2026 NBA Playoffs Set: New York Knicks Face Atlanta Hawks Starting Saturday
The 2026 NBA playoffs are set to begin Saturday with the New York Knicks hosting the Atlanta Hawks at 6 p.m. ET. The Eastern and Western Conference playoff brackets were finalized after Sunday's games.
The 2026 NBA playoffs officially begin Saturday when the New York Knicks host the Atlanta Hawks at 6 p.m. ET in Game 1 of their first-round series. The matchup follows the standard playoff format with Games 1 and 2 in New York, followed by Games 3 and 4 in Atlanta.
If the series extends beyond four games, Game 5 would return to New York, Game 6 back to Atlanta, and a potential Game 7 would be played in New York. This 2-2-1-1-1 format gives the higher-seeded team home court advantage.
The playoff brackets for both the Eastern and Western Conferences were set after Sunday's regular season games concluded. Before the main playoffs begin, the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament will take place April 14-17, giving teams on the bubble one last chance to secure playoff spots.
The first round of the NBA Playoffs officially starts April 18, with multiple series beginning around that date. The playoffs will continue through June when the NBA Finals determine this year's championship team.
Basketball fans can now plan their viewing schedule for the next month of playoff games. The playoffs determine which team wins the NBA championship and generate huge TV audiences and betting interest.
The Play-In Tournament runs April 14-17, followed by first-round playoffs starting April 18.
Was this article helpful?
0 people found this helpful