Who could have imagined some of basketball’s biggest stars would be spending the final stretch of the 2021-22 regular season battling for a spot in the NBA Play-In Tournament?
LeBron James’ Lakers and Kevin Durant’s Nets are among the teams involved in what has become an intriguing Play-In Tournament race. The standings in the Eastern and Western Conferences are still tight with only a few games left on the schedule, so a single win or loss could make a major difference in seedings.
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Which teams will punch their tickets to the postseason? And which playoff hopefuls will miss the cut?
Here’s a breakdown of the NBA Play-In Tournament, including the projected matchups in each conference and an explanation of the tournament format.
NBA standings 2022: Eastern Conference
(Current through March 27 games)
| Seed | Team | Record | Games back |
| 1. | Celtics | 47-28 | — |
| 2. | Heat | 47-28 | — |
| 3. | Bucks | 46-28 | 0.5 |
| 4. | 76ers | 46-28 | 0.5 |
| 5. | Bulls | 43-31 | 3.5 |
| 6. | Raptors | 42-32 | 4.5 |
| 7. | Cavaliers* | 41-33 | 5.5 |
| 8. | Hornets* | 39-36 | 8 |
| 9. | Nets* | 39-36 | 8 |
| 10. | Hawks* | 37-37 | 9.5 |
| — | Knicks | 33-42 | 14 |
| — | Wizards | 32-42 | 14.5 |
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| — | |||
* NBA Play-In Tournament teams if season ended today
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Magic, Pacers, Pistons
NBA standings 2022: Western Conference
(Current through March 27 games)
| Seed | Team | Record | Games back |
| 1. | Suns | 61-14 | — |
| 2. | Grizzlies | 52-23 | 9 |
| 3. | Warriors | 48-27 | 13 |
| 4. | Mavericks | 46-29 | 15 |
| 5. | Jazz | 45-30 | 16 |
| 6. | Nuggets | 44-31 | 17 |
| 7. | Timberwolves* | 43-33 | 18.5 |
| 8. | Clippers* | 36-39 | 25 |
| 9. | Pelicans* | 32-43 | 29 |
| 10. | Lakers* | 31-43 | 29.5 |
| — | Spurs | 30-44 | 30.5 |
| — | Trail Blazers | 27-47 | 33.5 |
| — | Kings | 27-48 | 34 |
| — | |||
| — |
* NBA Play-In Tournament teams if season ended today
Eliminated from NBA Playoff contention: Rockets, Thunder
NBA Play-In Tournament matchups 2022
Here’s what the NBA Play-In Tournament matchups would be if the regular season ended today:
Eastern Conference
(7) Cavaliers vs. (8) Hornets
(9) Nets vs. (10) Hawks
Western Conference
(7) Timberwolves vs. (8) Clippers
(9) Pelicans vs. (10) Lakers
NBA tiebreaker rules
Head-to-head record is the first tiebreaker. If teams split the season series, the next tiebreaker is higher winning percentage within the division if teams share a division. If they do not share a division, the tiebreaker is winning percentage in conference games.
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
- The NBA Play-In Tournament will be held after the conclusion of the 2021-22 regular season and before the start of the first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs. The teams that finish Nos. 1-6 in the standings of each conference will be guaranteed playoff spots. Teams Nos. 7-10 will enter the Play-In Tournament.
- Each conference’s Nos. 7 and 8 teams will face off, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed in the playoffs. The loser will still have one more opportunity to reach the playoffs.
- Each conference’s Nos. 9 and 10 teams will face off, with the winner advancing to play the loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game. The loser of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- The loser of the No. 7-vs.-No. 8 game and the winner of the No. 9-vs.-No. 10 game will then play against each other. The winner of that game will be the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. The loser will be eliminated from playoff contention.
- Beyond the Play-In Tournament, the 2022 NBA Playoffs will follow the typical format, with full best-of-seven series all the way through the NBA Finals.
When does the NBA Play-In Tournament start?
- Play-In Tournament: April 12-15
- NBA Playoffs: April 16
The 2021-22 NBA regular season will end on Sunday, April 10. The 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament will begin on Tuesday, April 12. The first round of the 2022 NBA Playoffs will start four days later on Saturday, April 16.
NBA schedule 2022
March 28
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Nuggets vs. Hornets | 7 p.m. | — |
| Magic vs. Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs. Pacers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Bulls vs. Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Spurs vs. Rockets | 8 p.m. | — |
| Warriors vs. Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Thunder vs. Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. | — |
March 29
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Bucks vs. 76ers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Bulls vs. Wizards | 7 p.m. | — |
| Pistons vs. Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Mavericks | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Jazz vs. Clippers | 10 p.m. | TNT |
March 30
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Mavericks vs. Cavaliers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Nuggets vs. Pacers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Magic vs. Wizards | 7 p.m. | — |
| Heat vs. Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Hornets vs. Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Timberwolves vs. Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs. Rockets | 8 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs. Thunder | 8 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs. Spurs | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs. Warriors | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pelicans vs. Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. | — |
March 31
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| 76ers vs. Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
| Bucks vs. Nets | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Cavaliers vs. Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Clippers vs. Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Jazz | 10 p.m. | TNT |
April 1
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Raptors vs. Magic | 7 p.m. | — |
| Mavericks vs. Wizards | 7 p.m. | — |
| Pacers vs. Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs. Rockets | 8 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs. Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Clippers vs. Bucks | 8 p.m. | — |
| Pistons vs. Thunder | 8 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Spurs | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Timberwolves vs. Nuggets | 9 p.m. | — |
| Pelicans vs. Lakers | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
April 2
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Hornets vs. 76ers | 12:30 p.m. | — |
| Cavaliers vs. Knicks | 1 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs. Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Heat vs. Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Jazz vs. Warriors | 8:30 p.m. | — |
April 3
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Wizards vs. Celtics | 1 p.m. | — |
| Mavericks vs. Bucks | 1 p.m. | ABC |
| Nuggets vs. Lakers | 3:30 p.m. | ABC |
| Pistons vs. Pacers | 5 p.m. | — |
| 76ers vs. Cavaliers | 6 p.m. | — |
| Knicks vs. Magic | 6 p.m. | — |
| Heat vs. Raptors | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Timberwolves vs. Rockets | 7 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs. Thunder | 7 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Spurs | 7 p.m. | — |
| Warriors vs. Kings | 9 p.m. | — |
| Pelicans vs. Clippers | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
April 4
(No games scheduled)
April 5
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| 76ers vs. Pacers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Cavaliers vs. Magic | 7 p.m. | — |
| Rockets vs. Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Hornets vs. Heat | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs. Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Bucks vs. Bulls | 8 p.m. | ESPN |
| Wizards vs. Timberwolves | 8 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Thunder | 8 p.m. | — |
| Spurs vs. Nuggets | 9 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs. Jazz | 9 p.m. | — |
| Pelicans vs. Kings | 10 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Suns | 10:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
April 6
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Mavericks vs. Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs. Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Wizards vs. Hawks | 8 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Thunder vs. Jazz | 9 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs. Clippers | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
April 7
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Magic vs. Hornets | 7 p.m. | — |
| 76ers vs. Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs. Bucks | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Spurs vs. Timberwolves | 8 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Pelicans | 8 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs. Nuggets | 9 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs. Warriors | 10 p.m. | TNT |
April 8
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Bucks vs. Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
| Knicks vs. Wizards | 7 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Cavaliers vs. Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Rockets vs. Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs. Heat | 8 p.m. | — |
| Hornets vs. Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs. Mavericks | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs. Jazz | 9:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Thunder vs. Lakers | 10:30 p.m. | — |
April 9
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Kings vs. Clippers | TBD | — |
| Pelicans vs. Grizzlies | TBD | NBA TV |
| Pacers vs. 76ers | TBD | — |
| Warriors vs. Spurs | TBD | — |
April 10
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Pacers vs. Nets | TBD | — |
| Wizards vs. Hornets | TBD | — |
| Bucks vs. Cavaliers | TBD | — |
| Spurs vs. Mavericks | TBD | — |
| Lakers vs. Nuggets | TBD | — |
| Hawks vs. Rockets | TBD | — |
| Thunder vs. Clippers | TBD | — |
| Celtics vs. Grizzlies | TBD | — |
| Bulls vs. Timberwolves | TBD | — |
| Warriors vs. Pelicans | TBD | — |
| Raptors vs. Knicks | TBD | — |
| Heat vs. Magic | TBD | — |
| Pistons vs. 76ers | TBD | — |
| Kings vs. Suns | TBD | — |
| Jazz vs. Trail Blazers | TBD | — |