NBA play-in tournament
On the 4th of June 2020, the NBA Board of Governors approved a new experiment for the 2019, 20 season. This decision came as the league prepared to restart play during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The format was designed specifically for the bubble environment where players lived in isolation. It allowed teams finishing seventh through tenth in the standings to compete for playoff spots. If the eighth and ninth seeds were within four games of each other, they would face off immediately. A win by the eighth seed sent them directly into the playoffs. A loss triggered a second game between those two teams. The winner of that second match advanced while the loser went home.
The structure changed significantly on the 19th of November 2020 when the Board approved a broader tournament for the following season. This new version included all teams ranked from seventh to tenth place in each conference. By the 22nd of July 2022, the league made this expanded format permanent across all future seasons. The system now mirrors the first two rounds of the Page-McIntyre bracket used in college football. The ninth-place team hosts the tenth-place team with the loser eliminated instantly. The seventh-place host faces the eighth-place team in a double-chance scenario. The winner takes the top seed while the loser drops down to host the winner of the lower matchup. That final game determines who claims the eighth seed for the main playoffs. Teams playing in this final game always get an extra day of rest before their first official playoff series begins.
Atlanta and Miami have played six play-in games since the modern era began. These franchises hold the record for most appearances by any single team. Miami also leads all clubs with four total victories during these contests. Only two division champions have ever qualified through this specific path. The 2022, 23 Miami Heat reached the NBA Finals after entering via the play-in. The 2024, 25 Orlando Magic followed that same route to secure a playoff berth. Since the current seven-through-ten structure started in 2021, the seventh seed has never failed to advance. The tenth seed has succeeded only once when the Heat defeated Chicago and Atlanta in 2025. Seven teams have never participated in a single play-in game including Denver, Houston, Phoenix, Utah, Detroit, Milwaukee, and New York.
Jayson Tatum set the highest scoring mark in a single tournament game on the 18th of May 2021. He poured in fifty points against Washington during that contest. This performance stands as the individual record for points scored within the play-in bracket. No other player has matched or exceeded that output in a single elimination match. The league tracks these statistics alongside team records to measure success rates. Teams finishing ninth place have won three games while losing three others over time. Those starting eighth have lost eight times but also secured four wins across multiple seasons. The data shows how difficult it is for lower seeds to climb all the way to the finals.
ABC aired the very first play-in game back in 2020 during the bubble season. From 2021 through 2025, television rights were split between TNT and ESPN networks. In some years like 2021 and 2024, which conference finals each network covered determined who broadcast specific matches. Other years saw TNT air both seventh-eighth matchups while ESPN handled the ninth-tenth games. Starting with the 2025, 26 season, Amazon Prime Video will hold exclusive rights to all play-in tournament broadcasts. This marks a shift from traditional cable partnerships to streaming platforms. Canadian viewers see coverage divided roughly equally between Sportsnet and TSN broadcasters. These local partners can produce their own feeds for Toronto Raptors games while simulcasting U.S. signals otherwise.
Common questions
When did the NBA Board of Governors approve the play-in tournament format?
The NBA Board of Governors approved the new experiment on the 4th of June 2020. This decision came as the league prepared to restart play during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic.
How does the current NBA play-in tournament structure work for teams ranked seventh through tenth?
The ninth-place team hosts the tenth-place team with the loser eliminated instantly. The seventh-place host faces the eighth-place team in a double-chance scenario where the winner takes the top seed while the loser drops down to host the winner of the lower matchup.
Which teams hold the record for most appearances and victories in the modern era of the NBA play-in tournament?
Atlanta and Miami have played six play-in games since the modern era began. Miami also leads all clubs with four total victories during these contests.
Who holds the individual scoring record for points scored within a single NBA play-in game?
Jayson Tatum set the highest scoring mark in a single tournament game on the 18th of May 2021. He poured in fifty points against Washington during that contest.
When will Amazon Prime Video begin holding exclusive rights to broadcast NBA play-in tournament games?
Starting with the 2025, 26 season, Amazon Prime Video will hold exclusive rights to all play-in tournament broadcasts. This marks a shift from traditional cable partnerships to streaming platforms.