How are the NBA playoff bracket and format determined?

The NBA playoff bracket and format are determined through a structured process that involves the regular season performance of teams within the league. At the conclusion of the regular season, which typically consists of eighty-two games for each team, the top eight teams from both the Eastern and Western Conferences qualify for the playoffs. The seeding of these teams is based on their win-loss records, with the team having the best record receiving the top seed, the second-best record receiving the second seed, and so forth. The playoffs are organized in a tournament style, with the first round featuring matchups between the higher-seeded teams and the lower-seeded ones. Specifically, the top seed plays the eighth seed, the second seed plays the seventh seed, the third seed plays the sixth seed, and the fourth seed plays the fifth seed. The playoffs are conducted in a best-of-seven series format, meaning a team must win four games to advance to the next round. As the playoffs progress, the winning teams from each round move forward to the next stage, culminating in the conference finals. The winners of the Eastern and Western Conference finals then compete in the NBA Finals to determine the league champion. The format also includes a play-in tournament, introduced in recent seasons, which provides additional teams an opportunity to secure a playoff spot by competing for the final playoff seeds within each conference. The specific details regarding the bracket and format can often be found on the current web page of NBA.com, where fans can stay updated on any changes or information regarding the playoffs.