NBA Playoffs 2027: Bracket, Schedule, Scores & Playoff Picture

The 2027 NBA playoffs start with the Play-In Tournament on April 13 and the First Round on April 18, after the regular season (October 20 to April 11). Twenty teams reach the postseason: seeds 1 to 6 in each conference qualify directly and seeds 7 to 10 play the Play-In for the last two places. Today the Boston Celtics (9-2) lead the East and the Los Angeles Lakers (10-2) lead the West.

20postseason teams16 in the bracket
Apr 11regular season ends82 games per team
Apr 13-16Play-Inseeds 7-10 · Prime Video
Apr 18First Roundall rounds best of 7
JuneNBA FinalsABC · dates TBA
Countdown toNBA regular season final daySunday, April 11, 2027
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NBA Playoff Race

Eastern Conference

Playoff places

  1. 1Celtics.8189-267
  2. 276ers.7509-362
  3. 3Pistons.7007-357
  4. 4Knicks.6006-449
  5. 5Hawks.5837-548
  6. 6Raptors.5005-541

Play-In places

  1. 7Cavaliers.4555-637
  2. 8Heat.4555-637
  3. 9Wizards.3644-730
  4. 10Hornets.3644-730
  1. -½Magic.3003-725
  2. -1Pacers.2733-822
  3. -1½Nets.2002-816

Western Conference

Playoff places

  1. 1Lakers.83310-268
  2. 2Spurs.8189-267
  3. 3Warriors.7278-360
  4. 4Timberwolves.7278-360
  5. 5Rockets.7278-360
  6. 6Thunder.7278-360

Play-In places

  1. 7Grizzlies.7007-357
  2. 8Trail Blazers.7007-357
  3. 9Mavericks.6367-452
  4. 10Nuggets.5565-4
  1. -1½Suns.4004-633
  2. -2Pelicans.3644-730
  3. -3½Clippers.2002-816

Seeds 1-6 go straight to the First Round; 7-10 play the Play-In. Ranked by win percentage; a minus figure = games behind 10th; the last column is the 82-game wins pace. Full playoff picture →

Projected Play-In and First-Round Matchups

East Play-InCavaliersNo. 7HeatNo. 8
East Play-InWizardsNo. 9HornetsNo. 10
East First RoundCelticsNo. 1Play-In winner8th seed
East First RoundKnicksNo. 4HawksNo. 5
East First RoundPistonsNo. 3RaptorsNo. 6
East First Round76ersNo. 2Play-In winner7th seed
West Play-InGrizzliesNo. 7Trail BlazersNo. 8
West Play-InMavericksNo. 9NuggetsNo. 10
West First RoundLakersNo. 1Play-In winner8th seed
West First RoundTimberwolvesNo. 4RocketsNo. 5
West First RoundWarriorsNo. 3ThunderNo. 6
West First RoundSpursNo. 2Play-In winner7th seed

If the season ended today. Higher seed listed first and has home court. Full bracket →

2026-27 NBA Season and Playoff Dates

WhenStageWhat happensTV
Tue, Oct 20Opening Night82 games per teamESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video
Sun, Apr 11Regular season endsSeeds 1-10 set in each conference–
Apr 13-16Play-In Tournament7 v 8 and 9 v 10, then the decider for No. 8Prime Video (exclusive)
From Apr 18First Round1 v 8, 4 v 5, 3 v 6, 2 v 7, best of sevenESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video
May (TBA)Conference SemifinalsWinners of each half of the bracket meetESPN/ABC, NBC/Peacock, Prime Video
Late May (TBA)Conference FinalsEast and West champions decidedOne on ESPN/ABC, one on NBC/Peacock
June (TBA)NBA FinalsEast champion v West championABC

Game times and Finals dates are added as soon as the NBA confirms them. Playoff schedule →

How the NBA Playoffs Work

  • Seeding: teams are ranked 1 to 15 in each conference by record; a division title guarantees nothing.
  • Play-In: No. 7 hosts No. 8 (winner is the No. 7 seed), No. 9 hosts No. 10 (loser is out), then the 7/8 loser hosts the 9/10 winner for the No. 8 seed.
  • Bracket: fixed, no reseeding: the 1/8 winner meets the 4/5 winner and the 2/7 winner meets the 3/6 winner.
  • Series: every round is best of seven (2-2-1-1-1); the higher seed has home court, and in the NBA Finals the better record does.

Format and tiebreakers →

NBA Champions

YearChampionOpponentSeriesFinals MVP
2026New York KnicksSan Antonio Spurs4-1Jalen Brunson
2025Oklahoma City ThunderIndiana Pacers4-3Shai Gilgeous-Alexander
2024Boston CelticsDallas Mavericks4-1Jaylen Brown
2023Denver NuggetsMiami Heat4-1Nikola Jokić
2022Golden State WarriorsBoston Celtics4-2Stephen Curry
2021Milwaukee BucksPhoenix Suns4-2Giannis Antetokounmpo
2020Los Angeles LakersMiami Heat4-2LeBron James
2019Toronto RaptorsGolden State Warriors4-2Kawhi Leonard
2018Golden State WarriorsCleveland Cavaliers4-0Kevin Durant
2017Golden State WarriorsCleveland Cavaliers4-1Kevin Durant
2016Cleveland CavaliersGolden State Warriors4-3LeBron James
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Frequently asked questions

Can the No. 10 seed win the NBA title?

Yes, but it must win two road games in the Play-In (at No. 9, then at the loser of 7 v 8) just to become the No. 8 seed and face the No. 1 seed.

Do division winners get a top seed?

No. Since 2015-16 seeds go purely by record within the conference; winning the division only matters as a tiebreaker.

How many games is each playoff round?

Every round, including the NBA Finals, is best of seven: first to four wins, with the higher seed at home in Games 1, 2, 5 and 7.

What channel is the Play-In Tournament on?

Every Play-In game streams exclusively on Prime Video.

When are the 2027 NBA Finals?

In June 2027 (dates TBA), on ABC. The league confirms the exact dates closer to the playoffs.

Who won the last NBA championship?

The New York Knicks beat the San Antonio Spurs 4-1 in the 2026 NBA Finals; Jalen Brunson was Finals MVP. It was their first title since 1973.