The NBA Playoff format has undergone various modifications throughout its history as the league strives to maintain a competitive and exciting postseason. For 2024, the NBA continues with its familiar format while making some adjustments to enhance the experience for fans and teams alike. Here’s a comprehensive breakdown of what to expect.
**Understanding the Structure**
The NBA Playoffs are structured to determine the champion among the league’s 30 teams, who compete in a series of elimination rounds. The format has remained consistent: it includes the top eight teams from each conference, Eastern and Western, based on their regular season records.
1. **Play-In Tournament**: Before the traditional playoffs commence, there’s a Play-In Tournament involving the 7th through 10th seeds in each conference. This tournament aims to add excitement and give lower-seeded teams a chance to compete for the final playoff spots. The 7th seed plays the 8th seed, with the winner securing the 7th spot in the playoffs. The 9th seed plays the 10th seed, and the winner of that game faces the loser of the 7-8 game for the 8th and final playoff seed.
2. **First Round**: The Play-In Tournament winners join the