NBA Playoffs Format Explained
The NBA Playoffs feature 16 teams β 8 from the Eastern Conference and 8 from the Western Conference. Teams are seeded 1 through 8 based on their regular season record within their conference, with the top seed having the best record.
The Play-In Tournament (introduced in 2021 and now a permanent fixture) allows seeds 7 through 10 to compete for the final two playoff spots in each conference. The 7-seed plays the 8-seed, with the winner getting the 7 spot. The loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the 8 seed. This means teams that finish 9th or 10th can still make the playoffs β and historically, some 8-seeds have pulled major upsets in the first round.
The playoff bracket is re-seeded after each round β meaning the lowest-remaining seed always plays the highest-remaining seed in the next round. This can create unexpected matchups and means the road to the Finals is never set in stone.
Home court advantage goes to the higher seed in every series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. The lower seed hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. In a close series, home court can be decisive β teams win their home games at a significantly higher rate in the playoffs.
Why Nikola JokiΔ Is the Most Dominant Playoff Player Alive
Nikola JokiΔ enters the 2026 NBA Playoffs as arguably the best player in the world β and his playoff track record backs it up. He is second in career postseason Box Plus/Minus, sandwiched between Michael Jordan and LeBron James. His 34 triple-doubles in the 2025β26 regular season were more than the next three players combined.
In the playoffs, JokiΔ's passing ability becomes even more dangerous. When defenses double him, he finds open teammates for corner threes with surgical precision. When they don't double, he scores at will. The Denver Nuggets' entire offensive scheme runs through him β and it has already produced one NBA Championship and several deep playoff runs.