The NBA Playoffs are one of the most anticipated and popular sporting events in North America, offering up an annual dish of the highest level, most exciting basketball on the planet for the better part of two months (roughly mid-April to mid-June). As the apex of the NBA season, the 16 best basketball teams from the 2023-24 NBA regular season will square off in a series of rim-rattling, board-pounding, elbow-swinging encounters that will have fans on the edges of their seats game after game. The 2024 NBA Playoffs begins with a four day Play-In Tournament, a sort of last chance gasp for teams on the edge of the Playoffs to sneak in via the back door. Following this exciting burst of high stakes games, the 2024 NBA Playoffs commence in earnest, with each best-of-seven series determining whether a team will move on to the next round or be sent packing to the nearest golf course. At the end of it all, only one team will be left standing in June as NBA Champions. And you can be there to witness it all!

How Can I Get the Cheapest Tickets to 2024 NBA Playoffs Games?

With so much at stake for players, coaches, and fans, and with such incredible basketball on display, it is no surprise that NBA Playoffs games are among the most popular sporting events in the world. Tickets to NBA Playoffs games generally sell out within seconds of their release due to high demand, with many tickets going to season ticket holders who get priority for such high profile matchups. For your best shot at the cheapest NBA Playoffs tickets, trust TicketX! TicketX lists all tickets as soon as they hit the market and our handy seating chart is ideal for comparing prices and seat locations. Unlike other resale sites like StubHub, SeatGeek, and TicketMaster that vary fees by venue, ticket type, or ticket price, TicketX sticks with a fixed fee of 20%. Purchase your NBA Playoffs tickets with just one click, all with the lowest commission fees around! 

How Much Do Tickets to NBA Playoffs Games Cost?

Tickets to NBA Playoffs games starting from are available from TicketX. Prices are subject to change due to demand and other factors, so get the jump on the crowd and buy your tickets today!

When will the 2024 NBA Playoffs be taking place?

After the NBA Regular Season ends on April 14, 2024, there will be a Play-In Tournament from April 16-19. The Play-In Tournament is a sort of “back door” into the NBA Playoffs for teams that finish between 7th and 10th in their Conference. In just 6 games in total, these 8 teams will vie for the last 4 available spots in the 2024 NBA Playoffs. After the conclusion of the Play-In Tournament, the 2024 NBA Playoffs really get going, with the four best-of-seven series of the NBA Eastern Conference First Round and four best-of-seven series of the NBA Western Conference First Round commencing from April 20. Dates for the following two rounds (Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals) are TBD and will be announced after the preceding round concludes. The NBA Finals have already been scheduled for June 6-23, depending on how many games the series runs to. 

Check back on this TicketX page after April 19 for a full 2024 NBA Playoffs First Round schedule along with all available tickets. And please check back again at the conclusion of each round for the upcoming round’s schedule and list of available tickets.

Where will the 2024 NBA Playoffs be taking place?

Aside from the Play-In Tournament, the 2024 NBA Playoffs will be held at the home arenas of all 16 NBA teams that qualify for the postseason based on their ranking during the 2023-2024 NBA Regular Season. Because each matchup consists of a best-of-seven series, the higher ranked team will host a maximum of 4 home games (if necessary), while the lower ranked team will host a maximum of 3 home games (if necessary). Both teams from each series will each host a minimum of 2 home games. Because the NBA is split into Eastern and Western Conferences (with 8 teams qualifying from each conference), venues will be somewhat spread out across the United States (Canada’s only team, the Toronto Raptors, are out of contention).

Which NBA teams will be playing in the 2024 NBA Playoffs? Who is in the 2024 NBA Playoffs? 

Because the 16 NBA teams that qualify for the 2024 NBA Playoffs are chosen based on their overall results over the 82 games of the 2023-2024 NBA Regular Season, the playoff picture can change right up until April 14, when the final games of the Regular Season are played. Because the best 8 teams from each Conference (Eastern and Western) qualify for the NBA Playoffs, some teams have already mathematically booked their place. Other teams are still in contention for one of the final spots in the Playoffs or Play-In Tournament (while others are already booking their holidays on a beach somewhere…). While the Eastern Conference playoff picture is already basically set, the Western Conference still has some questions to answer.

NBA teams playing in the 2024 NBA Playoffs or Play-In Tournament

Eastern Conference

Qualified: Boston Celtics, Milwaukee Bucks, Cleveland Cavaliers, New York Knicks, Orlando Magic, Miami Heat, Indiana Pacers, Philadelphia 76ers, Chicago Bulls, Atlanta Hawks

Western Conference

Qualified: Minnesota Timberwolves, Denver Nuggets, Oklahoma City Thunder, Los Angeles Clippers, Dallas Mavericks, Phoenix Suns, New Orleans Pelicans, Sacramento Kings, Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors

How do the NBA Playoffs work? What is the format of the NBA Playoffs?

The NBA Playoffs consist of a preliminary Play-In Tournament followed by 4 main playoff rounds:

1. The Play-In Tournament - the “back door” into the NBA Playoffs for teams who place 7th-10th in each Conference during the regular season. First, 7th plays 8th with the winner moving into the NBA Playoffs. The loser of that game then plays the winner of 9th vs. 10th, with the winner of that game taking the final spot in the NBA Playoffs. Essentially, this cuts the playoff field from 20 down to 16 teams.

2. The First Round - 16 teams playing 8 best-of-seven series (the “Playoffs Round of 16”)

3. The Conference Semifinals - NBA Eastern Conference Semifinals and NBA Western Conference Semifinals - 8 teams playing 4 best-of-seven series (the “Playoffs Quarterfinals”)

4. The Conference Finals - NBA Eastern Conference Finals and NBA Western Conference Finals - 4 teams playing 2 best-of-seven series (the “Playoff Semifinals”)

5. The NBA  Finals - 2 teams playing 1 best-of-seven series (the “Playoffs Final”)

In each best-of-seven series, a team requires 4 victories to move on to the next round (and send the other guys home!). Each series can therefore last between 4 games (a sweep) and 7 games. There is nothing as intense as a Game Seven decider!

Any NBA Playoffs game that ends in a tie after four quarters will go into overtime. Overtime periods in the Playoffs last five minutes, with the team ahead at the buzzer winning the game. If the score is still tied, the game goes into a second overtime period. Oh, the drama!

NBA Playoff Predictions - Who will win the 2024 NBA Playoffs?

In the Eastern Conference, the Boston Celtics have been incredibly dominant and are most people’s pick to make the NBA Finals, though that’s also what everyone said in 2023 and it didn’t happen. In with a good chance as well are the Milwaukee Bucks, who had a disappointing First Round exit in 2023, and the Cleveland Cavaliers, though the Miami Heat will fancy themselves for a deep playoff run again this year.

In the Western Conference, the experts seem to be tipping either the Los Angeles Clippers or Denver Nuggets for a run to the NBA Finals, with few giving the Minnesota Timberwolves any chance despite their first place finish in the conference. The Oklahoma City Thunder will also be looking to storm through the rounds, while the Phoenix Suns may be thinking that this may finally be their year after so many close calls in the past.

Who are the players to watch in the 2024 NBA Playoffs?

Of course, when it comes to the 2024 NBA Playoffs, every team will have exciting star players to watch. For a shortlist from around the league, however, here are just a few to keep your eye on. Top scorers include Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks, Giannis Antetokounmpo of the Milwaukee Bucks, and Shai Gilgeous-Alexander of the Oklahoma City Thunder, while players such as the Sacramento Kings’ Domantas Sabonis, the Denver Nuggets’ Nikola Jokic, and the Minnesota Timberwolves’ Rudy Gobert. And of course, though his Los Angeles Lakers will have to qualify via the Play-In Tournament, only a fool would completely write off LeBron James in what could be his final season. All that said, part of the fun of the Playoffs is the legends that it creates out of previously unknown or underappreciated players? Who will step up this year? Get your tickets from TicketX and be there to find out!

What Is the History of the NBA Playoffs?

The NBA Playoffs began in the late 1940s with the merger of the BAA and NBL, with its format gradually evolving towards the format that exists today. The Play-In Tournament preceding the main NBA Playoffs was introduced in 2021. Because of the Eastern-Western Conference system, many incredible playoff rivalries have developed over the years in the NBA (particularly in the 1980s and 90s when divisional playoff rounds led to the same teams playing one another almost every year!). For those interested in the history of the NBA Playoffs, a trip to the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in Springfield, MA is a must!

Which Teams Have the Best Records in the NBA Playoffs?

There are currently two teams tied for the most NBA Championships, the Boston Celtics and Los Angeles Lakers, who have each won 17 titles as of 2023 (several against one another!). Both teams will be desperate to claim that 18th title to take sole possession of the all-time lead. The NBA has also long been famous for its dynasties, where certain teams rise to the top and dominate for a period of time. While the Celtics may have had the longest dynasty in the league’s earliest years, the most memorable dynasty is probably that of the Chicago Bulls with their run of 6 NBA Championships in 8 years (with two “three-peats”) during the height of Michael Jordan’s power in the 1990s. A close second might be Kobe Bryant and Shaquille O’Neal’s Los Angeles Lakers in the early 2000s, followed by the Golden State Warriors in recent years, who have won 4 titles since 2015, three of them against the Cleveland Cavaliers in one of the greatest NBA Finals rivalries. Who will rule the NBA Playoffs in 2024? Get your tickets now from TicketX to find out!

Are NBA Playoffs Games Exciting?

There is nothing quite like the breathless intensity of an NBA Playoffs game, where the hopes and dreams of generations of fans can come down to a single jump shot as the clock clicks down to zero. It’s never over till the fat lady sings in the NBA Playoffs, and players and coaches who assume a game or series is already won are liable to find themselves with a one-way ticket home. The noise and passion of the fans, however, is really what makes the NBA Playoffs what it is, with whole stadiums wearing team colors and raising their voices to spur on the home team to greatness. How can you get involved in the fun? Get on TicketX right now and buy your NBA Playoffs tickets before it’s too late!

Check out these spotlight articles about NBA on TicketX Magazine:

• Which Team Will Be NBA Champions at the End of the 2023-24 Season?