NBA Play-In Tournament 2026: Bracket, Schedule, and Everything You Need to Know

The 2026 NBA Playoffs officially begin on April 18, but the real action starts now.

The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament kicks off tonight with two elimination-style matchups that will determine the final seeds in both conferences. It's single-elimination desperation basketball at its finest — and the stakes have never felt higher.

In the Eastern Conference, the Miami Heat travel to Charlotte to face the Hornets in a 9-vs-10 matchup at 7:30 p.m. ET. The loser goes home. On the West side, the Portland Trail Blazers visit the Phoenix Suns in a 7-vs-8 battle at 10 p.m. ET, with the winner locking up the seventh seed.

Tomorrow night features two more critical contests. The Orlando Magic head to Philadelphia to take on the 76ers in the East's 7-vs-8 game, while the Golden State Warriors face the LA Clippers in the West's 9-vs-10 elimination bout.

The Play-In concludes on April 17, when the remaining two spots are settled.

All Play-In games will be broadcast exclusively on Amazon Prime Video — a shift from previous years that underscores the NBA's evolving media landscape. The first round of the 2026 NBA Playoffs presented by Google begins April 18, airing across ABC, ESPN, NBC/Peacock, and Prime.

With the Play-In format now firmly established as must-watch television, these games have a way of producing the kind of desperate, high-intensity basketball that the regular season can't match. For eight teams, the next few days will define their entire year.