How Do the NBA Playoff Brackets Work? Format, Seeding, and Rounds Explained

The NBA postseason features a combination of direct playoff qualifiers and a play-in tournament that determines the final seeds. Once the bracket is finalized, teams compete in a fixed playoff format, advancing through multiple rounds until one team is crowned NBA champion. This article explains how the bracket is formed and how teams move through each stage of the playoffs.

Regular Season Standings and Playoff Qualification

At the conclusion of the regular season, teams are ranked within their respective conferences based on their overall win-loss records. The top six teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences automatically secure playoff spots.

Teams finishing between seventh and tenth place enter the play-in tournament, which determines the final two playoff positions in each conference. This system rewards regular-season performance while keeping postseason contention alive for more teams late in the year.

How the Play-In Tournament Works

The play-in tournament involves four teams from each conference. The teams ranked seventh and eighth face each other, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs.

Meanwhile, the ninth- and tenth-ranked teams play an elimination game. The winner of that matchup then faces the loser of the 7-8 game, with the final winner claiming the No. 8 seed. This format ensures that exactly eight teams per conference advance to the traditional playoff bracket.

NBA Playoff Bracket Structure

Once the 16 playoff teams are determined, the postseason follows a fixed bracket format within each conference. Teams are not reseeded after each round, meaning the initial bracket remains unchanged regardless of upsets.
In the first round, the No. 1 seed faces the No. 8 seed, the No. 2 seed plays the No. 7 seed, the No. 3 seed meets the No. 6 seed, and the No. 4 seed competes against the No. 5 seed. Winners advance deeper into the bracket along a predetermined path.

Series Format and Home-Court Advantage

Every playoff round is played as a best-of-seven series. The first team to win four games advances to the next round, while the losing team is eliminated.

Home-court advantage belongs to the higher-seeded team, which hosts Games 1, 2, 5, and 7. The lower-seeded team hosts Games 3, 4, and 6. This format applies consistently throughout all playoff rounds, including the NBA Finals.

Advancing Through the Rounds

Teams that win their first-round series move on to the conference semifinals, followed by the conference finals. The champions of the Eastern and Western Conferences then face each other in the NBA Finals to determine the league champion.
Because the bracket does not change during the postseason, teams and fans can anticipate potential matchups well in advance, adding strategic depth and long-term planning to the playoff race.

Why the NBA Playoff Format Is Important

The NBA playoff bracket is designed to balance regular-season success with postseason performance. Higher seeds benefit from home-court advantage, while lower seeds must overcome tougher paths to advance.

This structure creates a competitive and dramatic postseason, ensuring that the NBA champion emerges through consistent success across multiple high-pressure series.