How Long Are NBA Playoffs?

Everything you need to know about the NBA playoffs, including how long they last and what teams are competing.

NBA Playoffs Format

The NBA Playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the NBA’s regular season to determine the league’s champion. The playoffs were instituted in 1947, when the NBA was known as the Basketball Association of America (BAA).

The NBA regular season

The NBA regular season is when all 30 of the league’s teams play 82 games each. The games are played from October until April, with each team playing 41 home games and 41 away games. The regular season schedule is released in August, and the playoffs start in April.

The NBA playoffs are a tournament that takes place after the end of the regular season. The playoffs involve the 16 teams that have qualified for them by having either won their division or having had one of the best records among all the teams that did not win their division.

The playoffs are a single-elimination tournament, meaning that once a team loses a game, they are out of the playoffs. The tournament starts with the first round, followed by the second round, the conference finals, and then finally the NBA Finals.

The NBA playoffs

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annual championship round of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The playoffs began on April 15, 2019, and will end on June 16, 2019, with the Toronto Raptors defeating the Golden State Warriors in six games to win their first NBA championship.

The playoff format used by the NBA is a modified bracket system. The top eight teams in each conference (Western and Eastern) qualify for the playoffs. The division winners (the team with the best record in each division) are seeded one through three based on their regular season record, while the four remaining teams are seeded four through seven.

The first round of the playoffs (the NBA’s version of March Madness) is a best-of-seven series in which the lower-seeded team home games. The next two rounds (the conference semifinals and finals) are best-of-seven series played between the higher and lower seeds; however, these series do not follow the standard 2–2–1–1–1 format, as home court advantage is not determined by seed but rather by whoever won the season series between the two teams.

In all rounds except for the NBA Finals, if a team loses four games before its opponent does, that team is eliminated from further play and its opponent automatically advances to the next round. In order to make schedule determination easier for future seasons, in 2006Game 7s were no longer played in any round except for the NBA Finals; if necessary, team with home court advantage would host Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 while their opponents would host Games 3, 4 and 6 instead. As a result of this new rule change, some unique results have transpired over recent years:

– In 2008 during Conference Semifinals Game 1 between Houston Rockets and Los Angeles Lakers was hosted by Toyota Center because it was originally scheduled as Houston’s home game until league determined that Staples Center would be unavailable due to scheduling conflict with Los Angeles Kings’ playoff game. This resulted in Rockets playing 11 of their 13 playoff games on road including Going 7-4 on road en route to upsetting top seed Mavericks in Conference Quarterfinals before bowing out to eventual champion Lakers in Semifinals despite taking them to full limit by pushing them to Game 7 which Lakers won 101-96.[5]
– In 2012 during Conference Finals Game 4 between Oklahoma City Thunder and San Antonio Spurs was hosted by Chesapeake Energy Arena because it was originally scheduled as San Antonio’s home game until league determined that AT&T Center would be unavailable due to scheduling conflict with San Antonio Rampage’s playoff game.[6] Spurs went on to win Series 4-2 but lost 2012 NBA Finals to Miami Heat in seven games.
– In 2014 during Conference Semifinals Game 3 between Portland Trail Blazers and San Antonio Spurs was hosted by Moda Center because it was originally scheduled as Portland’s home game until league determined that AT&T Center would be unavailable due to a concert being held there.[7][8] Spurs went on sweep Trail Blazers en route capturing their fifth NBA Championship.

How long are NBA playoffs?

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven series played between the eight best teams from each conference. The playoffs began on April 15 and will end on June 17, 2019, if necessary. The Finals will air on ABC.

The first round of the playoffs

The first round of the playoffs is a best-of-seven series. All four games in a series are played before any team can advance to the next round. The team that has the best record in each conference is matched up against the team with the worst record, the second-best team plays the second-worst team, and so on. The better seed (lower number) always has home-court advantage, meaning they play four of their seven games at home.

The first two games of a first-round series are always played at the home of the better seed. Games 3 and 4 (if necessary) are played at the home of the worse seed. If Games 5, 6, and 7 are necessary, they alternate between the two sites, with Games 5 and 7 (if necessary) at the better seed’s home court.

The second round of the playoffs

The 2019 NBA playoffs are underway, and 16 teams are vying for the championship title. The first round of the playoffs began on April 13 and will end on April 28. The second round of the playoffs will begin on April 30 and will end on May 12. The conference finals will begin on May 14 and will end on June 2. The NBA Finals will begin on June 5 and will end on June 16.

The conference finals

The conference finals are a best-of-seven series played between the winners of the two NBA conference semifinals. The Eastern Conference Finals and the Western Conference Finals are two separate best-of-seven series. The team that wins both conference finals faces each other in the NBA Finals.

The NBA Finals

The NBA Finals, the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA), is a best-of-seven playoff format in which the winners of the Eastern Conference Finals and the Western Conference Finals face each other, with homecourt advantage alternating between the two teams each year.

The NBA Finals was first held in 1947, between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Chicago Stags. The winning team receives the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, which is named after former NBA commissioner Larry O’Brien. The league began using “Final Four” to brand its conference tournament finals in 1975.[1] Since 2014, The NBA Finals logo has featureda basketball with a red-and-white ribbon attached to its hoop.

The term “Finals” has been used in other sports leagues before; notably by Major League Baseball (MLB) from 1903 to 1949 (when it was known as the “World Series”), and by the National Hockey League (NHL) from 1918 to 1993 (when it was known as the “Stanley Cup Finals”). However, these earlier uses predate almost all previous attempts to establish an official championship series in those leagues; MLB’s World Series and NHL’s Stanley Cup Playoffs are now firmly established as annual fixtures.

Why are NBA playoffs so long?

The NBA’s TV partners

The NBA’s current TV partners are ESPN/ABC and TNT. The ABC deal, which runs through the 2024-25 season, is worth about $1.4 billion per year. The TNT deal, which runs through the 2025-26 season, is worth about $930 million per year.

In addition, the NBA has a separate deal with ESPN for Spanish-language rights to games shown on ESPN Deportes. That deal is worth about $80 million per year and runs through the 2021-22 season.

The league also has a deal with Turner Sports for digital rights to games shown on TNT and NBA TV. That deal is worth about $600 million over four years and runs through the 2024-25 season.

The NBA’s global reach

The NBA is the most popular sport in the United States, but it also has a large following around the world. In fact, basketball is now the second most popular sport in the world, behind only soccer. This global reach is one of the reasons why the NBA playoffs are so long.

The NBA playoffs are held over a period of two months, from April to June. This is one of the longest playoff systems of any major sport. The reason for this is because the NBA needs to accommodate its large global audience.

The first round of the playoffs is held over a period of two weeks, with each team playing four games. The second round is held over a period of three weeks, with each team playing five games. The conference finals are held over a period of four weeks, with each team playing seven games. And finally, the NBA Finals are held over a period of five weeks, with each team playing seven games.

This lengthy playoff schedule ensures that all fans around the world have a chance to watch their favorite teams compete for an NBA championship.

How can I watch the NBA playoffs?

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held after the conclusion of the NBA’s regular season. Every spring, sixteen NBA teams – eight from the Western Conference and eight from the Eastern Conference – face off in a bracket-style tournament. The Western Conference team with the best record during the regular season plays the Western Conference team with the worst record, and so on.

Live streams

If you want to watch the NBA playoffs, there are a few ways to do it. You can watch them on TV, through a live stream, or on demand.

TV: If you have a cable or satellite subscription, you can watch the playoffs on ESPN, TNT, or ABC. You can also buy a single-game ticket from your local team.

Live stream: You can live stream the playoffs on ESPN+ or NBA TV. You will need a subscription to these services to watch.

On demand: You can also watch the playoffs on demand through your cable or satellite provider, or through the NBA app.

On TV

You can catch every game of the NBA playoffs on TV with your satellite or cable subscription. If you’re a cord-cutter, you’ll have fewer options, but you can still watch many games through a live TV streaming service.

The first and second rounds of the playoffs will air on ESPN, TNT, and ABC. The conference finals will be split between ESPN and TNT, with ABC airing the NBA Finals.

Cord-cutters can use a service like Sling TV or AT&T TV Now to watch ESPN, TNT, and ABC without a cable or satellite subscription. You can also watch games on ABC through a live TV streaming service like Hulu + Live TV or YouTube TV.

What are the NBA playoffs schedule?

The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven tournament held every April through June to determine the league champion of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The playoffs start with the four teams in each of the NBA’s two conferences (Eastern and Western), with the conference champions proceeding to the NBA Finals.

The first round

The first round of the playoffs are a best-of-seven series. The team that has the best record in each conference plays the team with the eighth-best record, the second-place team plays the seventh-place team and so on.

The higher seed in each series hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary). The lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary).

The second round

The second round of the playoffs is a best-of-seven series between the four teams that won their first-round series. The higher seed hosts Games 1, 2, 5 and 7 (if necessary); the lower seed hosts Games 3, 4 and 6 (if necessary).

The conference finals

The conference finals are a best-of-seven series played between the winners of the semifinals in each conference, witheach conference’s winner advancing to the NBA Finals. The conference finals consist of four match-ups, two in each conference, based on seeding.(1)The team with the better record in each conference plays against the team with the next-better record (Numbers 2–3–6 play each other in the first round).(2)The winners of those two series advance to play each other in the second round or Conference Finals, also a best-of-seven series

The NBA Finals

The NBA Finals are the championship series of the National Basketball Association (NBA). The Eastern and Western conference champions play a best-of-seven game series to determine the league champion. The team that wins the series is awarded the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy, which replaced the Walter A. Brown Trophy in 1983.

The first ever NBA Finals was played in 1947 between the Philadelphia Warriors and the Chicago Stags, but it was not until 1949 that the tournament expanded to include teams from all over the country. The 1949 Finals featured the New York Knicks and the Minneapolis Lakers, with the latter winning in six games. In 1950, the Lakers successfully defended their title against Clarence Gaines’ Syracuse Nationals in five games.

From 1951 to 1953, the NBA Finals were played between three teams: The Rochester Royals (now Sacramento Kings), Minneapolis Lakers, and New York Knicks. In 1954, the franchise system was adopted by the NBA, and as a result, two new teams were added to playoffs: The Baltimore Bullets (now Washington Wizards) and Fort Wayne Pistons (now Detroit Pistons). The 1955 NBA Finals saw a rematch between Syracuse and Fort Wayne, with Syracuse coming out on top in seven games.

The next year featured perhaps one of most dominant display of basketball ever seen: The 1956 NBA Finals saw Bob Cousy’s Boston Celtics win their first championship against Dolph Schayes’ Syracuse Nationals in five games. From 1957 to 1969, Boston would go on to win an astounding 11 championships in 13 years, including eight straight from 1959 to 1966. This period ushered in what is often referred to as “The Golden Age of Basketball”, with other stars such as Bill Russell, Wilt Chamberlain, Jerry West, Oscar Robertson also becoming household names.