The Philadelphia 76ers punched their ticket to the postseason Wednesday night with a 109-97 victory over the Orlando Magic. The win secures the No. 7 seed for Philadelphia, setting up a first-round clash with the No. 2 Boston Celtics.
Philadelphia and Portland secured their playoff berths
Portland mirrored the East’s drama Tuesday when the Trail Blazers defeated the Phoenix Suns 114-110. That victory locks Portland into the bracket, where they’ll face the No. 2 San Antonio Spurs.
Golden State survived a tight battle against the LA Clippers on Tuesday, winning 126-121 and eliminating Los Angeles from contention. The Warriors now move into a winner-take-all scenario against the Phoenix Suns.
Friday represents the final hurdle for the remaining play-in teams. In the East, the Orlando Magic fight the Charlotte Hornets for the No. 8 seed; the Hornets advanced to this stage after a 127-126 overtime win against the Miami Heat.
Inside the betting odds, Oklahoma City leads the field
Oklahoma City enters the postseason as the heavy favorite to repeat as champions, carrying +120 odds. The Thunder have locked in their third consecutive No. 1 seed in the Western Conference, though their path won’t be effortless. The Thunder were pushed to seven games in multiple series last year, a reminder that 1-seeds often struggle with early-round attrition.
Betting markets place the No. 2 seeds, Boston and San Antonio, at +500. Those figures suggest a tighter race at the top than the regular season standings might imply.
Detroit sits as the top seed in the East, but oddsmakers are less confident in their run, pricing the Pistons at +1800.
Why New York is favored to handle Atlanta’s late-season surge
New York enters the first round as the No. 3 seed against the No. 6 Atlanta Hawks. SportsLine expert Mike Barner projects a Knicks victory in six games, citing New York’s dominance in the regular season where they won two of three matchups against Atlanta.
Atlanta arrives with significant momentum, posting a 19-5 record since Feb. 22—the third-best mark in the league. The trade for CJ McCollum transformed the Hawks from a play-in contender into a legitimate threat, with Dyson Daniels and Nickeil Alexander-Walker anchoring a defense designed to frustrate Jalen Brunson.
Experience remains the deciding factor in this matchup. McCollum is the only rotation player in Atlanta with substantial postseason history, while New York has won its first-round series in six games for two straight years.
Postseason rules and schedule details
Postseason play begins Saturday with four Game 1 matchups, with the remaining series openers following on Sunday. The road to the NBA Finals, which start June 3 on ABC, consists of four rounds of best-of-seven series.
All series follow a 2-2-1-1-1 format. Teams aren’t reseeded after each round, meaning the bracket remains fixed once the play-in tournament concludes.
Home-court advantage belongs to the team with the superior regular-season record. Those teams host Games 1, 2, 5, and 7.
Who are the current favorites to win the 2026 NBA championship?
The Oklahoma City Thunder are the favorites at +120, followed by the Boston Celtics and San Antonio Spurs, both at +500.
Which teams have already been eliminated in the play-in tournament?
The Miami Heat and the LA Clippers have been eliminated from postseason contention.
