The 2026 NBA playoffs will begin on April 18. The 2025-26 regular season wraps up on April 12, giving teams a short break before the postseason tips off. The Play-In Tournament, introduced in 2021 to keep more teams competitive and reduce tanking, determines the final two playoff spots in each conference.

The quarterfinals are behind us. Only four teams remain. Here's the full schedule for the 2025 NBA Cup semifinals.

The 19-1 Thunder are currently the favorites to win the 2025 NBA Cup (-125 at FanDuel ). The Bucks won the competition last year, and the Lakers won the initial version in 2023.

In the quarterfinals Wednesday night, the Thunder easily handled the Suns 138–89 on an efficient night from reigning MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, who tallied 28 points on 11-of-15 shooting in 27 minutes. In the other matchup, Stephon Castle posted 30 points—his third career game with 30+ points—to help the Spurs take down the Lakers 132–119.

The NBA Cup moved into the quarterfinal rounds with two games in the East Tuesday and two in the West on Wednesday.

Before group play begins, a group play draw took place on Wednesday, July 9. Each team was placed into a "pot" based on its record from the prior regular season (2024-25). In each conference, one team from each pot was randomly selected into each of the three groups in that conference.

Recap everything you need to know after the final day of the regular season. The NBA playoffs begin on April 19. NBA.com Staff • Download the NBA App > The seeds for the 2025 NBA playoffs and SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament are locked in after all 30 teams ...