The NBA Play-In Tournament is the preliminary National Basketball Association (NBA) postseason tournament. It determines the final two playoff seeds in the Eastern Conference and Western Conference and is played immediately prior to the NBA Playoffs, which is the main tournament of the postseason and regarded by the league as separate from the Play-In Tournament. Teams finishing the regular season in positions 7 through 10 in the standings for each conference compete to determine the number 7 and 8 seeds in each conference's bracket tournament.
Format[]
Original format[]
On June 4, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors approved the first ever play-in game for the 2019–20 season. The game was part of the NBA's plans for a bubble as part of its return to play during the Covid-19 pandemic. If the 8 and 9 seeds in either conference were within four games of each other, the two seeds would play each other in a play-in game. If the 8 seed won the game, it would advance to the playoffs. If the 9 seed won, a second game would be played. Only if the 9 seed won the second game would it advance to the playoffs.
Current format[]
On November 19, 2020, the NBA Board of Governors approved a format for the 2020–21 season to have a playoff Play-In Tournament involving the teams that ranked 7th through 10th in each conference. The format is similar to the first two rounds of the Page-McIntyre System for a four-team playoff. The 9th place team hosts the 10th place team in an elimination game. The 7th hosts the 8th place team in the double-chance game, with the winner advancing as the 7-seed. The loser of this game then hosts the winner of the elimination game between the 9th and 10th place teams to determine the 8-seed. The NBA's regular playoff format then proceeds as normal.
Results[]
2020[]
2020 was the only season to use the original play-in game structure. The teams finishing 8th and 9th in each conference competed for the final playoff seed in their conference, but only if they finished within four games of each other. In which case the lower-ranked team could advance to their conference playoffs only by defeating the higher-ranked team twice.
Western Conference[]
Because ninth-place Memphis (34–39) finished the season one-half game behind eighth-place Portland (35–39), a play-in was required to determine the 8th seed in the conference.
| 9th place team | Result | 8th place team | Seeding result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Memphis | 122–126 | Portland | Because the higher ranked team won the game, a second game was not needed. Portland advanced to playoffs as the 8th seed in their conference. |
Eastern Conference[]
Because ninth-place Washington (25–47) finished 7 1⁄2 games behind eighth-place Orlando (33–40), no play-in was contested.
| 9th place team | Result | 8th place team | Seeding result |
|---|---|---|---|
| Washington | N/A | Orlando | Orlando advanced to playoffs as the 8th seed in their conference. |
2021[]
2021 was the first season to use the Page–McIntyre system. Teams finishing in positions 7 through 10 in each conference qualified for play-in games to determine the final two playoff seeds for each conference.
Eastern Conference[]
- (10) Charlotte 117-144 (9) Indiana
- (8) Washington 100-118 (7) Boston
- (9) Indiana 115-142 (8) Washington
Western Conference[]
- (10) San Antonio 96-100 (9) Memphis
- (8) Golden State 100-103 (7) L.A. Lakers
- (9) Memphis 117-112 (OT) (8) Golden State
2022[]
2022 was the second season to use the Page–McIntyre system. Teams finishing in positions 7 through 10 in each conference qualified for play-in games to determine the final two playoff seeds for each conference.
Eastern Conference[]
- (10) Charlotte 103-132 (9) Atlanta
- (8) Cleveland 108-115 (7) Brooklyn
- (9) Atlanta 107-101 (8) Cleveland
Western Conference[]
- (10) San Antonio 103-113 (9) New Orleans
- (8) L.A. Clippers 104-109 (7) Minnesota
- (9) New Orleans 105-101 (8) L.A. Clippers
2023[]
2023 was the third season to use the Page–McIntyre system. Teams finishing in positions 7 through 10 in each conference qualified for play-in games to determine the final two playoff seeds for each conference.
Eastern Conference[]
Western Conference[]
- (10) Oklahoma City 123-118 (9) New Orleans
- (8) Minnesota 102-108 (OT) (7) L.A. Lakers
- (8) Minnesota 120-95 (10) Oklahoma City
2024[]
2024 was the fourth season to use the Page–McIntyre system. Teams finishing in positions 7 through 10 in each conference qualified for play-in games to determine the final two playoff seeds for each conference.
Eastern Conference[]
- (10) Atlanta 116-131 (9) Chicago
- (8) Miami 104-105 (7) Philadelphia
- (9) Chicago 91-112 (8) Miami
Western Conference[]
- (10) Golden State 94-118 (9) Sacramento
- (8) New Orleans 106-110 (7) L.A. Lakers
- (9) Sacramento 98-105 (8) New Orleans