The current logo used for NBA's SoFi Play-In Tournament. (Tamir Moore/Canva)
Monday, April 7, 2025
- The SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament returns for the fifth consecutive season on a full-time basis this week (Tuesday, April 15 through Friday, April 18), with ESPN and Turner Sports teaming up to televise all six Play-in Tournament games.
- Teams seeded #7 through #10 in each conference (Eastern and Western) will participate in this mini-postseason tournament to determine the #7 and #8 seeds for the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs presented by Google.
- On Tuesday, April 15, the SoFi Play-In Tournament begins on TNT - Trae Young and the #8 seed Atlanta Hawks visit Paolo Banchero and the #7 Orlando Magic (7:30 PM ET) to decide the #7 seed in the East (and which squad will get the tough assignment of facing the defending champion Celtics in First Round) followed by Desmond Bane and the hungry #8 seed Memphis Grizzlies playing Stephen Curry and the veteran-led #7 seed Golden State Warriors (10:00 PM ET) with the #7 seed in the West at stake.
- Then, on Wednesday, April 16, the SoFi Play-In Tournament will continue on ESPN with two win-or-go home games. The doubleheader tips off at 7:30 PM (ET) on ESPN with the #9 vs. #10 game in the East. Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat (#10 seed) clash with Josh Giddey and the Chicago Bulls (#9 seed) as both squads face a must-win situation. Then, at 10:00 PM (ET) on ESPN, the #9 vs. the #10 matchup out in the Western Conference will be played. Anthony Davis and the Dallas Mavericks (#10 seed) travel to Sacramento for a Western Conference duel with Domantas Sabonis and the Sacramento Kings with both teams trying to keep their postseason dreams alive.
- The 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament then wraps up with two games on Friday, April 18 with TNT and ESPN carrying a game each. Both games will see the eighth and final playoff spot in each conference get rewarded to the winners of these games.
Hello, everyone! Welcome to the beginning of the 2025 NBA postseason. Obviously, we are not officially in the playoffs just yet. However, the SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament does signal that the actual main postseason draw is inching closer by the day.
This week, eight NBA teams will compete in the fifth annual Play-In Tournament to find out which ones will receive the #7 and #8 seeds in the upcoming 2025 NBA Playoffs. The #1 and #2 seeds in each conference will be observing this Play-In Tournament very closely, since their opponents will be determined via this tournament. The teams in this year's SoFi Play-In Tournament are: Magic, Hawks, Heat, Bulls, Grizzlies, Warriors, Mavericks, & Kings.
The 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament begins on Tuesday, April 15 with a doubleheader on TNT. At 7:30 PM (ET), Dyson Daniels and the #8 seed Atlanta Hawks compete in a Southeast Division Play-In matchup against Wendell Carter Jr. and the #7 seed Orlando Magic. The winner grabs the #7 seed in the Eastern Conference and will play the defending Boston Celtics in the First Round. The loser, meanwhile, plays on Friday night vs. the Heat-Bulls winner. 🎙 Brian Anderson calls the play-by-play alongside analyst and former NBA coach Stan Van Gundy and reporter Lauren Jbara.
In the Tuesday Play-In doubleheader nightcap on TNT, two familiar postseason foes get together once again as Desmond Bane and the #8 seed Memphis Grizzlies travel to San Francisco to play four-time NBA champion Stephen Curry, Jimmy Butler III and the homestanding #7 seed Golden State Warriors at 10:00 PM (ET). These two teams are tussling in the postseason environment for the third time since the 2020-21 season. The victorious team secures the #7 seed and earns a trip to Houston for a First Round date with the Rockets. The team that falls short must prepare for a win-or-go-home on Friday evening vs. the Mavericks or the Kings. 🎙 Kevin Harlan (play-by-play), Hall of Famer Reggie Miller (analyst), & Allie LaForce (reporter) will provide commentary.
The 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament will resume the following evening, Wednesday, April 16, with a doubleheader of game action over on ESPN. To begin the night's lineup, at 7:30 PM (ET), Tyler Herro and the #10 seed Miami Heat head north to the Windy City of Chicago for a must-win Eastern Conference duel versus Kevin Huerter and the #9 seed Chicago Bulls. The winner keeps their season alive and advances to Friday's 8th Place Game vs. the #8 seed Hawks. The loser sees their season come to an abrupt end. 🎙 Wednesday's Heat vs. Bulls Play-In commentary team on ESPN features Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer play-by-play commentator Mike Breen, Naismith Basketball Hall of Famer Doris Burke, fellow analyst and 2016 NBA Champion Richard Jefferson, and Cassidy Hubbarth reporting from the sidelines.
After Heat vs. Bulls wraps up, ESPN is set to move out to the West Coast for the second game of Wednesday's Play-In slate. At 10:00 PM (ET), Klay Thompson and the reigning Western Conference champion Dallas Mavericks (#10 seed) strive to keep their season alive against DeMar DeRozan and the Sacramento Kings (#9 seed) from Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California. Whoever survives this Western Conference battle will earn an additional game in the Play-In Tournament on Friday night vs. the #8 seed Grizzlies. The team that drops this game sees their playoff run end. 🎙 Play-by-play commentator Dave Pasch is joined by analyst Tim Legler and reporter Jorge Sedano for commentary duties.
The 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament culminates on Friday, April 18 with the final two games of this six-game mini-postseason tournament.
TNT will televise the first matchup on Friday evening, beginning at 7:00 PM (ET), as Zaccharie Risacher and the East's #8 seed Atlanta Hawks host Bam Adebayo and the Miami Heat (#10 seed) for a chance at the East's final remaining postseason berth from State Farm Arena in Atlanta, Georgia. 🎙 Ian Eagle is on play-by-play commentary with analyst Greg Anthony and reporter Stephanie Ready.
The 2025 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament grand finale takes place on Friday night at 9:30 PM (ET) on ESPN following TNT's coverage of TBD vs. Hawks. Jaren Jackson Jr. and the West's #8 seed Memphis Grizzlies welcome in Dereck Lively II and the Dallas Mavericks (#10 seed) to FedEx Forum in Memphis for a matchup that will resolve who will lock up the final playoff berth (#8 seed) in the Western Conference First Round. 🎙 The commentary team of Dave Pasch, Tim Legler, & Jorge Sedano call their second game in three days.
Here is the conference breakdown and the daily television schedule for the 2025 NBA SoFi Play-In Tournament! Good luck to all of the teams competing this week.
- 2025 NBA SoFi Play-In Tournament: Conference Breakdown | All Times ET | Subject to Change
|| Eastern Conference (#7 through #10; the #7 seed plays the #2 seed in the Conference Quarterfinals while the #8 seed plays the #1 seed in the Conference Quarterfinals):
| East Play-In Game #1: (E8) Atlanta Hawks at (E7) Orlando Magic | Winner earns #7 seed (Magic) and faces the #2 seed Boston Celtics in the Eastern Conference Quarterfinals. Loser (Hawks) advances to Friday's 8th Place Game vs. the winner (Heat) of Wednesday's Play-In Game.
- vs. -
. Tuesday, April 15 - Hawks at Magic - TNT, 7:30 PM (ET) - Brian Anderson, Stan Van Gundy, Lauren Jbara
| East Play-In Game #2: (E10) Miami Heat at (E9) Chicago Bulls | Winner (Heat) advances to Friday's 8th Place Game vs. the loser (Hawks) of Tuesday's Play-In Game. Loser (Bulls) is eliminated from postseason contention.
- vs. -
. Wednesday, April 16 - Heat at Bulls - ESPN, 7:30 PM (ET) - Mike Breen, Doris Burke, Richard Jefferson, Cassidy Hubbarth
- Cassidy Hubbarth's final NBA on ESPN broadcast
| East 8th Place Game: (E10) Miami Heat at (E8) Atlanta Hawks | Winner (Heat) earns #8 seed and faces the #1 seed Cleveland Cavaliers in the Conference Quarterfinals. Loser (Hawks) is eliminated from postseason contention.
- vs. -.gif)
. Friday, April 18 - Heat at Hawks - TNT, 7:00 PM (ET) - Ian Eagle, Greg Anthony, Stephanie Ready
|| Western Conference (#7 through #10; the #7 seed plays the #2 seed in the Conference Quarterfinals while the #8 seed plays the #1 seed in the Conference Quarterfinals):
| West Play-In Game #1: (W8) Memphis Grizzlies at (W7) Golden State Warriors | Winner earns #7 seed (Warriors) and faces the #2 seed Houston Rockets in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Loser (Grizzlies) advances to Friday's 8th Place Game vs. the winner (Mavericks) of Wednesday's Play-In Game.
- vs. -
. Tuesday, April 15 - Grizzlies at Warriors - TNT, 10:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Allie LaForce
| West Play-In Game #2: (W10) Dallas Mavericks at (W9) Sacramento Kings | Winner (Mavericks) advances to Friday's 8th Place Game vs. the loser (Grizzlies) of Tuesday's Play-In Game. Loser (Kings) is eliminated from postseason contention.
- vs. -
. Wednesday, April 16 - Mavericks at Kings - ESPN, 10:00 PM PM (ET) - Dave Pasch, Tim Legler, Jorge Sedano
| West 8th Place Game: (W10) Dallas Mavericks at (W8) Memphis Grizzlies | Winner (Grizzlies) earns #8 seed and faces the #1 seed Oklahoma City Thunder in the Western Conference Quarterfinals. Loser (Mavericks) is eliminated from postseason contention.
- vs. -
. Friday, April 18 - Mavericks at Grizzlies - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - Dave Pasch, Tim Legler, Jorge Sedano
- 2025 NBA SoFi Play-In Tournament: Daily Television Schedule | All Times ET | Subject to Change
| Tuesday, April 15
. East Play-In: Hawks at Magic - TNT, 7:30 PM (ET) - Brian Anderson, Stan Van Gundy, Lauren Jbara
. West Play-In: Grizzlies at Warriors - TNT, 10:00 PM (ET) - Kevin Harlan, Reggie Miller, Allie LaForce
| Wednesday, April 16
. East Play-In: Heat at Bulls - ESPN, 7:30 PM PM (ET) - Mike Breen, Doris Burke, Richard Jefferson, Cassidy Hubbarth
- Cassidy Hubbarth's last NBA on ESPN broadcast
. West Play-In: Mavericks at Kings - ESPN, 10:00 PM PM (ET) - Dave Pasch, Tim Legler, Jorge Sedano
| Friday, April 18
. East 8th Place Game: Heat at Hawks - TNT, 7:00 PM (ET) - Ian Eagle, Greg Anthony, Stephanie Ready
. West 8th Place Game: Mavericks at Grizzlies - ESPN, 9:30 PM (ET) - Dave Pasch, Tim Legler, Jorge Sedano
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