The NBA Regular Season Is Over — Here’s the Complete 2026 Playoff Bracket, Play-In Schedule, and Everything You Need to Know

The 2025-26 NBA regular season is officially in the books. All 30 teams played their 82nd game on Sunday — a 15-game finale that decided 10 of the 20 postseason seeds and delivered one of the most dramatic final days in recent memory.

Here’s everything you need to know heading into the SoFi Play-In Tournament (April 14-17) and the First Round of the NBA Playoffs (beginning April 18).

Eastern Conference Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Detroit Pistons (60-22) vs. No. 8 Play-In Winner
The Pistons finished as the East’s top seed for the first time since 2007-08 and hit 60 wins for only the third time in franchise history. Cade Cunningham, Paul Reed, and Tobias Harris lead a balanced roster with home-court advantage throughout the Eastern Conference playoffs.

No. 2 Boston Celtics (55-27) vs. No. 7 Play-In Winner
Boston clinched the 2-seed by beating the Magic on Sunday, with Sam Hauser’s 24 points leading the way. The defending 2024 champions have retooled and remain dangerous despite an inconsistent regular season.

No. 3 New York Knicks (51-31) vs. No. 6 Atlanta Hawks (46-36)
The Knicks locked up third after losing to the Hornets Sunday but still have the fewest clutch losses in the East. Jalen Brunson and Karl-Anthony Towns lead New York’s quest for its first Finals since 1999. The Hawks, who dropped to sixth after losing to Miami 143-117, went on a 17-4 tear to clinch their first playoff berth in four years.

No. 4 Cleveland Cavaliers (52-30) vs. No. 5 Toronto Raptors (46-36)
The Raptors jumped to fifth by beating the Nets 136-101 on a Scottie Barnes triple-double, combined with Hawks and Magic losses. Cleveland’s balanced roster — Mitchell, Garland, Mobley, Allen — faces a tough Toronto defense.

Play-In Tournament (East):

• 7/8 Game: Orlando Magic (45-37) vs. Philadelphia 76ers (43-37) — winner gets 7th seed

• 9/10 Game: Charlotte Hornets (44-38) vs. Miami Heat (43-39) — loser eliminated

• The Hornets clinched the 9-seed by beating the Knicks 110-96, with LaMelo Ball and Brandon Miller scoring 19 apiece. Charlotte has gone 32-16 since January 1 — the second-best record in the East over that span.

Western Conference Playoff Bracket

No. 1 Oklahoma City Thunder (64-18) vs. No. 8 Play-In Winner
The Thunder finished with the league’s best record and will be the prohibitive favorites to come out of the West. SGA’s historic scoring streak and Jalen Williams’ return make this roster the deepest in the conference.

No. 2 San Antonio Spurs (62-20) vs. No. 7 Play-In Winner
The Spurs became the first team to go from 60-plus losses to 60-plus wins in a two-year span. Victor Wembanyama’s MVP-caliber campaign — 24.2 points, 11.2 rebounds, 3.1 blocks — has transformed San Antonio into a legitimate title contender.

No. 3 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 6 Minnesota Timberwolves (48-34)
The Nuggets entered Sunday’s finale against the Spurs riding an 11-game win streak and needing a win to clinch the 3-seed. Nikola Jokic finished the season as the league leader in rebounds (12.9) and assists (10.9) while averaging nearly 28 points — a historic triple-double season.

No. 4 Los Angeles Lakers vs. No. 5 Houston Rockets (50-32)
The Lakers clinched the 4-seed and LeBron James heads to his 19th career postseason at age 41. With Luka Doncic’s scoring and Austin Reaves’ emergence, LA is a dangerous draw. Houston’s young core, anchored by their playoff-tested roster, will look to make some noise.

Play-In Tournament (West):

• 7/8 Game: Phoenix Suns (44-38) vs. Portland Trail Blazers — winner gets 7th seed

• 9/10 Game: LA Clippers vs. Golden State Warriors (37-45) — loser eliminated

• Kawhi Leonard’s career-year (27.9 ppg) has powered the Clippers to the largest single-season turnaround in franchise history (from 6-21 start to play-in contention).

Key Dates

• April 14-17: SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament

• April 18: NBA Playoffs First Round begins

• May 10: NBA Draft Lottery

• June: NBA Finals on ABC

The Bottom of the Barrel

The race for lottery positioning was just as dramatic as the playoff push. The Pacers finished 19-63 — the worst record in franchise history — followed by the Nets (20-62), Wizards, Jazz, Kings, Mavericks, and Grizzlies. Cooper Flagg closed his historic rookie season with averages of 21.2 points, 6.7 rebounds, and 4.6 assists in 69 games, though he was ruled out of the finale with an injury. Dallas still won to finish 26-56.

The stage is set. The postseason starts Tuesday. Let’s go.