16 teams, two conferences
The NBA Playoffs feature 16 teams — the top 8 from the Eastern Conference and the top 8 from the Western Conference. Seeds 1 through 6 qualify directly from the regular-season standings. Seeds 7 and 8 are settled by the Play-In Tournament.
The Play-In Tournament (seeds 7–10)
Introduced full-time in 2021, the Play-In gives teams ranked 7th–10th in each conference a shot at the last two playoff spots:
- 7 vs 8: winner earns the 7 seed. Loser gets a second chance.
- 9 vs 10: winner advances. Loser is eliminated.
- 7 vs 8 loser vs 9 vs 10 winner: winner earns the 8 seed and the final playoff spot.
The playoff bracket: four rounds, all best-of-seven
- First Round: 1 vs 8, 4 vs 5, 3 vs 6, 2 vs 7 (per conference).
- Conference Semifinals: First-round winners meet in a re-seeded bracket.
- Conference Finals: East champion and West champion decided.
- NBA Finals: East champion vs West champion for the Larry O'Brien Trophy.
Home-court advantage
Every series is best-of-seven and follows the 2-2-1-1-1 format: the higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7; the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 6. Home-court in the NBA Finals is awarded to the team with the better regular-season record, regardless of conference seeding.
How long do the playoffs last?
From the Play-In in mid-April to the Finals in mid-June, the NBA Playoffs run about two months. A full-length playoff run (four series that all go seven games) means 28 games — nearly a third of a regular season.