. West 9/10 winner (Time TBD)
The winners advance to the playoffs as the No. 8 seeds; the losers will be eliminated.
Current East play-in matchups
(7) Orlando Magic vs. (8) Atlanta Hawks
(9) Chicago Bulls vs. (10) Miami Heat
• The Magic are locked into the No. 7 seed and will host the 7/8 matchup.
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• The Hawks, Bulls and Heat are still fighting for the 8/9/10 seeds.
Current West play-in matchups
(7) Memphis Grizzlies vs. (8) Minnesota Timberwolves
(9) Sacramento Kings vs. (10) Dallas Mavericks
• The Grizzlies and Timberwolves are still fighting for guaranteed playoff spots with the Nuggets, Clippers and Warriors. Those three teams currently occupy top-six spots but could fall into the play-in tournament in the final days of the season.
• The Kings and Mavericks are locked into the 9/10 game, but are still fighting for home-court advantage in their matchup.
How the play-in tournament works
The current format of the play-in tournament was introduced during the 2020-21 season. Teams that finish 7 through 10 in the standings will participate in a two-round tournament for a shot at the playoffs as the seventh and eighth seeds.
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From the NBA:
Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winners secure the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The losers will get another chance to earn a playoff spot.
Each conference’s No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winners will advance to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The losers are eliminated.
The losers of the No. 7 vs. No. 8 matchups will host the winners of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchups. The winners secure the No. 8 seed in the NBA playoffs for its conference. The losing teams are eliminated.
The 2025 NBA Playoffs begin April 19.
