2025 NBA Play-In Tournament: Everything You Need to Know

The 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament promises to deliver another thrilling chapter in postseason basketball. Following the conclusion of the regular season on April 13, the play-in games will tip off on April 15, culminating on April 18 - just one day before the NBA Playoffs begin.

Tournament Format & Structure

• Participating Teams: 20 teams (10 from each conference)

  • Top 6 teams from each conference automatically qualify for playoffs
  • Seeds 7-10 battle for the final two playoff spots per conference

• Game Structure:

  • Game 1: No. 7 vs No. 8 (winner gets 7-seed, loser gets another chance)
  • Game 2: No. 9 vs No. 10 (winner advances, loser eliminated)
  • Game 3: Loser of 7/8 vs Winner of 9/10 (winner gets 8-seed)

Teams finishing 7th/8th get two chances to win one game, while 9th/10th seeds must win twice to advance.

Current Standings & Race to the Play-In

Standings as of March 31, 2025

Must-Watch Regular Season Games

These final games could dramatically alter the play-in landscape:

April 1

• Warriors vs Grizzlies (8PM ET)
• Timberwolves vs Nuggets (10PM ET)

April 8

• Magic vs Hawks (7PM ET)

April 9

• Bulls vs Heat (8PM ET) - Potential play-in preview

April 13 (Final Day)

• 3+ games with play-in implications across both conferences

Projected Play-In Matchups

If the season ended today:

Eastern Conference

• No. 8 Magic @ No. 7 Hawks
• No. 10 Bulls @ No. 9 Heat

Western Conference

• No. 8 Clippers @ No. 7 Timberwolves
• No. 10 Kings @ No. 9 Mavericks

Why the Play-In Tournament Matters

Since its 2021 debut, the play-in has:

• Increased late-season competition
• Given more teams postseason hope
• Created dramatic single-elimination games
• Boosted viewership before the playoffs

Teams like the 2021 Lakers (from 7th to playoffs) and 2023 Timberwolves have proved its transformative potential. With just weeks remaining in the regular season, every game could mean the difference between extending a season or heading to the lottery.