NBA Play-In Tournament: How to watch, matchups, schedule originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago
When the 2021-22 NBA regular season wraps up on Sunday night, the playoff field still won’t be completely set.
The final two seeds in the Eastern and Western Conference will remain up for grabs and be decided in the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament.
The seventh- and eighth-place teams in each conference will play for the No. 7 seed, while the ninth- and 10th-place teams will face off for a chance to play for the No. 8 seed. Then, the loser of the 7-8 matchup will face the winner of the 9-10 matchup with the eighth seed on the line.
Here’s everything you need to know ahead of the third iteration of the NBA Play-In Tournament.
When is the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In Tournament runs from April 12-15. The first round of the playoffs begins on April 16.
Which teams are playing in the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Brooklyn Nets have the third-best odds to win the NBA Finals. They’re also in the Play-In Tournament.
Following a drama-filled regular season, the No. 7 Nets (44-38) will host the No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers (44-38). Brooklyn won three of four against Cleveland this season, including the most recent matchup on April 8. It’s unclear if the Cavs will get All-Star center Jarrett Allen back versus Brooklyn. Allen has been sidelined with a broken finger since early March.
The defending champion Milwaukee Bucks or Boston Celtics will be awaiting the winner of Cavs-Nets in Round 1 of the playoffs.
The other East matchup features a pair of Southeast division teams with the No. 9 Atlanta Hawks (43-39) pitted against the No. 10 Charlotte Hornets (43-39). The Hawks find themselves in the play-in after making the conference finals last year, while the Hornets are seeking their first playoff berth since 2015-16. Atlanta and Charlotte split their four-game regular-season series.
Over in the Western Conference, the No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves (46-35) will take on the No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers (41-40). The two sides met three times in the month of November alone, with the Clippers winning all three games by double-digits and two by at least 20 points. But the Wolves took the fourth and final matchup at Crypto.com Arena in January by 18 points.
The winner of Wolves-Clippers will draw the No. 2 Memphis Grizzlies in the first round of the playoffs. Meanwhile, the loser will play the winner of the No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans (36-45) against the No. 10 San Antonio Spurs (34-47).
After starting the season 1-12, New Orleans has gone 35-33 since despite superstar Zion Williamson not appearing in a single game and Brandon Ingram missing over 25 contests. San Antonio, which fell to Memphis in the 9-10 matchup last year, took the season series from the Southwest division rival Pelicans and won both games in the Big Easy.
How can I watch the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament?
The Play-In Tournament will be broadcasted on ESPN and TNT, with each network airing three games apiece.
How can I stream the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament?
For games on ESPN, you can stream them on ESPN.com and the ESPN app. For games on TNT, you can stream them on TNTDrama.com and the TNT app.
What is the 2022 NBA Play-In Tournament schedule?
Here’s a look at the schedule and broadcast details for all of the play-in games:
- No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 7 Brooklyn Nets: April 12, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
- No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves: April 12, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
- No. 10 Charlotte Hornets at No. 9 Atlanta Hawks: April 13, 7 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- No. 10 San Antonio Spurs at No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans: April 13, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
- Winner of Hornets/Hawks at loser of Cavaliers/Nets: April 15, TBD (ESPN)
- Winner of Spurs/Pelicans at loser of Clippers/Wolves: April 15, TBD (TNT)
