Home / NBA When do the NBA playoffs start? 2026 dates, full teams, confirmed bracket, play in schedule Key details on the start of the 2026 NBA postseason Written by Ben Miller Last Update: April 13, 2026 01:58:32 pm BST 3 min read The 2026 NBA has a typically swift turnaround between the end of the regular season and the start of the posteseason. Four teams each from the Eastern Conference and Western Conference will take part in play-in games for the right to join 12 rivals in the first round of the playoffs.Among the hopefuls, the Boston Celtics are in the playoffs for a 12th straight season and the Phoenix Suns are part of the play-ins for the first time in franchise history.Heres when the NBA playoffs start and key details on the action, including how long they could last and how to watch live.Table of Contents1 When does the NBA Play In tournament start?2 When do the NBA playoffs start? 2026 dates3 When are the 2026 NBA Finals? Dates, times, schedule4 How to watch NBA playoffs 2026: TV channel, live online streamWhen does the NBA Play In tournament start?The Play-In tournament takes place between April 14 and 17.In the Eastern Conference, the winners of the game between the 76ers and Magic advance to the play-offs as the seventh seed, with the losers taking on the Hornets or Heat for the right to be eighth seeds.In the Western Conference, the seventh-seeded Suns play the eighth-seeded Trail Blazers and the Clippers, who finished ninth, take on the 10th-placed Warriors.All of the play-in games are on Prime Video in the US. Start times with an asterisk are the following day.DateConferenceFixtureET start timePTBSTTue, April 14EastHeat (10) vs Hornets (9)19:3016:3000:30*Tue, April 14WestTrail Blazers (8) vs Suns (7)22:0019:0003:00*Wed, April 15EastMagic (8) vs 76ers (7)19:3016:3000:30*Wed, April 15WestWarriors (10) vs Clippers (9)22:0019:0003:00*Fri, April 17East7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner19:3016:3000:30*Fri, April 17West7/8 loser vs 9/10 winner22:0019:0003:00*When do the NBA playoffs start? 2026 datesThe NBA playoffs start on April 18 and run until June.All playoff rounds are best of seven-game series, with home-court advantage going to the higher-seeded teams and the team with the best regular-season record in the final.The hosting sequence for each series adopts a 22111 format. You can see the latest bracket and schedule on the NBAs site.When are the 2026 NBA Finals? Dates, times, scheduleFollowing the Conference first round, semi-final and final stages, the NBA Finals will start on Wednesday, June 3.The champions could be decided by June 10 or the series could last until nine days after that, depending on who reaches four wins first.Heres the schedule for the finals, which will be live on ABC in the US. Start times with an asterisk are the following day.DateGameETPTBSTWed, June 3120:3017:3001:30*Fri, June 5220:3017:3001:30*Mon, June 8320:3017:3001:30*Wed, June 10420:3017:3001:30*Sat, June 13520:3017:3001:30*Tue, June 16620:3017:3001:30*Fri, June 19720:3017:3001:30*How to watch NBA playoffs 2026: TV channel, live online streamPrime Video, ABC and NBC/Peacock have rights to the first round games. Broadcast details for the Conference semi-finals and finals will be confirmed after each round.In the US, Prime Video costs $8.99 monthly. Students pay $7.49 monthly or $69 yearly. A 30-day free trial is available.ABC is available through ESPN Plus, starting at $29.99 per month.Peacock costs $10.99 a month or $109.99 annually, or $16.99 per month ($169.99 a year) with downloads and no adverts.In the UK, the NBA League Pass shows games live and costs �16.99 a month or �22.99 per month with no commercials, offline viewing and concurrent streams on up to three devices. Topics: Atlanta Hawks Boston Celtics Charlotte Hornets Cleveland Cavaliers Detroit Pistons Golden State Warriors Houston Rockets LeBron James Los Angeles Lakers Minnesota Timberwolves NBA Play-In New York Knicks Oklahoma City Thunder Orlando Magic Philadelphia 76ers Phoenix Suns Portland Trail Blazers San Antonio Spurs Stephen Curry Toronto Raptors Follow us: Ben Miller Reporter Ben has more than 10 years' experience in sports journalism, covering two EURO tournaments, European club competitions, the Premier League, EFL and WSL and a variety of other major sporting events. Read more from Ben Miller
