In just a few days, the 2025-2026 NBA regular season will draw to a close. The postseason is looming, and many of the league’s 30 teams already know if they’ll be headed for the playoffs or going home until the fall.
But if you’re a new NBA fan, or just a casual one who peeks in around playoff time, you might be wondering when the postseason officially gets underway. So, with the 2026 playoffs headed our way, let’s take a closer look at key dates in the NBA calendar for the next few weeks.
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When does the 2025/2026 NBA regular season end?
The 2025-2026 regular season ends after the last game is played on Sunday, April 12. That’s the day that all 30 NBA teams will play their final regular season game, and by the end of the day the final league standings will be locked, clearing the way for the postseason.
When is the NBA playoff bracket set?
Victor Wembanyama of the San Antonio Spurs running on a basketball court
At the end of the regular season on April 12, playoff seeds will be locked in for the top six teams in each of the two NBA conferences. Those are the teams granted an automatic playoff berth based on their standings throughout the season, so by April 13 they’ll have a clear view of where they stand in the bracket and what their path will be going forward. Or at least, most of their path. \
Each conference hosts a playoff field of eight teams, which means two more teams still have to be added to the bracket. For that, we go to the Play-In Tournament.
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When is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
Stephen Curry of the Golden State Warriors lays up a shot against Jae’Sean Tate, #8, of the Houston Rockets.
The Play-In Tournament is a single elimination series of games held immediately after the regular season to determined the 7 and 8 seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference. Teams ranked 7-10 in each conference’s standings will participate in the Play-In, with the 7th place team and the 8th place team playing each other, and the 9th and 10th place teams playing each other.
The winner of the 7 vs. 8 Play-In game automatically becomes the 7-seed in the conference playoff bracket, and will play the 2-seed in the first round. The loser of the 7 vs. 8 game goes on to play the winner of the 9 vs. 10 game, and the winner of that game becomes the 8-seed in the bracket, facing the 1-seed in the first round.
The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament will take place April 14-17.
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When do the 2026 NBA Playoffs officially start?
Cade Cunningham of the Detroit Pistons drives against Ja’Kobe Walter of the Toronto Raptors during the first half of their NBA game.
After the Play-In Tournament, each conference will officially have all eight spots in its playoff bracket filled, setting up the First Round. The Playoffs begin April 18 with First Round play, and continue throughout the rest of April and May. The NBA Finals are set to begin June 3.
Be sure to tune in to NBC and Peacock for exclusive NBA Playoff games when the postseason is underway. Check back here for listing information as soon as it’s available.
NBA on NBC
The NBA is officially back on NBC and Peacock, with exclusive games every week across broadcast and streaming featuring some of the biggest stars in the game.
The action kicks off every week with Peacock NBA Monday, featuring exclusive games streaming only on Peacock. Then on Tuesday nights, check out NBC’s Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, which features two marquee games in primetime. With Sunday Night Football wrapped up, the NBA has also taken over NBC’s weekends with Sunday Night Basketball, with a primetime showcase game every week to wrap up the weekend.
Check out the full schedule for every NBA game on NBC and Peacock this season right here.
From real-time stats and predictive fun to highlight clips and immersive angles, Peacock’s suite of NBA features puts you in control of how you watch the game:
Courtside Live: An interactive, mobile-first viewing experience with new camera feeds and immersive perspectives that bring you to center court. Available weekly for select games throughout the 2025-2026 season.
Peacock Performance View: Unlock a next-level broadcast with dynamic overlays showing playing insights, heat maps, scoring probabilities, and more.
Can’t Miss Highlights: Swipeable vertical highlights on the Peacock mobile app for quick recaps of clutch moments, momentum shifts, and standout plays, wherever you are.
Peacock ScoreCard: Turn every game into an interactive experience. Pick from a range of cards and watch as your predictions come true.
Catch Up With Key Plays: Instantly revisit the most pivotal game moments with a curated playlist you can access anytime below your player controls.
Sign up for Peacock now to make sure you’re not missing a second of the NBA action. You can also gift the experience!