The NBA playoff bracket is forming, with only the Detroit Pistons having clinched the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference standings for the first time since 2007. The East race is also teeming with interest, with six teams vying for positions between the Nos. 5-10 seeds. The crucial goal is to secure either the 5-seed or 6-seed to avoid seeds 7-10. The 2026 NBA Play-In Tournament will determine the final two spots in the playoffs. All 10 teams in each conference have already secured either a playoff berth or an NBA play-in Tournament spot. The tournament, first introduced in 2020, involves eight teams from each conference battling for the seventh and eighth playoff seeds. If the playoffs started on April 8, here would be the matchups.