Playoff Structure and Rounds
The NBA playoffs consist of four consecutive rounds of competition. In the First Round, the 1-seed plays the 8-seed, the 2-seed plays the 7-seed, the 3-seed plays the 6-seed, and the 4-seed plays the 5-seed within each conference. The Conference Semifinals match the four remaining teams from each conference in new pairings based on their seeding. The Conference Finals determine which team from each conference advances to the NBA Finals. Finally, the champion of the Eastern Conference plays the champion of the Western Conference in the NBA Finals to determine the overall NBA champion.
Best-of-Seven Series Format
Each playoff series is played in a best-of-seven format, meaning the first team to win four games advances to the next round. Series can end in 4, 5, 6, or 7 games depending on the outcomes. The higher-seeded team is guaranteed to play four games at home while the lower-seeded team plays three games at home. The series ends immediately once one team wins their fourth game, regardless of how many games were scheduled.
Single-Elimination and Team Seeding
The NBA playoff format is single-elimination, meaning a team is completely removed from playoff competition as soon as it loses four games in a series. Teams cannot advance by winning a tiebreaker or wild card spot once they are eliminated. The 16 playoff teams are determined by regular season performance, with the top eight teams from each conference earning playoff spots. Teams are seeded 1 through 8 in each conference based on their win-loss record, with the best record earning the 1-seed and so on.
Home Court Advantage
The higher-seeded team in each series receives home court advantage, which means they play games 1, 2, 5, and 7 at home (if necessary), while the lower-seeded team plays games 3, 4, and 6 at home (if necessary). This structure ensures the higher seed plays one extra home game. Home court advantage can be important because teams typically perform better when playing in front of their home fans.
Path to the Championship
To become NBA champion, a team must win four series in a row: First Round, Conference Semifinals, Conference Finals, and the NBA Finals. This means a team must win at least 16 games (4 series times 4 wins per series minimum) to capture the championship title. The entire playoff process typically runs from April through June of each year. 
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