Now that the 2024-25 NBA regular season is over, it’s time for the ‘playoffs’ before the playoffs.
The bracket for the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament is officially set, where seeds No. 7 through 10 in the East and West will compete for the final two postseason berths in their respective conferences.
Sunday proved to be a hectic finale, particularly in the West, where the the No. 4 through 7 seeds — the Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, Golden State Warriors and Minnesota Timberwolves — each entered the day separated by just one game.
This year will mark the fifth time, under its current structure, that the NBA Play-In Tournament will be held. Introduced ahead of the 2021 playoffs, any statistics recorded in the games do not count toward official records. Yet, the implications for the teams – winners and losers alike – is massive.
Here’s a look at the final bracket 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament:
NBA Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament matchup
With the 2024-25 NBA regular season’s conclusion Sunday, here’s the final bracket of the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament:
- Seventh-place Orlando Magic vs. eighth-place Atlanta Hawks
- Winner faces No. 2 seed Boston Celtics
- Loser will play in second round of Play-In Tournament
- Ninth-place Chicago Bulls vs. 10th-place Miami Heat
- Winner plays in second round of Play-In Tournament
- Loser eliminated
NBA Western Conference Play-In Tournament matchup
With the 2024-25 NBA regular season’s conclusion Sunday, here’s the final bracket of the Western Conference Play-In Tournament:
- Seventh-place Golden State Warriors vs. eighth-place Memphis Grizzlies
- Winner faces No. 2 seed Houston Rockets
- Loser will play in second round of Play-In Tournament
- Ninth-place Sacramento Kings vs. 10th-place Dallas Mavericks
- Winner plays in second round of Play-In Tournament
- Loser eliminated
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The tournament involves the teams ranked seventh through 10th in each conference to determine the seventh and eighth seeds, the final two playoff teams in each conference bracket.
Any stats recorded during play-in games do not count toward a player or team’s regular season or postseason records. In the simplest terms, the Play-In Tournament is considered a separate event in between the regular season and playoffs.
When does the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament start?
The 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament begins Tuesday, April 15 and runs through Friday, April 18.
What is the schedule for the 2025 NBA Play-In Tournament?
Tuesday, April 15
- Orlando Magic vs. Atlanta Hawks (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed); TNT
- West No. 7 seed Golden State Warriors vs. West No. 8 seed Memphis Grizzlies (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed); TNT
Wednesday, April 16
- Chicago Bulls vs. Miami Heat (winner advances to final round of tournament; loser is eliminated); ESPN
- West No. 9 seed Sacramento Kings vs. West No. 10 seed Dallas Mavericks (winner advances to final round of tournament; loser is eliminated); ESPN
Friday, April 18
- Loser of Magic-Hawks game vs. winner of Bulls-Heat game (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated); TNT
- Loser of Warriors-Grizzlies game vs. winner of Kings-Mavericks game (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated); ESPN