The NBA postseason underwent significant changes starting from the 2022/23 season, when the league made adjustments to the playoff format, making permanent the expansion introduced during the previous seasons. Unlike before, the NBA playoffs now consist of a four-round, best-of-seven tournament, including the Finals, with separate qualification criteria for the playoffs and postseason.
The top six teams from each conference, determined by winning percentage, secure direct entry to the playoffs, while teams ranked seventh through tenth participate in the NBA play-in tournament to vie for the seventh and eighth seeds.
The play-in tournament
Distinct from the playoffs, the NBA play-in tournament operates under a modified Page playoff format. The seventh- and eighth-place teams face off in a qualification game, with the winner advancing as the seventh seed.
Additionally, the ninth- and tenth-place teams compete in an elimination game, where the loser is ousted, and the winner progresses to face the loser of the seventh-eight game for the eighth seed.
Both conferences follow a traditional bracket format during the playoffs, featuring best-of-seven series in each round. The series adhere to a 2-2-1-1-1 format, with the team holding home-court advantage hosting games 1, 2, 5, and 7.
This format has been in use since 2014, replacing the previous 2-3-2 format for the NBA Finals. Once the playoffs commence, the bracket remains fixed and teams are not reseeded, differing from some other sports leagues’ playoff formats.
Important 2025 NBA Playoffs dates
The 2025 NBA Playoffs are in full swing, beginning with the Play-In Tournament held from April 15 to 18. The first round officially tipped off on April 19, featuring intense matchups across both conferences.
Looking ahead, the conference semifinals are scheduled to begin on May 5-6, although these dates could be moved up if first-round series wrap up early. Following that, the conference finals are set to start on May 20, with similar flexibility should the semifinals conclude ahead of schedule. The NBA Finals will begin on June 5, with ABC providing exclusive nationwide coverage.
Early-round games are being broadcast across ABC, ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV, while the Eastern Conference Finals will air on TNT and the Western Conference Finals will be shown on ESPN and ABC. Basketball fans can expect another thrilling postseason as teams battle for the 2025 championship title.
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