NBA Playoff Format and Rules
The NBA playoffs consist of a 20 team tournament. The top 6 seeds from both the Eastern and Western Conferences will be ranked based off of their record. The teams ranked from 7 through 10 will then have play-in games for the final 2 seeds. If teams have the same record, there is a series of tiebreakers which determine who receives the higher seed.
Tiebreakers
- Head to head results
- Division champion receives higher seed
- Place in division
- Win-loss percentage against all conference opponents
Play-in Game Format
The NBA playoff tournament includes play-in games for the 7th and 8th seed. The 7th ranked team will face the 8th ranked team and the winner of that game will receive the 7th seed. The 9th and 10th ranked teams will also have a play-in game. The winner of the 9th and 10th ranked game will then play the loser of the 7th and 8th teams to determine the 8th and final spot of the NBA playoffs. The rest of the playoffs will be played in the NBA’s normal playoff format.