NBA playoff format, dates, and more: 2025 postseason explained
The 2024-25 NBA season is on the horizon, and for fans, it's an opportunity to witness your team's journey toward the 2025 playoffs.
Last year, the Boston Celtics reached the top of the mountain, winning the 18th championship in franchise history. Now with a new season, all 30 teams have a chance to write their names in history.
We're still far from the postseason, with the start of the 2024-25 regular season less than a month away. However, it's never too early to talk about the playoffs.
That said, here is everything you need to know regarding the 2025 postseason.
The NBA Play-In Tournament
The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament will commence on April 15-18, with the No. 7 vs. No. 10 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conferences competing for the final two playoff spots.
In the format below, the seventh seed plays the eighth seed, with the winner advancing to the playoffs. The loser of that game would play the winner of the No. 9 vs. No. 10 matchup for the final eighth and final playoff spot.
The NBA Play-In has already created some exciting moments for fans, with some of the best in the league, like Stephen Curry and even LeBron James, battling for the last two postseason spots over the previous few years.
It's safe to say it is a format that has been nothing but a success for the NBA.
NBA Playoff Format
The NBA Playoffs will begin on April 19, 2025, and are a best-of-seven series in each round, pitting some of the best teams in the league against each other for a chance at an NBA Championship.
As seen below, the format involves eight teams from the Western and Eastern conferences, with the best seed playing the lower seed.
- No. 1 seed vs. No. 8 seed
- No 2. seed vs. No. 7 seed
- No. 3 seed vs. No. 6 seed
- No. 4 seed vs. No. 5 seed
The conference semifinals
The NBA conference semifinals will commence on May 5-6th. (possibly moved up to May 3-4). The winner of the No. 1 vs. No. 8 seeds will play the winner of the No. 4 vs. No. 5 seeds. Meanwhile, the winner of the No. 2 vs. No. 7 seeds will match up to play the winner of the No. 3 vs. No. 6 seeds. The winners of those series in each conference will face off in the Conference Finals with a tip to the NBA Finals on the line.
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