The NBA regular season closes on April 14, and the conference league finals begin on April 16 to June 23. The play-in season tournament on April 16 to 19 is the first finals matchup, followed by the playoffs on April 20.
The qualifying teams from the first round proceed to the NBA semi-finals on May 6 to 7. After that, the winners will play in the conference finals from May 21 to 22 or 19 to 20 if the semi-final series ends early. The NBA finals will occur from July 6 to June 14 or 23 if the series exceeds the fourth round.
Read on to learn more about dates and timelines for the play-in and playoff tournament. This guide also includes the schedule for the final match between the two best NBA teams.
1. April 16 to 19 – The 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament
The 2024 SoFi play-in tournament starts on April 16 to 19. At the end of the regular season, the final four teams in the top 10 of each conference participate in the play-in tournament. Going through the NBA finals schedule today gives you an idea of the teams to expect in the final four. The top contenders include:
Western Conference
- Sacramento Kings
- Dallas Mavericks
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Golden State Warriors
Eastern Conference
- Miami Heat
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Chicago Bulls
- Atlanta Hawks
During the tournament, the seventh seed will play the eighth seed. The match will air on Tuesday, April 16. The winners of this round will clinch the seventh playoff position, while the losers will get another shot at a playoff position later.
On the other hand, the ninth and tenth seeds play on Wednesday, April 17. The winners advance to the play-in tournament final, whereas the losers get eliminated.
On the final day, April 19, the losers of the initial match between the seventh and eighth seeds will face the winners in the ninth versus tenth seed matchup. The victorious team will earn the eighth overall playoff spot.
Looking at the current NBA standings, it means the Miami Heat might face the Philadelphia 76ers. Conversely, the Chicago Bulls may take on the Atlanta Hawks.11th and 12th-placed Brooklyn Nets and Toronto Raptors are also in contention for a play-in-season tournament spot, depending on their results by the end of the season.
The Sacramento Kings could face the Dallas Mavericks in the West, whereas the LA Lakers play the Golden State Warriors. However, the Houston Rockets and Utah Jazz can still qualify for the play-in season before the end of the regular season.
2. April 20 to May 20 – The 2024 NBA Final Playoffs
The NBA final playoffs are on April 20, two days after the play-in-season tournament. It ends on May 20th. In total, 16 basketball teams participate in the NBA playoffs, including the top six teams during the regular season and two play-in tournament winners from each conference.
The top six teams in the West and East are:
West
- Denver Nuggets
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Los Angeles Clippers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Phoenix Suns
East
- Boston Celtics
- Milwaukee Bucks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- New York Knicks
- Orlando Magic
- Indiana Pacers
All eight teams will play the first-round playoff matches on April 20th. The first seed in each conference will play the eighth-seeded play-in tournament winner. The seventh-seed winner faces the second team during the regular season.
For instance, the Denver Nuggets may play against the LA Lakers or Warriors, and the Oklahoma City Thunder could be against the Sacramento Kings or Dallas Mavericks. The Boston Celtics may play the Chicago Bulls or Atlanta Hawks in the East, while the Milwaukee Bucks could face the Heat or Philadelphia 76ers.
The remaining teams will face each other in this order. The third-seeded teams in both conferences will face the sixth team, while the fourth-seed will face team five. The NBA will announce the exact dates for these matches once the regular season ends.
3. The Playoff Semi-Finals
The four winners in the first-round matches of the 2024 NBA playoffs advance to the conference semifinals. If the series ends early, the semis start on May 6 to 7 or 4th to 5th.
4. 2024 NBA Conference Finals
The NBA Conference finals begin on May 21 to 22 if the semi-finals series extends or 19th to 20 if it doesn’t. The final features the two winners from the final four in the NBA semi-final best-of-seven series match. The winner of this duel gets the conference NBA title and advances to the 2024 NBA finals to face the winner of the other conference.
5. The NBA Finals
The 2024 Finals is the final match determining the season’s NBA champion. It starts from June 6 to June 14 or 23 if the conference final series extends beyond the fourth round. The two best teams in the Eastern and Western conferences play in the finals. The winner of the final series earns the NBA trophy for the 2023/24 season.
Here is the breakdown of the time and dates of the NBA finals match:
- Thursday, June 6th at 8:30 p.m: Game 1
- Sunday, June 9th at 8:00 p.m: Game 2
- Wednesday, June 12 at 8:30 p.m: Game 3
- Friday, June 14 at 8:30 p.m: Game 4
- Monday, June 17 at 8:30 p.m: Game 5
- Thursday, June 20 at 8:30 p.m: Game 6
- Sunday, June 23 at 8:00 p.m: Game 7
Again, the last three dates on the schedule only apply if the series between the two teams goes beyond the fourth game.
In a Nutshell
The NBA finals include a series of matches that build up to the showdown between two teams. The play-in tournament is the first final in the schedule. It involves the final four regular season teams playing against each other for a playoff berth. Qualifying teams must then compete against each other for a spot in the semi-final and the conference final later.
The two best teams from each conference will face each other in the seven-series match to determine the champion. Each game in the finals occurs at a different date and time. Therefore, stay updated with the calendar of events to follow every game once the NBA releases the full schedule.