Explaining NBA Playoffs 2025 Play-in Format, Bracket Seedings and More
For most NBA teams, the next few days will offer a chance for them to catch their breath in between the 82-game marathon that just completed and, for those who qualified for the playoffs, the four-round sprint to the championship that lies ahead.
However, there are eight teams—four from each conference—that can't afford to take a pause. That's because they are participants in the play-in tournament, which rewards the final two playoff berths in both conferences.
With the play-in opening tip getting tossed on Tuesday night, we're here to break down what the basketball world is about to witness. After explaining the tournament format and providing the schedule, we'll close with predictions regarding the play-in's first night of action.
Play-in Tournament Format
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The play-in tournament is, essentially, a few qualifying rounds that fill in the remaining spots in the bracket. Among the eight teams who enter, four will leave with either the Nos. 7 or 8 seeds in hand while the other four will be sent to a summer break arriving earlier than they'd like.
While the stakes are the same for all of the participants, their paths to the playoffs are not. That's because the league makes it easier for those who snagged the seventh or eighth seeds during the regular season and more difficult for those who wound up ninth or 10th.
Specifically, tournament play opens Tuesday night when the squads currently seeded seventh (the Golden State Warriors in the West and Orlando Magic in the East) host the teams seeded eighth (the Memphis Grizzlies and Atlanta Hawks, respectively). The winners of these games will grab the seventh seed for the playoffs and advance to an opening-round series against the second seed.
As for those seeded ninth (the Sacramento Kings and Chicago Bulls), they'll play host to the 10th seeds (the Dallas Mavericks and Miami Heat) on Wednesday. The losers of those games will be eliminated.
To close out the tournament, Tuesday's losers will host Wednesday's winners on Friday night to settle the eighth and final seed in each conference. So, just to recap, the Warriors, Magic, Grizzlies and Hawks all need just one win to reach the playoffs, while the Kings, Bulls, Mavericks and Heat require two victories to advance.
Play-in Seedings, Schedule
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Play-in tournament seeds
Eastern Conference
No. 7: Orlando Magic
No. 8: Atlanta Hawks
No. 9: Chicago Bulls
No. 10: Miami Heat
Western Conference
No. 7: Golden State Warriors
No. 8: Memphis Grizzlies
No. 9: Sacramento Kings
No. 10: Dallas Mavericks
Play-in tournament schedule
Tuesday, April 15
East 7/8 Game: Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic, 7:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
West 7/8 Game: Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors, 10 p.m. ET (TNT)
Wednesday, April 16
East 9/10 Game: Miami Heat at Chicago Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
West 9/10 Game: Dallas Mavericks at Sacramento Kings, 10 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Friday, April 18
Eastern Conference 8 Seed Game, TBD (TNT)
Western Conference 8 Seed Game, TBD (ESPN)
Tuesday's Play-in Predictions
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Atlanta Hawks at Orlando Magic
These Southeast Division rivals are very familiar with one another. This matchup will be their fifth of the season and the ultimate tiebreaker of sorts, since the squads split their four regular-season meetings 2-2.
That record is a touch misleading, though, since their last matchup came in a meaningless season finale on Sunday and saw most of the rotation regulars sit out. The Hawks have more offensive firepower, and a hot-shooting night from Trae Young could propel them to the seventh seed. However, Orlando's defense is the biggest strength in this matchup, and if it's complemented by strong scoring outbursts from at least one of star forwards Paolo Banchero and Franz Wagner, the Magic should pull this off.
Prediction: Magic 115, Hawks 109
Memphis Grizzlies at Golden State Warriors
The Warriors went 3-1 against the Grizzlies this season, but most of those matchups likely have little bearing on the outcome of this one. That's because the first three were all in the books by early January—before Golden State added Jimmy Butler in a blockbuster trade and before Memphis sought to shake things up with its late March dismissal of former coach Taylor Jenkins.
The most recent game, played on April 1, was an absolute thrill ride, though. The two teams combined for 259 points in Golden State's 134-125 victory, and the stars shined blindingly bright. Stephen Curry netted 52 points, Ja Morant tallied 36 of his own and Butler finished with 27 points on 11 field-goal attempts.
If the Dubs are healthy—Curry jammed his thumb in their penultimate game of the regular season, while Butler limped through the end of Sunday's finale after taking a knee to the thigh—they should be able to get the better of the Grizzlies once again. Memphis struggled to shake out of its second-half malaise and had just six wins to show for its last 16 trips to the hardwood.
Prediction: Warriors 120, Grizzlies 113
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