When do NBA Playoffs start? Key dates for NBA Playoffs schedule

All the important information you need to know about the 2023 NBA Playoffs. How the play-in tournament works, key dates, NBA Finals format, and more.

The NBA Playoffs are just over a month away and are sure to be nothing short of top-level entertainment. The modern-day NBA brings a true opportunity for anyone to beat anyone every single night, and that brings a potential for a wild postseason.

But, how does the postseason work? It feels like something changes with the postseason format all the time, especially with the addition of the Play-In Tournament a few years ago.

Don’t worry, everything you need to know about the format for the 2023 NBA Playoffs is right here.

When do the NBA Play-In Tournament and NBA Playoffs begin?

The NBA regular season ends on April 9. Every team across the league will play on that Sunday afternoon. The Play-In Tournament begins two days later on April 11, running through April 14. The Play-In Tournament is not officially part of the regular season or the playoffs but instead functions as more of a bridge between the two.

The NBA Playoffs begin on April 15. Teams that survive the Play-In are not expected to play on this date, but instead on the days following. The NBA Finals will begin on June 1. If there were to be an NBA Finals Game 7, it would take place on June 18. Four days after a potential winner-takes-all Game 7, the 2023 NBA Draft takes place on April 22. All of these dates are according to the NBA website.

How many teams make the NBA Playoffs?

Short and simple, 16 — eight teams from the Eastern Conference and eight teams from the Western Conference. The teams are seeded 1-8 within their conference, with the higher seed having the homecourt advantage, and play best-of-seven series until a conference champion is crowned.

For example, the No. 1 seed defeats the No. 8 seed 4-1 in a series and advances to the second round where they match up with either the No. 4 or 5 seed in the conference semifinals. The final two teams in each conference face off in the conference finals, with the winner advancing to the NBA Finals.

How do the NBA Finals work?

The NBA Finals are no different from other rounds, except for this being the only time that teams from each conference face off. It remains in a best-of-seven format. Of course, the winner is crowned NBA Champion. The team with the better regular-season record will have homecourt advantage.

How does home-court advantage work in the NBA Playoffs?

Throughout the playoffs, including the finals, the homecourt format is the same. The higher-seeded, or better record, team will host the first two games. The lower seeded, or worse record, team will host the following two, Games 3 and 4. Following this, if necessary, the teams alternate home court for the final three games. The higher seeded, or better record, team hosts Games 5 and 7. The lower-seeded, or worse team, hosts Game 6. This is commonly known as the “2-2-1-1-1” format, as this is how the teams alternate homecourt.

How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?

The play-in tournament was first used in 2020 when teams played in the bubble. That format was different from the one we know now, which was first used in 2021. The current format includes teams seeded 7-10 in each conference. The seven seed plays the eighth seed in a one-game format, where the winner will be the seven seed. The nine seed will face the 10 seed in a one-game format, where the loser’s season is over. The loser of the seven versus eight-game faces the winner of the nine versus 10 game. The winner of this game is the eight seed. Essentially, the seven and eight seeds have to lose twice to miss the playoffs. The nine and ten seeds have to win twice to make the playoffs.

Where can I watch the 2023 NBA Playoffs?

All play-in and playoff games are nationally televised. The play-in games will be aired on either ABC, ESPN, or TNT. All games in the first round of the playoffs will be televised on either ABC, ESPN, TNT, or NBA TV. Second Round and Conference Finals games are televised on either ABC, ESPN, or TNT. All NBA Finals games are aired on ABC. The NBA Draft will air on ESPN.

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