NBA Playoff Picture 2026-27

NBA playoff picture for 2026-27, updated September 17. The Eastern Conference season has not started; seeds below are the pre-season order. The Western Conference season has not started; seeds below are the pre-season order.

Eastern ConferenceWestern ConferenceBoth

Eastern Conference Playoff Picture

In the playoffs (seeds 1-6)
1Atlanta HawksSoutheast0-0@ ORL Wed
2Boston CelticsAtlantic0-0@ DET Tue
3Chicago BullsCentral0-0@ TOR Wed
4Brooklyn NetsAtlantic0-0vs CHA Wed
5Charlotte HornetsSoutheast0-0@ BKN Wed
6Cleveland CavaliersCentral0-0@ PHI Thu
Play-in tournament (seeds 7-10)
7Detroit PistonsCentral0-0vs BOS Tue
8Indiana PacersCentral0-0@ NOP Wed
9Miami HeatSoutheast0-0vs MIN Wed
10Milwaukee BucksCentral0-0@ WAS Wed
In the hunt
–New York KnicksAtlantic0-0vs PHI Tue
–Orlando MagicSoutheast0-0vs ATL Wed
–Philadelphia 76ersAtlantic0-0@ NYK Tue
–Toronto RaptorsAtlantic0-0vs CHI Wed
–Washington WizardsSoutheast0-0vs MIL Wed

Seeds 1-6 qualify directly; seeds 7-10 play the play-in tournament for the last two spots. GB = games behind the No. 10 seed. Tags: x clinched playoff, p clinched play-in, z clinched division, * clinched home-court, e eliminated (wins-only maths). Arrows = movement since the last games.

If the Playoffs Started Today

Eastern Conference play-in and first round

Play-in: 7 v 8 (winner is the No. 7 seed); 9 v 10 (loser eliminated); loser of 7/8 v winner of 9/10 for the No. 8 seed
8Indiana Pacers logoPacers0-0@7Detroit Pistons logoPistons0-0
10Milwaukee Bucks logoBucks0-0@9Miami Heat logoHeat0-0
First round (best of seven)
8 seed from play-in@1Atlanta Hawks logoHawks0-0
7 seed from play-in@2Boston Celtics logoCeltics0-0
6Cleveland Cavaliers logoCavaliers0-0@3Chicago Bulls logoBulls0-0
5Charlotte Hornets logoHornets0-0@4Brooklyn Nets logoNets0-0

Western Conference play-in and first round

Play-in: 7 v 8 (winner is the No. 7 seed); 9 v 10 (loser eliminated); loser of 7/8 v winner of 9/10 for the No. 8 seed
8Minnesota Timberwolves logoTimberwolves0-0@7Memphis Grizzlies logoGrizzlies0-0
10Oklahoma City Thunder logoThunder0-0@9New Orleans Pelicans logoPelicans0-0
First round (best of seven)
8 seed from play-in@1Dallas Mavericks logoMavericks0-0
7 seed from play-in@2Denver Nuggets logoNuggets0-0
6Los Angeles Lakers logoLakers0-0@3Golden State Warriors logoWarriors0-0
5Los Angeles Clippers logoClippers0-0@4Houston Rockets logoRockets0-0

Higher seed has home-court advantage. Matchups update automatically after every game.

Games That Matter This Week

No bubble games in the next week.

Biggest Movers

No seed changes since the last games.

⚖️ How NBA tiebreakers work →

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Playoff picture FAQ

How many teams make the NBA playoffs?

16, eight per conference. Seeds 1-6 qualify directly and two more come through the play-in tournament among seeds 7-10.

How does the play-in tournament work?

The 7 and 8 seeds play once; the winner is the No. 7 seed. The 9 and 10 seeds play once; the loser is out. The loser of 7 v 8 then hosts the winner of 9 v 10 for the No. 8 seed.

What does "in the hunt" mean?

Teams outside the top 10 but within about two and a half games of the last play-in spot.

What do the x, p, z and * tags mean?

x clinched a playoff berth, p clinched at least a play-in spot, z clinched the division, * clinched the No. 1 seed and home-court advantage. An e means the team is eliminated.

Does winning the division matter in the NBA?

Only as a tiebreaker. Seeds 1-6 are by record; a division winner is not guaranteed a top-four seed.

When is the playoff picture final?

After the last regular-season game in April. Until then every result can move seeds, especially where teams are tied and tiebreakers apply.

Updated ยท last result change Sep 11