The NBA Playoffs are one of the most viewed parts of the NBA tournament among NBA All-Star and regular season games. The intensity that teams generate in this competition is nothing short of exceptional. The viewership of this postseason varies depending upon the entrance of fan-favorite teams to the next round. However, the sheer competitiveness of the players keeps the basketball fans hooked to their TV screens.
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How Do NBA Playoffs Work: Rules and Format Explained
Krishna Shukla
11 min
Table of content
Although the franchises with big fanbases bring the market to such games, the level of skills and close showdowns always stand up in the game. But how do NBA Playoffs work? What is the first round of playoffs? How does an NBA team qualify for the playoffs? Today, we are going to discuss it all.
The Evolution of the NBA Playoffs
The NBA Playoffs format has evolved over the years as the league aged through time. At first, the number of teams was not much for the league. However, when ABA and BAA merged in the league, and it observed an expansion, the format of the postseason was affected as well. It can be studied under the following table.
| Year | NBA Format Changes |
|---|---|
| 1950 | It followed a three conference format arather than the current , Eastern, Western and Central. 4 best teams from each conference would qualify for the playoff in the best-of-3 division format. After eliminations the winners met in the best-of-3 conference finals.Among the remaining last three , the team with the best regular season record would get a bye to the finals while the other two would meet in a best-of-3 semifinal. Eventually, the NBA Finals was played in the best-of-seven formats. |
| 1951 | In 1951, the league was again reduced to the Eastern and Western Division set-up. The division semifinals reverted to its original 1949 format, with only eight teams qualifying. The division finals were extended to a best-of-5 format. The format of the NBA Finals was the same as in 1950. |
| 1954 | The league had only nine franchises, so the number of teams who could be in playoffs was only six. The division semifinals were changed to round-robin format within the division, with the top three teams from each division qualifying (each team played four games). After the round-robin games, the top two teams qualified for the best-of-three division finals. The NBA Finals was also played according to the best of seven format here. |
| 1955 | The number of playoff teams remained at six, but the initial round-robin was dropped. Eventually, the first-place team in each division got a bye to the best-of-five division finals. So, the teams that placed second and third played a best-of-three division semifinal. In 1955, the byes provided five and six extra days idle for the first-place teams. Later in 1958 instead of the best-of-five format, the division finals were converted to the best-of-seven formats. |
| 1961 | The 1961 to 1966 tournaments alone combined initial byes for the top-seeded teams in each division with best-of-five initial series for second and third-seeded teams in both divisions. The 1961 byes provided five and seven extra days idle for the first-place teams. After 1958, the Division Finals got the best of five formats, and the Division Finals got the best of seven formats. |
| 1967 | The rest given to the top-seeded teams was retracted this time. That’s why the number of playoff teams was expanded to eight again. The division semifinals now included the fourth-best team in each conference. The first-placed teams no longer received a bye. They were matched against the third-placed teams in the best-of-5 division semifinals, while the second-placed teams were now matched against the fourth-placed teams. |
| 1968-70s | The Division Semifinals also adopted the format of the best of seven formats, like the Division Finals and the NBA Finals |
| 1977 | The number of playoff teams was increased from 10 to 12. The first round now included the sixth-best team in each conference, which was put in opposition to the third seed. Only the division winners received byes to the next round. |
| 1984-2003 | The playoffs were expanded from 12 teams to 16 teams. All teams now participated in the first round, which was expanded to a best-of-five series. In 2003, The first round was extended to a best-of-seven series. |
| 2005 | A big turnaround took place in 2005 when each conference was calibrated into three divisions. Each division winner had to qualify for a top-three seed regardless of record. The next best five teams from each conference also qualify for the playoffs. |
| 2021 | In 2021, the format for the play-in games was finally given a green flag by the league. In 2021, the top six teams in each conference advance to the playoffs. On the other hand, seventh to tenth-placed teams qualified for a play-in tournament. The seventh- and eighth-ranked teams got up to two chances to win one game to qualify for the playoffs, while the ninth- and tenth-place teams needed to win two continuous games to advance.The play-in games then became a permanent part of the postseason starting in 2023. |
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How Does the NBA Playoffs Work?
The playoffs are comprised of 16 teams in total eight from each of the NBA’s Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The ranking of each team from their conference is decided by their win-loss record from the regular season. The six teams with the most wins from each conference carve their path to the playoffs. The 7th- to 10th-placed teams in each conference then play for the remaining four spots in a play-in tournament.
- In the NBA, each playoff series follows a best-of-seven format.
- The team with a higher conference ranking gets the home-court advantage.
- The first team to win four games in a series moves ahead to the next round.
- The playoffs’ format consists of four rounds: the First Round, the Conference Semifinals, the Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals.
How Does the NBA Playoff Bracket Work?
Both conferences conduct the playoffs in the traditional bracket format. All rounds are the best-of-seven series. Series are played in the 2–2–1–1–1 format, which means the team with home-court advantage hosts games 1, 2, 5, and 7, while their opponent hosts games 3, 4, and 6. Games 5, 6, and 7 are only played if needed. This format came into effect in 2014 after NBA team owners together voted to change the format of the NBA Finals from the 2–3–2 format on October 23, 2013. Here is a breakdown of NBA playoffs bracket:
- NBA teams are charted 1 to 8 in each conference which is dependent on their regular-season performance.
- The First Round of the playoffs has matchups like: 1 vs. 8, 2 vs. 7, 3 vs. 6, and 4 vs. 5.
- The champions of the first round move ahead to the Conference Semifinals and then the Conference Finals.
- The NBA Finals clash occurs between the Eastern Conference Champion and the Western Conference Champion.
- The bracket does not reset during the postseason. It means that the teams continue through the structure without reseeding.
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Understanding the NBA Play-In Tournament
The final two playoff spots in each conference have been decided by a play-in tournament after 2021. Therefore, currently, the format of the playoffs includes the teams ranked seventh to 10th in each conference. This format is a combination of single- and double-elimination.
First, the seventh-placed team plays the eighth-placed team. Later on, the winner gets the seventh seed in their conference. The ninth-placed team then plays the 10th-placed team, and the losing team is eliminated. The loser of the first game then plays the winner of the second for the eighth seed.
How Many Rounds Are in the NBA Playoffs?
The NBA Playoffs’ rounds are conducted in the league according to a four-round format. It can be described under following heads as follows:
- First Round: The first round is conducted between 16 teams, eight from each conference, who eliminate each other in a best-of-seven format series.
- Conference Semifinals: Eight teams emerging victorious from the first round move to the Conference SemiFinals in each conference. Only four teams advance to the next level after this round.
- Conference Finals: The top two teams of each conference compete with another in their conference to emerge victorious from their respective conferences. Two teams then move ahead to the NBA Finals.
- NBA Finals: Ultimately, the top teams coming off from each conference play in the NBA Finals for the Larry O’Brien Trophy.
Each of these rounds follows the best-of-seven format. So if a team wins four games, then it will be declared winner of the showdown series.
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How Does Seeding Work in the NBA Playoffs?
The top six teams are ranked from 1 to 6 based on their regular-season record from each conference. So the team with the best record in each conference gets the no. 1 seed, while the team with the worst record receives the no. 6 seed, and the sequence goes on. If there is a tie, a head-to-head record is considered to determine which team receives the better seed.
If that is also same, then the higher seed goes to the team that is a divisional champion. If both or neither team gets the divisional champion title, the third tie-breaker is the win-loss record against other teams in their division. Win-loss percentage against conference teams is the final tie-breaker if none of the above criteria provide a final verdict. The seventh and eighth seed in each conference is decided by the play-in tournament. As the season’s pace surges after the mid-season NBA All-Star break, teams hustle for top positions in the playoffs.
When Does the NBA Play-In Tournament Happen?
The Play in Tournament before the playoffs starts after the regular season. It’s the last resort for the teams in the lower rankings to make their space in the post-season competition. The 2025 NBA Playoffs will begin with the play-in tournament on April 15, which will run until April 18. When the play-in tournament culminates then the NBA Playoffs will begin on April 19, according to the NBA. During the Play-In tournament, the team with a higher ranking gets an advantage because they will host the game every time they play against the lower-seeded team.
Last season’s NBA Play-In Tournament was the most-watched edition of the event since it started as a six-game tourney in 2021 (not included in regular-season numbers). TNT, truTV, ESPN, and ESPN2 averaged 3.2 million viewers over the six games, 22% higher than last year and 12% better than the prior record set back in 2021, according to Sports Business Journal. Most play-in games were won by New Orleans, Atlanta, and the Los Angeles Lakers with three. However, the Miami Heat in 2022–23 clinched the title of best play-in team in the playoffs after reaching the 2023 NBA Finals.
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Edited by- Harsimran Singh Gill
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