Andrew Pace
The NBA playoffs are an annual postseason tournament held after the league's regular season to determine the league champion. The tournament dates back to 1947, when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America. The playoffs have evolved over the years, and since 2003, it has been a four-round, best-of-seven tournament. The NBA playoffs are highly anticipated by basketball fans worldwide, as they feature intense competition, thrilling matchups, and the pursuit of the ultimate prize—the NBA championship.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Current Year | 2025 |
| Tournament Name | NBA Playoffs |
| Number of Teams | 12 (since 1950) |
| Number of Conferences | 2 |
| Teams per Conference | 6 |
| Tiebreakers | Division winner, head-to-head winning percentage, winning percentage within the division |
| Start Date | April 19, 2025 |
| Conference Semi-Finals Start | May 5-6, 2025 |
| Conference Finals Start | May 20-21, 2025 |
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What You'll Learn
The NBA playoffs date back to 1947
The teams finishing second and third qualified for the best-of-3 quarterfinals, where the two second-placed teams were paired in one quarterfinal, and the two third-placed teams in another. The winners of these quarterfinal matches then played each other in a best-of-three semifinal. Finally, the two semifinal winners played each other in the BAA best-of-7 final series.
In 1949, the playoffs were reorganized to match Eastern Division teams exclusively and Western Division teams exclusively in two halves of the bracket. This meant that the BAA tournament generated a playoff champion in each division. The top four teams from each of the two divisions qualified. The quarterfinals and semifinals were renamed division semifinals and division finals, respectively, and both rounds were best-of-3. The best-of-7 final format remained unchanged.
In 1950, the BAA was renamed the National Basketball Association (NBA), and with a three-division setup, 12 teams now qualified for the playoffs. The top four teams from each division met in the best-of-3 division semifinals.
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Six teams from each conference automatically advance
The NBA playoffs are the annual postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held after the league's regular season to determine the league champion. The NBA was established in 1949 by a merger of the Basketball Association of America (BAA) and the National Basketball League. The BAA was formed in 1946 and the NBA recognises its history as part of its own.
The current postseason format has been in place since 2021, with six teams from each of the two conferences automatically advancing to the playoffs. This seeding is based on regular-season winning percentages. Teams finishing seventh through to tenth in each conference first compete in the play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff seeds.
The NBA's playoff structure has evolved over time. In 2006, the top four seeds in each conference were seeded according to their win-loss totals. This ensured that the team with the second-best record in the conference would receive the second seed, even if it wasn't a division champion. This format guaranteed that the top two teams in each conference couldn't meet until the conference finals.
Prior to 1949, the playoffs were organised differently, with Eastern Division and Western Division teams competing exclusively in two halves of the bracket. This format generated a playoff champion in each division.
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The NBA play-in tournament
The play-in tournament takes place immediately before the NBA playoffs and involves teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. These teams compete to determine the 7th and 8th seeds in each conference's bracket tournament. The 9th-place team hosts the 10th-place team, with the loser being eliminated. Meanwhile, the 7th-place team hosts the 8th-place team, with the winner advancing as the new 7th seed. The loser of the 7-8 game then hosts the winner of the 9-10 game, and the winner of this game receives the 8th seed.
The NBA playoffs then proceed with its regular format. The winner of the game between the loser of the 7-8 game and the winner of the 9-10 game plays on the second day of the NBA playoffs to ensure adequate rest. The NBA play-in tournament has seen teams like the 2022-23 Miami Heat and the 2024-25 Orlando Magic qualify for the playoffs, with Miami reaching the 2023 NBA Finals.
Since 2021, the tournament rights for the NBA play-in tournament have been held by TNT and ESPN. However, as part of new media deals, Amazon Prime Video will broadcast all NBA play-in tournament games starting in 2026.
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Division winners receive higher seeding
The NBA, MLB, and NFL all have different playoff structures, but division winners receiving higher seeding is a commonality between them.
In the NBA, the playoffs date back to 1947 when the league was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the National Basketball Association (NBA). The NBA has reorganised its playoff structure several times over the years. Since 2021, six teams from each of the two conferences automatically advance to the playoffs based on regular-season winning percentages. Division leaders are given higher seeds, regardless of any other criteria, even if a wild card winner from another division has a better record.
The MLB playoffs also involve 12 teams, six from each league, and the Nos. 1 and 2 seeds receive first-round byes, advancing directly to the Division Series. The No. 1 seed will face the winner of the Wild Card Series between the Nos. 4 and 5 seeds, while the No. 2 seed will face the winner of the Nos. 3 and 6 seeds. The division winner takes precedence with regard to seeding, even if a Wild Card winner from one division has a better record.
In the NFL, teams are seeded No. 1 through 7 in each conference, with the division winners receiving seeds Nos. 1 through 4 and the three Wild Card teams receiving seeds Nos. 5 through 7. The division winners are seeded according to their records, with the best record receiving the top seed.
While the specific structures vary, the NBA, MLB, and NFL playoffs all give higher seeds to division winners, ensuring that these teams have advantages in the postseason tournaments.
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The best-of-seven tournament
The NBA playoffs is an annual postseason tournament held by the National Basketball Association (NBA) to determine the league champion. The tournament dates back to 1947 when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The BAA champion was determined by a best-of-seven series in its three seasons. In 1947, the playoffs were instituted as a three-stage tournament with the two first-place teams qualifying directly to a semifinal where they played each other in a best-of-7 series. The winners of this series advanced to the championship round.
In 1949, the BAA merged with the National Basketball League to form the NBA, which retained the best-of-seven format for its championship. The playoffs were reorganized to match Eastern Division teams against Western Division teams in two separate halves of the bracket, with the winners of each division meeting in the final. This format has been maintained by the NBA ever since.
Over the years, the NBA has experimented with different formats for the playoffs. In 1958, the division finals were expanded to a best-of-seven format, while the division semifinals became best-of-five. In 1968, the Conference (or Division) Semifinals adopted the best-of-seven format, and in 2003, the First Round also transitioned to this format. Since 2003, the NBA playoffs have been a four-round, best-of-seven tournament.
The NBA playoffs are highly anticipated, with each round being a best-of-seven series. The home-court advantage for each game is determined by the team's regular season record, and the necessity of a seventh game is dependent on the outcome of the sixth. Game sevens are often pivotal moments in the tournament, receiving increased media and fan attention due to their decisive nature.
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Frequently asked questions
The NBA playoffs are the annual postseason tournament of the National Basketball Association (NBA) held after the league's regular season to determine the league champion.
The NBA playoffs are a four-round, best-of-seven tournament. Six teams from each of the two conferences automatically advance to the playoffs based on regular-season winning percentage. Teams finishing seven through ten from each conference compete in the play-in tournament to determine the final two playoff seeds.
The NBA playoffs start after the regular season and the play-in tournament. In 2025, the regular season ended on April 13, the play-in tournament was held from April 15 to April 18, and the playoffs started on April 19.
