About NBA Playoffs

The NBA Playoffs is an annual basketball elimination event held to determine the league champions. It is a four-round, best of 7 tournament that is held right after the regular season and the preliminary tournament, i.e. the Play-In tournament.

While the top 6 teams from each of the conferences come together to play against each other in the play-off series, #7 and #8 from the conferences were determined by the Play-ins.

2024 NBA Playoff Picture

First round schedule:

Eastern Conference

(1) Boston vs. (8) Miami

Ӣ Game 1: Celtics vs. Heat; Sunday, April 21
”¢ Game 2: Heat vs. Celtics; Wednesday, April 24 
”¢ Game 3: Celtics vs. Heat; Saturday, April 27 
”¢ Game 4: Celtics vs. Heat; Monday, April 29 
Ӣ Game 5: Heat vs. Celtics; Wednesday, May 1 *
Ӣ Game 6: Celtics vs. Heat; Friday, May 3 *
Ӣ Game 7: Heat vs. Celtics; Sunday, May 5 *

* = If necessary

(2) New York vs. (7) Philadelphia

Ӣ Game 1: Knicks vs. 76ers; Saturday, April 20
Ӣ Game 2:Knicks vs. 76ers; Monday, April 22
”¢ Game 3: Knicks vs. 76ers; Thursday, April 25 
”¢ Game 4: Knicks vs. 76ers; Sunday, April 28 
Ӣ Game 5: 76ers vs. Knicks; Tuesday, April 30 *
Ӣ Game 6: Knicks vs. 76ers; Thursday, May 2 *
Ӣ Game 7: 76ers vs. Knicks; Saturday, May 4 *

* = If necessary

(3) Milwaukee vs. (6) Indiana

Ӣ Game 1: Pacers vs. Bucks; Sunday, April 21
”¢ Game 2: Pacers vs. Bucks; Tuesday, April 23 
”¢ Game 3: Bucks vs. Pacers; Friday, April 26 
Ӣ Game 4: Bucks vs. Pacers; Sunday, April 28
Ӣ Game 5: Pacers vs. Bucks; Tuesday, April 30 *
Ӣ Game 6: Bucks vs. Pacers; Thursday, May 2 *
Ӣ Game 7: Pacers vs. Bucks; Saturday, May 4 *

* = If necessary

(4) Cleveland vs. (5) Orlando

Ӣ Game 1: Cavaliers vs. Magic; Saturday, April 20
Ӣ Game 2: Cavaliers vs. Magic; Monday, April 22
”¢ Game 3: Cavaliers vs. Magic; Thursday, April 25 
”¢ Game 4: Cavaliers vs. Magic; Saturday, April 27 
Ӣ Game 5: Magic vs. Cavaliers; Tuesday, April 30 *
Ӣ Game 6: Cavaliers vs. Magic; Friday, May 3 *
Ӣ Game 7: Magic vs. Cavaliers; Sunday, May 5 *
* = If necessary

Western Conference

(1) Oklahoma City vs. (8) New Orleans

Ӣ Game 1: Thunder vs. Pelicans; Sunday, April 21
Ӣ Game 2: Pelicans vs. Thunder; Wednesday, April 24
”¢ Game 3: Thunder vs. Pelicans; Saturday, April 27 
”¢ Game 4: Thunder vs. Pelicans; Monday, April 29 
Ӣ Game 5: Pelicans vs. Thunder; Wednesday, May 1 *
Ӣ Game 6: Thunder vs. Pelicans; Friday, May 3 *
Ӣ Game 7: Pelicans vs. Thunder; Sunday, May 5 *
* = If necessary

(2) Denver vs. (7) L.A. Lakers

Ӣ Game 1: Nuggets vs. Lakers; Saturday, April 20
Ӣ Game 2:Nuggets vs. Lakers; Monday, April 22
”¢ Game 3: Nuggets vs. Lakers; Thursday, April 25 
Ӣ Game 4: Nuggets vs. Lakers; Saturday, April 27
Ӣ Game 5: Lakers vs. Nuggets; Monday, April 29 *
Ӣ Game 6: Nuggets vs. Lakers; Thursday, May 2 *
Ӣ Game 7: Lakers vs. Nuggets; Saturday, May 4 *
* = If necessary

Minnesota vs. Phoenix

Ӣ Game 1: Timberwolves vs Suns; Saturday, April 20
Ӣ Game 2: Suns vs. Timberwolves; Tuesday, April 23
”¢ Game 3: Timberwolves vs. Suns; Friday, April 26 
”¢ Game 4: Timberwolves vs. Suns; Sunday, April 28 
Ӣ Game 5: Suns vs. Timberwolves; Tuesday, April 30 *
Ӣ Game 6: Timberwolves vs. Suns; Thursday, May 2 *
Ӣ Game 7: Suns vs. Timberwolves; Saturday, May 4 *
* = If necessary

LA Clippers vs. Dallas

Ӣ Game 1: Clippers vs. Mavericks; Sunday, April 21:
”¢ Game 2: Mavericks vs. Clippers; Tuesday, April 23 
”¢ Game 3: Clippers vs. Mavericks; Friday, April 26 
”¢ Game 4: Clippers vs. Mavericks; Sunday, April 28 
Ӣ Game 5: Mavericks vs. Clippers; Wednesday, May 1 *
Ӣ Game 6: Clippers vs. Mavericks; Friday, May 3 *
Ӣ Game 7: Mavericks vs. Clippers; Sunday, May 5 *
* = If necessary

How does the NBA Playoffs bracket work?

With NBA Playoffs, both East and West Conference conduct the matches in a traditional form of best-of-seven rounds. A series is played in the 2-2-1-1-1 format, meaning that a team with home-court advantage will host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while the opponent will host Games 3, 4, and 6. Games 5, 6, and 7 will be played if needed.

The format has been in the play since 2014, after a unanimous vote to change the format from the earlier 2-3-2 format. Once the Playoffs begin, teams participating are not "re-seeded". They are already selected on the basis of the results of the Regular season and the Play-in series after that.

When do the NBA Playoffs 2024 begin?

NBA Playoffs 2024 officially began on April 20, 2024, after the regular season ended on April 14, 2024.

What is the Playoff Format for 2024?

8 Teams will be divided into smaller groups of 2 each in the Eastern and Western Conferences, respectively. Here's how the Playoffs will actually work this year: (NOTE: All data presented is latest as of April 30, 2024)

In the West, we have the LA Lakers and Denver Nuggets in a group, with the Nuggets making it to the next round of Playoffs.

Then, its the Timberwolves and the Suns in another group, with the T-Wolves making it to the next round. Then we will have the LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks, with nobody making it to the next series as of today, since they are still contesting to make it to the next round. And lastly, we have the OKC Thunder and the Pelicans competing against each other, with OKC making it to the next round.

Similarly, on the Eastern side, we will have one team making it to the next Playoffs round from each of the following:

• Boston Celtics and Miami Heat in one group.
• New York Knicks and 76ers in one group.
• Bucks and Pacers in one group.
• Cavaliers and Magic in one group.

One team from each of the above-presented groups will make it to Round 2.

Coming back to the Western Conference, in round 2, OKC Thunder will clash against one team winning from LA Clippers and the Dallas Mavericks (once a winner is determined in round 1). Then the Nuggets and Timberwolves will be clashing against each other to go ahead. Then the two winners from this round will clash against each other in the Conference Finals to make it to the Finals.

Similarly, on the Eastern side, we will have 4 teams of the following 8 making it to the next round.

• Boston Celtics and Miami Heat
• New York Knicks and 76ers
• Bucks and Pacers
• Cavaliers and Magic

Then, once the four teams are determined, they will be divided again in groups of 2, clashing against each other in the Conference Finals, with the best team finally making it to the Finals.

How many teams make it to the NBA playoffs 2024?

16 teams in total will make it to the NBA Playoffs 2024, like every year. There will be 8 teams coming from the Eastern Conference and then 8 from the Western Conference. The top 6 seeds in both Eastern and Western Conference advance to the Playoffs after making it through the regular season. The final 2 seeds, Seed 7 and Seed 8 from each of the conferences will be determined through the Play-In Tournament.

Currently, this is how the standings look like:

https://twitter.com/NBA/status/1784829998404075692?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw%7Ctwcamp%5Etweetembed%7Ctwterm%5E1784829998404075692%7Ctwgr%5Edf9e3abedb01510c4554a34f416e69b010a73865%7Ctwcon%5Es1_&ref_url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nbcsports.com%2Fnba%2Fnews%2F2024-nba-playoffs-bracket-schedule-matchups-and-scores-for-first-round

NBA Playoffs 2024 Round 2

In the second round, we will have the best-of-7 format once again, with the higher-seeded team hosting Games 1, 2, 5, and 7.

NBA Playoffs 2024 Round 2 Schedule

So far, this is what the second round (Conference Semifinals) schedule looks like:

No. 2 Denver Nuggets vs. No. 3 Minnesota Timberwolves

• Game 1: Wolves at Nuggets, May 4
• Game 2: Wolves at Nuggets, May 6
• Game 3: Nuggets at Wolves, May 10
• Game 4: Nuggets at Wolves, May 12
• Game 5*: Wolves at Nuggets, May 14
• Game 6*: Nuggets at Wolves, May 16
• Game 7*: Wolves at Nuggets, May 19

When do the NBA conference semifinals start?

The 2024 NBA conference semifinals begin on May 6-7, but the dates can be pre-poned to May 4-5, if the Playoffs end early.

When do the NBA conference finals start?

The 2024 NBA conference semifinals begin on May 21-22, but the dates can be pre-poned to May 19-20, if the Playoffs end early.

When do the NBA Finals start?

The NBA Finals begin on June 6, matching up the best teams from the Eastern and Western Conference Finals. The Finals can end anytime between June 14 through June 23, depending on how long the series lasts.