The NBA Playoffs typically begin right after the play‑in tournament in mid‑April and run through mid to late June each year, with exact dates depending on the season and schedule updates.

Core dates (current cycle)

  • For the 2025–26 NBA season, the league calendar has the play‑in tournament set for April 14–17, 2026, with the playoffs starting the very next day in mid‑April.
  • League key‑date listings indicate that the 2026 playoffs open around April 18, following the end of the regular season on April 12.
  • The NBA Finals for that season are slated to begin in early June (around June 4–5) and can run until roughly June 21–22 if a Game 7 is needed.

Simple rule of thumb

  • Expect:
    • Regular season to end in early–mid April.
* Play‑in: 3–4 days immediately after.

* Main playoffs: mid‑April to late May.

* NBA Finals: early June to mid/late June.

Quick Scoop for fans

  • If you are planning tickets or watch parties, mid‑April is when the real playoff action starts, with high‑stakes series almost every night through June.
  • Sports outlets and news aggregators run continuously updated playoff pages with brackets, scores, and schedule tweaks as matchups are finalized, so checking those as April approaches gives the most precise day‑by‑day timings.

Information gathered from public forums or data available on the internet and portrayed here.