NBA Play-In Tournament Determines Final Playoff Berths for Four Teams

Four NBA teams compete Wednesday in the play-in tournament to secure the final playoff berths for the Eastern and Western Conferences. The high-stakes format forces teams with identical or similar records into immediate elimination or advancement scenarios, where a single loss can either delay a playoff entry or complete a season entirely.

<!– wp:heading

The Eastern Conference bracket logic

The Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers face off tonight with a direct path to the second-seeded Boston Celtics for the winner. This matchup features two teams tied with 45-37 records, though Philadelphia holds the edge in the season series. The loser doesn’t exit immediately but must play the Charlotte Hornets on Friday for the No. 8 seed.

View this post on Instagram about Clippers, Warriors

Charlotte enters that Friday slot after defeating the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime Tuesday. Orlando’s momentum stalled recently after winning five straight games, ending the regular season with a loss to a Celtics squad that rested key players. Philadelphia countered their own three-game skid by winning their final two contests.

<!– wp:heading

How the Western Conference matchup differs

The LA Clippers and Golden State Warriors play the night’s final game to determine who faces the Phoenix Suns on Friday. This represents the first time two former NBA Finals MVPs, Kawhi Leonard and Stephen Curry, meet in a play-in game. The Clippers hold a 3-1 advantage in the season series.

Player availability and health have defined the Warriors‘ trajectory this year. Curry played only 43 games due to a knee injury, his lowest total since the 2019-20 season, while averaging 26.6 points. Leonard enters the game coming off a career-high 27.9 points per game average.

The Western bracket’s volatility is already evident. The Portland Trail Blazers advanced to face the second-seeded San Antonio Spurs after beating the Suns 114-110 on Tuesday. The winner of the Clippers-Warriors game will fight for the final seed against those same Suns.

<!– wp:heading

Who do the 76ers and Magic play if they win?

The winner of the Philadelphia and Orlando game advances to face the second-seeded Boston Celtics.

{„@context“:“https://schema.org“,“@type“:“ImageObject“,“contentUrl“:“https://cdn.nba.com/teams/legacy/www.nba.com/clippers/sites/clippers/files/181223_tz_warriors_game-31.jpg“,“description“:“Clippers Warriors Philadelphia“,“width“:3691,“height“:3691} <!– wp:heading

What is the result of a loss for the Clippers or Warriors?

The loser of the Clippers-Warriors game is eliminated, while the winner moves on to face the Phoenix Suns on Friday for the No. 8 seed.

{„@context“:“https://schema.org“,“@type“:“VideoObject“,“name“:“The new NBA, playoffs play-in tournament : Explained!“,“description“:“The new NBA, playoffs play-in tournament : Explained!“,“thumbnailUrl“:“https://i.ytimg.com/vi/umeq-LOdGag/hqdefault.jpg“,“uploadDate“:“2026-04-16T00:13:10Z“,“contentUrl“:“https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=umeq-LOdGag“,“embedUrl“:“https://www.youtube.com/embed/umeq-LOdGag“}