How Many Teams Can Make The NBA Playoffs?
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With the NBA regular season coming to a close, we take a look at how many teams can make the playoffs in each conference.
NBA Playoff Format
The NBA playoff format has changed over the years, but since the 2012-2013 season, it has remained the same. Eight teams from each conference (Eastern and Western) make the playoffs. The team with the best record in each conference gets the #1 seed, while the team with the second-best record gets the #2 seed, and so on.
8 teams from each conference make the playoffs
In the NBA, 8 teams from each conference make the playoffs. The top seed in each conference gets a bye to the second round. The next 4 seeds play each other in the first round in best of 5 series. Then, the winners of those 4 series play each other in the second round in a best of 7 series. Lastly, the conference finals are a best of 7 series with the winner from each conference facing off in the NBA Finals, which is also a best of 7 series.
How many teams can make the playoffs?
The NBA playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament held annually to decide the league’s champion. The playoffs follow a regular season that averages 82 games per team. As of 2020, 16 NBA teams qualify for the playoffs each season. 8 teams from each conference (Eastern and Western) qualify for the playoffs.
14 teams from each conference make the playoffs
The National Basketball Association (NBA) is a professional basketball league in North America. The NBA is one of the four major North American professional sports leagues, and is widely considered to be the premier men’s professional basketball league. NBA players are the world’s best paid athletes by average annual salary per player.
The NBA was founded in 1946 as the Basketball Association of America (BAA). The league adopted its current name at the start of the 1949–50 season when it merged with the National Basketball League (NBL). The league consists of 30 teams, of which 29 are located in the United States and one in Canada. Each team plays 82 games in the regular season. After this, eight teams from each conference compete in the playoffs for the Larry O’Brien Championship Trophy.
What happens if there are more than 8 teams from one conference?
There are a total of 16 teams that make the NBA playoffs. 8 teams from the Western Conference and 8 teams from the Eastern Conference. But what happens if there are more than 8 teams from one conference?
The 8th seed will play the 9th seed in a play-in game
If there are more than 8 teams from one conference, the 8th seed will play the 9th seed in a play-in game. The winner of that game will be the 8th seed in the playoffs.
