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NBA play-in tournament

NBA play-in tournament 2027

Who's in the play-in, today and in April.

If the season ended today the play-in games would be in the East, 7 Hawks v 8 Pacers, and 9 Wizards v 10 Magic; in the West, 7 Mavericks v 8 Spurs, and 9 Clippers v 10 Nuggets.

Eastern Conference

If the season ended today

7Hawks2-2
8Pacers2-2
9Wizards2-2
10Magic1-2

The play-in race

Team
Now
Play-in
Top 6
Playoffs
Magic1-2
10
40%
34%
54%
Hornets3-1
T3
38%
47%
68%
Heat0-4
T14
37%
15%
32%
Knicks0-3
T13
37%
47%
68%
76ers3-1
T2
32%
57%
75%
Pacers2-2
T8
32%
10%
23%
Cavaliers2-1
T6
30%
60%
77%
Raptors2-1
T5
30%
60%
77%
Bucks1-3
T11
25%
7%
17%
Hawks2-2
T7
24%
70%
85%
Bulls1-3
T12
23%
5%
14%
Wizards2-2
T9
22%
5%
13%
Celtics2-1
T4
12%
86%
94%
Nets0-3
T15
12%
2%
6%

Western Conference

If the season ended today

7Mavericks2-2
8Spurs1-2
9Clippers1-2
10Nuggets1-2

The play-in race

Team
Now
Play-in
Top 6
Playoffs
Grizzlies4-0
T3
43%
27%
46%
Suns1-2
T11
41%
24%
44%
Nuggets1-2
T10
41%
30%
50%
Warriors1-3
T12
41%
19%
38%
Clippers1-2
T9
39%
40%
60%
Trail Blazers2-0
T5
36%
49%
68%
Mavericks2-2
7
31%
9%
21%
Lakers3-0
T4
27%
65%
81%
Spurs1-2
T8
26%
68%
84%
Pelicans0-3
T14
25%
7%
17%
Timberwolves3-1
6
15%
84%
93%
Rockets4-0
T2
15%
83%
92%
Jazz1-3
T13
9%
1%
5%
Kings0-3
T15
6%
1%
3%
Thunder4-0
T1
5%
95%
98%

How the play-in works

The teams that finish 7th to 10th in each conference play for the last two playoff seeds, in the days between the end of the regular season and the first round.

The 7th seed hosts the 8th. The winner is the 7th seed in the playoffs and meets the 2nd seed.

The 9th seed hosts the 10th. The loser is out.

The loser of 7 v 8 hosts the winner of 9 v 10. The winner is the 8th seed and meets the 1st seed; the loser is out.

So the 7th and 8th seeds need one win in two chances, and the 9th and 10th need two wins in a row, both on the road for the 10th.

Now is the seed by record today; T marks a record shared with another team, ordered here without the NBA's tiebreakers. Play-in is the chance of finishing 7th to 10th, Top 6 of skipping it, and Playoffs of getting in either way, from 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season (the same model as the NBA playoff odds). Teams under 5% to reach the play-in are left out.

Questions

How does the NBA play-in tournament work?

The teams that finish 7th to 10th in each conference play for the last two playoff seeds, in the days between the end of the regular season and the first round. The 7th seed hosts the 8th. The winner is the 7th seed in the playoffs and meets the 2nd seed. The 9th seed hosts the 10th. The loser is out. The loser of 7 v 8 hosts the winner of 9 v 10. The winner is the 8th seed and meets the 1st seed; the loser is out.

When is the 2027 NBA play-in tournament?

In April 2027, in the days between the last regular-season games and the first round of the playoffs.

Who would be in the play-in if the season ended today?

By record today: in the East, 7 Hawks v 8 Pacers, and 9 Wizards v 10 Magic; in the West, 7 Mavericks v 8 Spurs, and 9 Clippers v 10 Nuggets.

Which teams are most likely to end up in the play-in?

In 10,000 simulations of the rest of the season, the likeliest are the Magic in the East, and the Grizzlies, Suns, Nuggets and Warriors in the West, each in it at least 40% of the time.

Can a 9th or 10th seed make the playoffs?

Yes, by winning twice in a row: first against the other of the 9 and 10, then on the road against the loser of 7 v 8. They come out as the 8th seed and meet the conference's top seed.

What happens to the teams that lose in the play-in?

Their season is over, and they go into the draft lottery with the other teams that missed the playoffs.