The NBA regular season is coming to a close, and the NBA Play-In Tournament is just around the corner. The play-in format is still a new concept, and not all fans fully understand how it works yet. If that is you, then this is the article for you. We will explain everything that you need to know about the NBA Play-In Tournament, including when it is, how it works, and which teams are fighting for play-in spots.
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament
The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament is sponsored by SoFi. The post-regular season, pre-post season tournament will be in its fifth year in use and fourth season under the current format. Under this format, the top six teams from each conference clinch a postseason spot, while the 11th-15th seeds are all eliminated from postseason contention.
That means the 7th-10th seeds have to battle it out for the final two playoff spots in each conference. The current format is called the Page-McIntyre System. The 9th and 10th seeds play each other in a win or go home game, and the 7th and 8th seeds play each other in a single game with the winner securing the 7th-seed in the playoffs. The winner of the 9 vs. 10 game takes on the loser of the 7 vs. 8 game, with the winner securing the last spot in the playoffs and the loser being the final team eliminated from making the postseason.
The implementation of the Play-In was controversial when the league first committed to it, but fans have since grown to love the idea. It increases team's desperation to win games in the regular season, as top teams want to avoid the play-in and fringe playoff teams now have more of something to fight for. It has also made for some great moments in the tournament itself.
This year, some of the league's most exciting teams will likely end up in the Play-In Tournament, but we will get to that later.
When is the NBA Play-In Tournament
After the conclusion of the regular season, the Play-In Tournament will take place from April 16-19. The 7th vs. 8th seed games will be on Tuesday, April 16, with the 9th vs. 10th placed games taking place on Wednesday, April 17. Finally, the battles for the last playoff spots will be on Friday, April 19.
How to watch the NBA Play-In Tournament
TNT and ESPN will be the two channels broadcasting all of the Play-In Tournament games. You can watch the ESPN games by streaming with fuboTV.
Date: April 16-19
TV channel: ESPN/TNT | Live stream: fuboTV (click for a free trial)
NBA standings
Western Conference
- Thunder: 52-22
- Nuggets: 52-23
- Timberwolves: 51-23
- Clippers: 47-27
- Mavericks: 45-29
- Pelicans: 45-30
- Suns: 44-31
- Kings: 43-31
- Lakers: 42-33
- Warriors: 40-34
- Rockets: 38-36
- Jazz: 29-46
- Grizzlies: 29-50
- Trail Blazers: 19-56
- Spurs: 18-57
Eastern Conference
- Celtics: 59-16
- Bucks: 47-27
- Cavaliers: 45-30
- Knicks: 44-30
- Magic: 44-31
- Pacers: 43-33
- Heat: 41-33
- 76ers: 40-35
- Bulls: 36-40
- Hawks: 35-40
- Nets: 29-47
- Raptors: 23-51
- Hornets: 18-57
- Wizards: 14-61
- Pistons: 13-62
Play-In Tournament storylines
As it stands, the Phoenix Suns would face the Sacramento Kings in the Play-In Tournament in the Western Conference, as would the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors. The Suns brought in Bradley Beal this past offseason to form a big three with Devin Booker and Kevin Durant, so they are surely somewhat disappointed to be headed towards the play-in game.
Still, Phoenix has the talent to make a postseason run regardless. Getting past the Kings won't be easy, though. Sacramento has also disappointed in comparisons to expectations, as they returned their entire core from a team that was a three-seed last season. Domantas Sabonis is having a monstrous season, though, and his effectiveness on the glass and with scoring the ball will make him a threat against any team. Sabonis currently has the longest double-double streak since the NBA-ABA merger.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors are also two teams that may come as a surprise to be in the Play-In Tournament. LeBron James and Anthony Davis are two of the biggest stars in the league, and the Lakers are arguably the most important team in basketball. The team has been streaky outside of their two aging stars all season, though, which makes them vulnerable. Golden State won four championships in this era, but they are also getting older, and they clearly aren't the powerhouse they once were. Both of these teams surely have something left in the tank, though, and if they were to meet up in the Play-In Tournament, then that game would be arguably the most anticipated play-in game to date.
The Dallas Mavericks and New Orleans Pelicans aren't in the clear from avoiding the Play-In Tournament yet, and the Houston Rockets are gunning for the last spot in the tournament. Houston has been hot as of recent, with 11 wins in their last 12 games.
In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat are currently slated to face the Philadelphia 76ers, and the Chicago Bulls are expected to take on the Atlanta Hawks. Miami has experience in the Play-In Tournament. Last year, they lost their first game as an 8-seed, but they won the elimination game and battled all the way into the NBA Finals, proving that teams can still make a playoff run even if they start out in the Play-In Tournament. Miami is a team that doesn't blow people away in the regular season, but they always turn things up a notch when it matters most.
The 76ers were one of the top teams in basketball when Joel Embiid was healthy, but they have regressed drastically since their star has been sidelined. However, Embiid is expected to return from his meniscus injury in the next couple of games.
We saw a potential Play-In Tournament preview in the Hawks and Bulls last game. The two faced each other on April 1, and the Hawks walked away with a 113-101 victory. Trae Young is out for the season, but the team has rallied behind Dejounte Murray. Jalen Johnson also returned to action in the game against the Bulls, giving the Hawks a much-needed boost.
This year, it seems the Play-In Tournament will likely be stacked with the teams and players that we normally would only see in the actual playoffs. Stakes are higher than ever, and the league has more talent from top to bottom than we have ever seen. It will make for the most anticipated and potentially most exciting Play-In Tournament ever.
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