NBA Play-In Tournament: Who Will Secure the Final Playoff Spots?

Eastern Conference Play-Ins: Hornets vs. Heat & 76ers vs. Magic

The Eastern Conference delivered plenty of surprises this season, but perhaps the biggest shock was seeing the Detroit Pistons surge to the top of the standings to clinch the top seed 60-22, four wins ahead of the Boston Celtics.

The top six in the East are the Pistons, Celtics, New York Knicks, Cleveland Cavaliers, Toronto Raptors and Atlanta Hawks. The teams hoping to reach the Playoffs are the Philadelphia 76ers, Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets, and Miami Heat. You can get all our experts’ insights for the Play-In tournament in our NBA predictions. 

Charlotte Hornets (9) vs. Miami Heat (10) - Spectrum Center

The Eastern Conference Play-Ins tip off with the ninth-seeded Charlotte Hornets taking on the tenth-seeded Miami Heat in a win-or-go-home matchup at the Spectrum Center on Tuesday. 

The Hornets have been one of the most improved teams across the second half of the season, and finishing ninth marks meaningful progress for a youthful roster. The Heat, meanwhile, once again enters from the 10th spot after an inconsistent campaign, but this is a scenario the franchise has proven it can handle. 

Charlotte will look to lean on the crowd at the Spectrum Center to get them through this crucial match. The Hornets led the NBA in offensive rating since January 1 and ended the season with a top-10 net rating, led by Kon Knueppel and LaMelo Ball, who finished 1st and 2nd in total three-pointers made, respectively. 

However, the Heat are 3-1 against the Hornets this season, but two of those victories came before the start of 2026. Miami scored 126 PPG against this opponent this season, but success for them may hinge on the defensive end, which has slipped against better teams in recent times, even with Bam Adebayo anchoring the paint. 

Philadelphia 76ers (7) vs. Orlando Magic (8) - Wells Fargo Center

The second Eastern Conference matchup of the 2025-26 Play-In tournament will come from the  Wells Fargo Center, where the Philadelphia 76ers will be playing host to the Orlando Magic on Wednesday night in a 7-vs-8 blockbuster. 

The Sixers secured a 126-106 victory over the Milwaukee Bucks on Sunday, but moments later, the Celtics staged a stunning comeback to beat Orlando 113-108. As a result, Philadelphia claimed the No.7 seed, while the Magic slipped to eighth and lost home advantage. 

Embiid is currently sidelined after a sudden case of appendicitis last week and has only played 38 games this season. A lot of responsibility now rests on the shoulders of Tyrese Maxey and VJ Edgecombe, for whom this postseason will provide valuable lessons for the future. 

Orlando’s frontcourt size - led by Franz Wagner, Paolo Banchero and Wendell Carter Jr. - could pose a serious challenge for Philly without Embiid. However, the Magic have rarely had their full starting five on the floor together this season, limiting their ability to build chemistry and rhythm as a unit. 

Check out our NBA predictions

Western Conference Play-Ins: Suns vs. Blazers & Clippers vs. Warriors 

Over in the West, the Oklahoma City Thunder once again finished as the top seed, but they certainly did not have it all their own way, as the San Antonio Spurs, led by Victor Wembanyama, finished just two wins back, announcing themselves as a serious title contender this season. 

The top six in the West are OKC, Spurs, Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Lakers, Houston Rockets and Minnesota Timberwolves. The teams headed to the Play-Ins are the Phoenix Suns, Portland Trail Blazers, LA Clippers, and Golden State Warriors.  

Phoenix Suns (7) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (8) - Mortgage Matchup Center

Tuesday’s Western Conference Play-In matchup will be the Phoenix Suns’ first-ever appearance in the tournament. With a 45-37 record, the Suns secured the seventh seed and head into this contest as the favourites after winning the regular-season series against this opponent 2-1. 

The Suns were one of the surprise packages this season, as many expected them to struggle to reach the postseason after the departures of Kevin Durant and Bradley Beal. However, they have played more as a team than they did with their so-called Big 3 of KD, Beal and Devin Booker.

Those were the words of the Portland Trail Blazers All-Star forward Deni Avdija after his side defeated the Sacramento Kings 122-110 on Sunday night at Moda Center, a result that also capped off the franchise’s first winning regular season since 2020-21. 

Avdija led Portland all year long and finished his breakout season averaging 24.2 PPG, 6.9 rebounds and 6.7 assists. The Suns’ greatest challenge will be handling the Blazers’ size, with their smaller lineup having consistently struggled against bigger opponents throughout the season. 

LA Clippers (9) vs. Golden State Warriors (10) - Intuit Dome

The Los Angeles Clippers sent a clear message to their upcoming Play-In opponent on Sunday night, beating the Golden State Warriors 115-10 at home behind Bennedict Mathurin’s 20-point performance and a disciplined defensive effort in their regular-season finale. That result saw the Clippers clinch the series 3-1.

Curry returned from a 27-game absence on April 5 and has played less than 30 minutes in his four games since. Kawhi Leonard, on the other hand, sat out Sunday’s victory over the Dubs as a precaution after playing 11 straight. He should be rested and ready to go deep in this one. 

Indeed, Playoff hopes for both these sides will likely rest in the hands of their all-time greats, Curry and Leonard. Three-point shooting will also be a major factor here, with the Warriors ranking fourth in 3-point attempts since the All-Star break, while the Clippers are fourth in accuracy. 

See our NBA Play-in predictions