NBA, play-ins and playoffs: the dates

With the last day of the regular season the framework for the NBA playoffs was defined. Having archived the last phase of the regular season, between those who still had something to play for and the most aggressive tanking, now we get to the heart of things. The top six teams in each Conference have gained direct access to the playoffs, while those ranked seventh to tenth will have to advance from the play-in to complete the table. The play-ins will be from April 14 to 17, while the first round of the playoffs will begin on April 18. Then the Finals: game 1 is scheduled for June 3rd.

play-in

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The play-ins will be played between 14 and 17 April, one match each, before the start of the playoffs. The format is the now consolidated one: the seventh and eighth teams of each Conference face each other for a direct place in the scoreboard, while the loser will have one last chance by challenging the winner between ninth and tenth. In the East it starts with Charlotte (9)–Miami (10), at 1.30am Italian time on April 15th, followed by Philadelphia (7)–Orlando (8) at the same time on the 16th. In the West, however, the Phoenix (7)–Portland (8) match is scheduled for 4am on April 15th, while Los Angeles Clippers (9)–Golden State (10) will be played at 4am on the 16th.

playoffs east

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The playoffs will begin on April 18th, with the usual best-of-7 formula. This is the picture in the East:

• Detroit Pistons (1) vs. play-in winner (8)
• Boston Celtics (2) vs. play-in winner (7)
• New York Knicks (3) vs. Atlanta Hawks (6)
• Cleveland Cavaliers (4) vs. Toronto Raptors (5)

West playoffs

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This is the picture in the West:

• Oklahoma City Thunder (1) vs. play-in winner (8)
• San Antonio Spurs (2) vs. play-in winner (7)
• Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Minnesota Timberwolves (6)
• Los Angeles Lakers (4) vs. Houston Rockets (5)