The playoffs, explained. Every game changes everything.

The NBA postseason is easier to follow when you separate two things: earning a playoff place and winning a playoff series. The regular season establishes conference position. The Play-In Tournament settles the last places in the bracket. Then the playoffs turn the league into a sequence of head-to-head series.

Start with the two conferences

The NBA has an Eastern Conference and a Western Conference. Under the established format, the top six teams in each conference qualify directly for the playoffs. Teams that finish seventh through tenth enter the Play-In Tournament. A team’s record matters, but ties can also make the league’s official tiebreaking rules decisive.

Why the Play-In is different

The seventh-place and eighth-place teams meet first, with the winner taking the seventh playoff seed. The ninth-place and tenth-place teams play an elimination game. The loser of the seven-eight game then faces the winner of the nine-ten game for the eighth seed. That structure gives teams finishing seventh or eighth two opportunities to qualify, while ninth and tenth must win twice.

This is why a late regular-season game can carry stakes beyond one more win. Moving from seventh to sixth avoids the Play-In entirely. Moving from ninth to eighth changes the path to qualification.

Four rounds, one champion

The first round pairs the highest seed with the lowest: one against eight, two against seven, three against six, and four against five. Teams stay within their conference through the conference finals. The Eastern and Western champions then meet in the NBA Finals.

Each playoff series is best of seven. The first team to win four games advances. A series can end in four games or stretch to seven. Home-court advantage determines which team hosts four games if all seven are needed; it does not guarantee that every series will use all of those dates.

How to read a series score

A series score counts games won, not the combined points scored across those games. In a hypothetical matchup, a one-point victory and a 25-point victory each add one win. To work out the stakes, subtract each team’s wins from four.

• Tied 2–2: both teams need two wins. Game 5 gives its winner a 3–2 lead, but cannot end the series. Game 6 is guaranteed; Game 7 depends on its result.
• Leading 3–1: the leader needs one win, while the trailing team must win three straight. Game 5 is a chance to clinch for one side and an elimination game for the other.
• Leading 3–2: the leader can finish the series in Game 6. A win by the trailing team instead forces Game 7.
• Tied 3–3: both teams face elimination. The Game 7 winner takes the series 4–3.

“Can clinch” means a win would finish the series. “Faces elimination” means a loss would end that team’s run. These are hypothetical scorelines, not current matchups or predictions.

What to watch beyond the final score

Playoff basketball is a running conversation between coaching staffs. Watch whether a defense switches screens, sends two defenders at a star, or forces a ball handler toward a particular side. On offense, notice who is creating the first advantage and who gets the open shot after the defense rotates.

A role player’s extra minutes, a different starting lineup, or a change in who defends a primary scorer can explain a series better than one shooting percentage. Compare the adjustments across games before deciding that one night has settled the matchup.

Try a playoff series yourself

Use the Playoff Series Explorer to choose hypothetical winners and see the next home court and possible series lengths. It models a playoff series, not the Play-In Tournament or a live bracket.

This guide explains the structure; it is not a current-season schedule or prediction. Check the NBA’s information for the season you are following before relying on dates or matchups.