The NBA Playoffs have changed quite a bit over the years. From the number of rounds in the postseason to the number of games in specific rounds to even something like the Play-In Tournament, the machinations of how the NBA crowns its champion and the path every team must endure to get to that point aren't the same as they always were.
Of course, there's no better time for basketball than the NBA Playoffs, so even as things change, fans keep flocking back. There aren't rest days for veterans just for maintenance, there aren't low-effort games wherein players feel like they're mailing it in, and so on. This is the time when every NBA player who's healthy is giving it everything they've got and leaving it all on the hardwood.
However, because of the increased level of competition we see in the NBA's postseason, there are also more fans who tune into the action. With that, some questions arise about the playoff format and little things about how things work. One such question is how many rounds are in the NBA Playoffs and how many games are in each round.
We're diving into that so every basketball fan watching isn't left wondering any longer.
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How many rounds are in the NBA Playoffs?
There are a total of four rounds in the NBA Playoffs. The action begins with the first round with eight teams in each conference in action. Whichever teams advance from those matchups, seeded in a traditional bracket style (1-seed vs. 8-seed, 2-seed vs. 7-seed, etc.), then move on to the conference semifinals with four teams from each conference remaining.
Winners of the conference semifinals then move onto, you guessed it, the conference finals. That leaves fans watching the two teams from each side of the bracket duking it out with only four total teams remaining. Naturally, the winner of those series will then advance to the NBA Finals, which is the final stop in the playoffs.
Of course, the Play-In Tournament somewhat complicates the question of how many rounds there are as the No. 7-to-10 seeds in each conference compete for the final two spots in the playoff field. Those games, however, are not considered offical NBA Playoff games, so they aren't counted as another round in the league's postseason.
How many games are in each round of the NBA Playoffs?
Every series in every round of the NBA Playoffs is a best-of-seven series, meaning that the first team in each matchup to win four games will advance to the next round.
That might be the "newest" thing that some fans might forget from time to time when considering how the postseason works. From 1984 until 2003, the first round of the NBA Playoffs was actually a best-of-five series between the two teams, meaning the first to win three games in the series. As mentioned, that changed with a new rule in 2003 and every series has been best-of-seven since.
Full 2025 NBA Playoffs schedule for every round
Now that we know how the NBA Playoffs rounds work, let's take a look at this year's postseason and the full schedule for every round.
Round | Dates |
|---|---|
First Round | April 19 to May 4 (if necessary) |
Conference Semifinals | May 5 to May 19 (if necessary) |
Conference Finals | May 20 to June 2 (if necessary) |
NBA Finals | June 5 to June 22 (if necessary) |
Outside of the NBA Finals, which are set to begin on June 5 no matter what based on the schedule, the beginning and end of every other round is fluid. The latest date the first round could end would be May 4. However, if no series lasts seven games, then the conference semifinals could be moved up to start on May 3 and 4. The same is true for the conference semis leading into the conference finals as well, depending on how long the series last to set up the matchups in the next round. The conference finals start date could be moved up to May 18 and 19.