The NBA Play-In Tournament 2024 Explained

The so-called NBA Play-In Tournament occurs before the 2024 NBA playoffs kicks off and decides how the seventh and eighth seeds map in each conference’s playoff picture.

It’s scheduled for Tuesday, April 16 – Friday, April 19. This tournament bridges the gap between the end of the regular season and the first round of the NBA playoffs. 

Regarding how the play-in tournament takes place, the first eight teams in each conference are saucier for the playoffs.

The ninths and the tenths play the four seeds for a slot. Therefore, the play-in tournament takes place as follows. The number 7 teams host the number 8-ranked teams to decide where they claim the 7th seed, while the loser gets a chance to fight again. 

On the other hand, the 9th-ranked teams host the 10th-ranked teams, and the victor becomes the final seed to play in the playoffs, while the loser leaves the tournament. 

Finally, the losers in the first stage host the losers in the second stage, with the winners becoming the 8th seed while the losers exit the race depending on their status after the end of the regular season on April 11. 

Western Conference:

(7) Suns vs. (8) Kings

(9) Warriors vs. (10) Lakers

Eastern Conference:

(7) 76ers vs. (8) Heat

(9) Bulls vs. (10) Hawks

How to Watch the Play-In Tournament:

All six games will air on TNT and ESPN; the schedule will also be determined. The timeline for the NBA Playoffs Timeline is as follows: The NBA Play-In Tournament is scheduled between April 16 and April 19. 

April 20 is the NBA Playoffs Presented by Google Pixel. The conference semifinals start on May 6-7 but will shift to May 4-5. The conference Finals begin on May 21-22 but will change to May 19-20. NBA Finals 2024 Game 1 is slated for June 6The NBA final will take place until June, with the last sport scheduled for June 23 if necessary.