After an exciting finish to the NBA Play-In Tournament, the 2022 NBA Playoffs are finally here.
The Nets and Timberwolves earned the No. 7 seeds with victories in their Play-In Tournament openers, and the Hawks and Pelicans captured the No. 8 seeds on Friday night. The NBA Playoff bracket has been finalised, setting the stage for what should be a fantastic postseason run.
Below you can find everything from when the playoffs start to betting odds for each series.
Which teams are in the NBA Playoffs?
NBA teams are seeded by their record, with tiebreakers being head-to-head record first, followed by in-conference record second.
For example, the Celtics, Bucks, and 76ers all finished with a 51-31 record, but the Celtics earned the highest seed because they won their head-to-head matchup with the Bucks and even though they tied their series with the 76ers, they had a better record against Eastern Conference opponents.
| East | West | ||
| Seed | Team | Seed | Team |
| 1. | Miami Heat | 1. | Phoenix Suns |
| 2. | Boston Celtics | 2. | Memphis Grizzlies |
| 3. | Milwaukee Bucks | 3. | Golden State Warriors |
| 4. | Philadelphia 76ers | 4. | Dallas Mavericks |
| 5. | Toronto Raptors | 5. | Utah Jazz |
| 6. | Chicago Bulls | 6. | Denver Nuggets |
| 7. | Brooklyn Nets | 7. | Minnesota Timberwolves |
| 8. | Atlanta Hawks | 8. | New Orleans Pelicans |
Here are the first-round matchups in each conference, and the results from day one:
Eastern Conference
(1) Heat vs. (8) Hawks
(2) Celtics vs. (7) Nets
(3) Bucks vs. (6) Bulls
(4) 76ers vs. (5) Raptors
Western Conference
(1) Suns vs. (8) Pelicans
(2) Grizzlies vs. (7) Timberwolves
(3) Warriors vs. (6) Nuggets
(4) Mavericks vs. (5) Jazz
Game 1 Results:
Mavericks 93-99 Jazz
Grizzlies 117-130 Timberwolves
76ers 131-111 Raptors
Warriors 123-107 Nuggets
The Playoff Bracket after Night 1 of the #NBAPlayoffs presented by Google Pixel! pic.twitter.com/x3ZUwLPE1g
— NBA (@NBA) April 17, 2022
What TV Channel are the NBA Playoffs on in the UK?
Sky Sports hold the TV rights to the NBA in the UK. The coverage is somewhat sporadic, but with more live games at weekends.
For example, in the first round, a total of four Game 1s are currently on the Sky schedule. However, that is followed by only one Game 2, and two Game 3s.
The price of Sky Sports begins at £20 per month on an 18-month contract for Sky customers, but this requires at a minimum the £22-per-month base package. Costs vary wildly depending on other add-ons, such as HD, and for Virgin Media subscribers.
How to live stream the NBA Playoffs in the UK
The only way to watch every minute of the NBA playoffs is via live streaming, namely through NBA League Pass.
A £5.99 option for a single-day pass is also on offer, for those who want live and on-demand action limited to a 24-hour period.
When do the NBA Playoffs start?
The Play-In Tournament ran from Tuesday, April 12 to Friday, April 15.
The 2022 NBA Playoffs officially began on Saturday, April 16.
When are the NBA Finals?
Game 1 of the 2022 NBA Finals will be played on Thursday, June 6.
The NBA Finals will run through Sunday, June 19 if all seven games in the series are necessary.
How do the NBA Playoffs work?
The NBA Playoffs begin with the Play-In Tournament, which is a matchup between the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds and Nos. 9 and 10 seeds in each conference.
The winner of the "Seven-Eight Game" assumes the No. 7 seed in their conference, while the loser faces off against the winner of the "Nine-Ten Game." The loser of the "Nine-Ten Game" is eliminated from the playoffs.
The loser of the "Seven-Eight Game" then faces the winner of the "Nine-Ten Game," with the winner claiming the No. 8 seed in their conference.
From there, there is no re-seeding for each round. Seeding is as follows:
- No. 1 vs. No. 8
- No. 4 vs. No. 5
- No. 3 vs. No. 6
- No. 2 vs. No. 7
Winner of No. 1 vs. No. 8 faces the winner of No. 4 vs. No 5. Winner of No. 3 vs. No. 6 faces the winner of No. 2 vs. No. 7.
Are there any British players in the NBA Playoffs?
There is one British player in the NBA Playoffs: Toronto Raptors forward OG Anunoby.
Anunoby was born in the Harlesden area of London, England and he is the son of Nigerian parents.
Anunoby plays a key role as a defensive stopper and secondary scorer for the Raptors, starting in all 48 games he appeared in. Even though injuries kept him off the floor for almost half of the season, Anunoby still averaged career-highs of 17.1 points, 5.5 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.5 steals per game.
NBA Playoffs betting odds
When it comes to the destination of the championship in 2022, the Phoenix Suns — the best team in the NBA regular season by eight wins — are the current favourites with SkyBet:
| Team | Odds to win NBA Finals |
|---|---|
| Phoenix Suns | 5/2 |
| Milwaukee Bucks | 9/2 |
| Golden State Warriors | 6/1 |
| Brooklyn Nets | 8/1 |
| Boston Celtics | 8/1 |
| Miami Heat | 9/1 |
| Philadelphia 76ers | 14/1 |
| Memphis Grizzlies | 20/1 |
| Utah Jazz | 22/1 |
| Dallas Mavericks | 50/1 |
| Denver Nuggets | 50/1 |
| Toronto Raptors | 50/1 |
| Chicago Bulls | 66/1 |
| Minnesota Timberwolves | 66/1 |
| Atlanta Hawks | 100/1 |
| New Orleans Pelicans | 100/1 |
