This Tuesday, April 14, the eliminatory begins play-in of the National Basketball Association (NBAfor its acronym in English), in which eight teams—four from the Conference This and four from the Conference West— will fight for the last places towards the playoffs 2026, where the other twelve paintings that had classified are already waiting.
The format, which was established in April 2020, will pit four teams from each conference against each other to finish setting up the postseasonso the first qualifying round of the play-inwhich gives access to the last places in the fight for the championship, will face the sevenths against the eighths already the ninths against the tenths.
Given this situation, this format has revolutionized competitiveness at conferences and offers an opportunity to life or death for the franchises that finished between seventh and tenth place in the table. Therefore, equipment great historical weight and contrasting realities will confront each other in duels of direct elimination.
Given the circumstances, the play-in promises to be a battle tactics and physics in which there is no margin for error. Therefore, it is the moment when the figures must step forward to keep alive the aspirations of achieving the ringsince the teams classified in seventh and eighth position have a “double chance” to pass.
Western Conference Play-In
Phoenix Suns (7) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8)
The winner of the confrontation, which will take place on Tuesday April 14 at 8:00 p.m. in Guatemala, will directly classify the playoffs as the seventh seed. However, the loser will have a second chance, as they will face the winner of the duel between ninth (Los Angeles Clippers) and tenth (Golden State Warriors).
Los Angeles Clippers (9) vs. Golden State Warriors (10)
Whoever wins the duel that will be played on Wednesday, April 15 at 5:30 p.m. of Guatemala will advance to the final round of the play-inagainst the loser of the confrontation between the seventh (Phoenix Suns) and the eighth (Portland Trail Blazers). However, the loser of the Californian bracket will be automatically eliminated from the season.
Eastern Conference Play-In
Philadelphia 76ers (7) vs. Orlando Magic (8)
Just like in the Western Conferencethe loser of the duel that will be played on Wednesday April 15 at 17.30 Guatemala hours between the seventh (Philadelphia 76ers) and the eighth (Orlando Magic) will face the winner of the duel between the ninth and the tenth. Whoever wins will keep the last quota for this postseason.
Charlotte Hornets (9) vs. Miami Heat (10)
The Hornets and the heat They will face each other on Tuesday, April 14 at 5:30 p.m. in Guatemala in a life or death confrontation, given that the structure ensures that the teams that fought to enter the Top-10 have real motivation until matchday 82, which raise the level of the matches in the most important tournament in the world.
NBA Playoffs 2026
- The winner of the confrontation between phoenix Suns and portland Trail Blazers will advance directly to the first round of the playoffswhere he will have to face the San Antonio Spurs (second place in the Western Conference).
- The loser of the confrontation between phoenix Suns and portland Trail Blazers will have to face the winner of the duel between Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors. Whoever wins will advance to the first round of the playoffs and will face the Oklahoma City Thunder (first place in the Western Conference).
- The winner of the confrontation between Philadelphia 76ers and orlando Magic will advance directly to the first round of the playoffswhere he will have to face the Boston Celtics (second place in the Eastern Conference).
- The loser of the confrontation between Philadelphia 76ers and Orlando magic will have to face the winner of the duel between charlotte Hornets and miami Heat. Whoever wins will advance to the first round of the playoffs and will face the Detroit Pistons (first place in the Eastern Conference).
THE BRACKET IS SET 🍿 pic.twitter.com/bqSnxeDnzv
—NBA (@NBA) April 13, 2026