Connect with us
DAPA Banner

Sports

NBA playoff bracket, schedule: East seeds set as Raptors claim No. 5 seed

Published

on

nbaplayoffbracket-2026-editorial.jpg
Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

The 2026 NBA playoff bracket will be finalized on Sunday night. After the night’s first batch of games, we know what the Eastern Conference side of the bracket looks like. The Toronto Raptors clinched the final top-six seed and a guaranteed playoff berth on Sunday thanks to their win over the Nets. The Raptors will be the No. 5 seed in the East and face the Cavs in the first round, as the Hawks were bumped down to the No. 6 seed with their loss to the Heat on Sunday. The Hawks will go up against the third-seeded Knicks in the first round.

The No. 1 Pistons and No. 2 Celtics await the Play-In Tournament winners in the East. The 76ers will host the Magic with the No. 7 seed on the line Tuesday, while the Hornets and Heat will play in the 9-10 matchup on Wednesday.

In the West, the biggest question is if the Nuggets can lock up the No. 3 seed and keep the Lakers at No. 4. The West’s No. 3 seed would face the Wolves in the first round, while the Rockets await the No. 4 seed.

While we wait and see how the final seeds shake out, here’s an up-to-date look at the 2026 NBA playoff bracket, as well as the schedule for the Play-In Tournament and key dates for the next two months.

2026 NBA playoff bracket


Keytron Jordan, CBS Sports

2026 NBA Playoff Picture

NBA postseason bracket after Sunday’s East games

Play-In Tournament

Advertisement

East first round
No. 1 Pistons vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Celtics vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 Knicks vs. No. 6 Hawks
No. 4 Cavaliers vs. No. 5 Raptors

West first round
No. 1 Thunder vs. No. 8 TBD
No. 2 Spurs vs. No. 7 TBD
No. 3 Nuggets vs. No. 6 Timberwolves
No. 4 Lakers vs. No. 5 Rockets

Play-In Tournament schedule

Tuesday, April 14

  • 76ers vs. Magic, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 7 seed
  • Suns vs. Trail Blazers/Clippers, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 7 seed

Wednesday, April 15

  • Hornets vs. Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason
  • Trail Blazers/Clippers vs. Warriors, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Loser is eliminated from postseason

Friday, April 17

  • 76ers/Magic vs. Hornets/Heat, 7:30 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets East No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason
  • TBD vs. TBD, 10 p.m. ET, Prime — Winner gets West No. 8 seed, loser is eliminated from postseason

2026 NBA playoffs schedule

Saturday, April 18

  • Four first-round playoff games (times and matchups TBD)

Sunday, April 19

  • Four first-round playoff games (times and matchups TBD)

2026 NBA playoffs key dates

  • April 18-19: First-round series begin
  • May 2-4: Second round begins
  • May 10: 2026 NBA Draft Lottery
  • May 19: Eastern Conference Finals begin
  • May 20: Western Conference Finals begin
  • June 3NBA Finals Game 1
  • June 19: NBA Finals Game 7 (if necessary)

Source link

Advertisement
Continue Reading
Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

Sports

3 players who could score the most runs in today’s SRH vs RR match

Published

on

The SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) will lock horns with the Rajasthan Royals (RR) in the 21st match of the ongoing Indian Premier League (IPL) 2026.The Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium in Hyderabad will host the game on Monday, April 13.

The Riyan Parag-led side have made a terrific start to the IPL 2026 season, winning all their first four matches. They successfully chased 202 against Royal Challengers Benglauru (RCB) in their last game, winning the match six wickets with 12 balls to spare. The top three – Vaibhav Sooryavanshi, Yashasvi Jaiswal and Dhruv Jurel have looked solid this season.

On the other hand, SRH will look to avoid a hat-trick of losses after defeat to Lucknow Super Giants (LSG) and Punjab Kings (PBKS). Having said that, they posted 219 against Punjab in their last game. Abhishek Sharma top-scored with 74 off 28 balls.

Here are three batters who are likely to score big in SRH vs RR IPL 2026 match:

Travis Head

Travis Head - Source: GettyTravis Head - Source: Getty
Travis Head – Source: Getty

Travis Head enjoys a terrific record against RR in IPL. The Aussie opener has amassed 159 runs in three innings at a strike rate of 154.37, including two half-centuries. Last year, he smashed 67 runs off 31 balls against the Royals. With 102 runs in four innings, Head has made a firm start to IPL 2026. After scoring 46 (21) and 38 (23) against KKR and PBKS, he’ll now look to convert his starts into a big score. In the IPL, the 32-year-old has scored 1248 runs in 42 matches at a strike rate of 169.79, including a century and eight fifties. Overall, he has 4654 runs in 178 T20s, hitting two tons and 27 half-centuries.

Ishan Kishan

Ishan Kishan - Source: GettyIshan Kishan - Source: Getty
Ishan Kishan – Source: Getty

Like Travis Head, SRH captain Ishan Kishan enjoys a promising record against the Royals in IPL. The southpaw has 392 runs in 12 innings at a strike rate of 147.37, including three half-centuries and one hundred. In his last innings, he smashed an unbeaten 106 off 47 deliveries at a strike rate of 225.53, including six maximums and 11 boundaries at Rajiv Gandhi International Stadium. In the IPL, the wicketkeeper-batter has 3120 runs in 116 innings with the help of the aforementioned ton and 18 fifties. In his first four outings, he’s managed 122 runs in four innings at a stunning strike rate of 179.41, including 80 off 38 deliveries against RCB. Overall, in T20s, he has 6441 runs in 233 games, comprising seven centuries and 36 fifties. On his day, he can disrupt any team in the world.

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi - Source: GettyVaibhav Sooryavanshi - Source: Getty
Vaibhav Sooryavanshi – Source: Getty

Vaibhav Sooryavanshi has dominated bowlers like Jasprit Bumrah and Josh Hazlewood in IPL 2026. The 15-year-old has already scored 200 runs in four innings at a stunning strike rate of 266.67, including two half-centuries. Notably, he slammed a quickfire 78 off 26 balls against RCB in the last game. The youngster will now look to continue his carnage against SRH, who failed to defend 219 in their previous game against PBKS.

In the IPL, Sooryavanshi has scored 452 runs in 11 innings at a strike rate of 229.44, including one century and three fifties. Overall, in T20s, he has 901 runs in 22 games, hitting three centuries and as many fifties. Despite scoring 52 (17) and 78 (26) against CSK and RCB, he looked disappointed after failing to convert his starts into a century.