Cash
Portfolio
TrendingMidtermsElectionsPoliticsSportsCultureCryptoCommoditiesClimateEconomicsMentionsFinanceTech & Science
PredictLive160AccountSocial
MARKETSPERPSLIVE160
Product
Kalshi ProPerpetual FuturesMarketsIncentive programInstitutionsAPI & developers
Company
AboutKalshi ResearchBlogCareersPolicy CenterBrand Kit
Help
Help CenterFAQFee scheduleTrading hoursRegulatoryTrust Center
© 2026 Kalshi Inc. · All rights reserved
PrivacyData Terms of ServiceTrading ProhibitionsFAQ for Finance Professionals
Trading on Kalshi involves risk and may not be appropriate for all. Members risk losing their cost to enter any transaction, including fees. You should carefully consider whether trading on Kalshi is appropriate for you in light of your investment experience and financial resources. Any trading decisions you make are solely your responsibility and at your own risk. Information is provided for convenience only on an "AS IS" basis. Past performance is not necessarily indicative of future results. Kalshi is subject to U.S. regulatory oversight by the CFTC.
  1. Home
  2. ·
  3. NBA
  4. ·
  5. Playoff Tiebreakers

2026-27 NBA playoff tiebreakers

6 ties are level on record in 2026-27. Each is run through the league's tiebreak procedure — head-to-head first — using every game the clubs have played.
2026-27 regular seasonUpdated Saturday, Oct 24, 2026 · 7:20 AM ET
How ties are broken here: The league's published procedure, applied to each club's own schedule. The first 4 criteria are evaluated; a tie still level after them is shown as level rather than placed.
EAST

Eastern Conference ties

EAST · 1st–4thATL Hawks, DET Pistons, PHI 76ers and TOR Raptors finished level at 2-0, 1st–4th in the Eastern Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.
East tie at 2-0
#TeamH2HDIV LDRDIVCONFNET PTS
—
ATL Hawks		0-0Yes2-02-0+54
—
DET Pistons		0-0Yes0-02-0+25
—
PHI 76ers		0-0Yes1-02-0+14
—
TOR Raptors		0-0No0-02-0+53
EAST · 5th–9thBOS Celtics, CHA Hornets, CHI Bulls, IND Pacers and WSH Wizards finished level at 1-1, 5th–9th in the Eastern Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.This tie straddles the line between a direct playoff berth (6th) and the play-in (7th).
East tie at 1-1
#TeamH2HDIV LDRDIVCONFNET PTS
—
BOS Celtics		0-0No1-01-1−4
—
CHA Hornets		0-0No0-11-1−40
—
CHI Bulls		0-0No1-01-1−36
—
IND Pacers		0-0No0-00-0−13
—
WSH Wizards		0-0No0-01-1+2
EAST · 10th–15thBKN Nets, CLE Cavaliers, MIA Heat, MIL Bucks, NY Knicks and ORL Magic finished level at 0-1, 10th–15th in the Eastern Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.This tie straddles the play-in line: 10th plays in, 11th's season is over.
East tie at 0-1
#TeamH2HDIV LDRDIVCONFNET PTS
—
BKN Nets		0-0No0-00-1−7
—
CLE Cavaliers		0-0No0-00-1−8
—
MIA Heat		0-0No0-00-1−42
—
MIL Bucks		0-0No0-10-2−19
—
NY Knicks		0-0No0-20-2−10
—
ORL Magic		0-0No0-10-1−29
WEST

Western Conference ties

WEST · 1st–6thHOU Rockets, LAL Lakers, MEM Grizzlies, MIN Timberwolves, OKC Thunder and POR Trail Blazers finished level at 2-0, 1st–6th in the Western Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.
West tie at 2-0
#TeamH2HDIV LDRDIVCONFNET PTS
—
HOU Rockets		0-0Yes2-02-0+22
—
LAL Lakers		0-0Yes2-02-0+30
—
MEM Grizzlies		0-0No0-02-0+23
—
MIN Timberwolves		0-0No0-00-0+47
—
OKC Thunder		0-0Yes1-02-0+24
—
POR Trail Blazers		0-0No0-02-0+49
WEST · 7th–9thDAL Mavericks, LAC Clippers and UTA Jazz finished level at 1-1, 7th–9th in the Western Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.
West tie at 1-1
#TeamH2HDIV LDRDIVCONFNET PTS
—
DAL Mavericks		0-0No0-10-1−2
—
LAC Clippers		0-0No1-11-1+17
—
UTA Jazz		0-0No0-01-1−19
WEST · 10th–15thDEN Nuggets, GS Warriors, NO Pelicans, PHX Suns, SAC Kings and SA Spurs finished level at 0-1, 10th–15th in the Western Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.This tie straddles the play-in line: 10th plays in, 11th's season is over.
West tie at 0-1
#TeamH2HDIV LDRDIVCONFNET PTS
—
DEN Nuggets		0-0No0-10-1−12
—
GS Warriors		0-0No0-10-2−25
—
NO Pelicans		0-0No0-00-1−4
—
PHX Suns		0-0No0-00-1−41
—
SAC Kings		0-0No0-10-2−33
—
SA Spurs		0-0No0-10-2−16
THE RULES

The league's tiebreak procedure

Applied in order until the tie breaks. The first 4 are evaluated on this page.
Two clubs
  1. Better winning percentage in games against each other.
  2. A division leader wins a tie over a club that does not lead its division.
  3. Better winning percentage against division opponents — only if the clubs are in the same division.
  4. Better winning percentage against conference opponents.
  5. Better winning percentage against playoff-eligible clubs in their own conference. (not applied here)
  6. Better winning percentage against playoff-eligible clubs in the other conference. (not applied here)
  7. Better net points — points scored less points allowed — over the whole season. (not applied here)
Three or more clubs
  1. A division leader wins a tie over clubs that do not lead their division.
  2. Better winning percentage in all games among the tied clubs.
  3. Better winning percentage against division opponents — only if every tied club is in the same division.
  4. Better winning percentage against conference opponents.
  5. Better winning percentage against playoff-eligible clubs in their own conference. (not applied here)
  6. Better net points over the whole season. (not applied here)
METHOD

How this is calculated

Seeding is per conference, so a tie only matters between clubs in the same conference with the same winning percentage. Two clubs level on record go through the two-club procedure; three or more go through the multi-club one, which puts division leaders first. As soon as a criterion separates the group, any clubs still level start the procedure again from the top.

Head-to-head, division and conference records are counted from each club's own schedule — every regular-season game it has played, NBA Cup group games included, since the league counts those as regular-season games. The standings feed publishes the same splits for some clubs and not others; every one it does publish matches the count here.

The league's published ranking does not break ties itself: clubs level on record share a rank. That is why this page exists — the order it gives is the procedure's, not the feed's.

The fifth and sixth criteria compare records against playoff-eligible clubs, and which clubs count as playoff-eligible is the league's call to make, not this page's. So the procedure here stops after four. A tie still level by then is listed without places, and the copy says so.

The 2026-27 regular season is still being played, so every tie here can change — or disappear — with the next result.

FAQ

Questions

How are NBA playoff ties broken?
Between two clubs: head-to-head record, then a division leader over a non-leader, then division record (same division only), conference record, record against playoff-eligible clubs in each conference, and finally net points. Three or more clubs start with division leaders, then record in games among the tied clubs.
Does winning the division guarantee a top-four seed?
No. Since 2015-16 a division title is only a tiebreaker: a division leader wins a tie over a club that does not lead its division, and that is all.
Who won the BOS Celtics, CHA Hornets, CHI Bulls, IND Pacers and WSH Wizards tiebreaker?
BOS Celtics, CHA Hornets, CHI Bulls, IND Pacers and WSH Wizards finished level at 1-1, 5th–9th in the Eastern Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.
Who won the BKN Nets, CLE Cavaliers, MIA Heat, MIL Bucks, NY Knicks and ORL Magic tiebreaker?
BKN Nets, CLE Cavaliers, MIA Heat, MIL Bucks, NY Knicks and ORL Magic finished level at 0-1, 10th–15th in the Eastern Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.
Who won the DEN Nuggets, GS Warriors, NO Pelicans, PHX Suns, SAC Kings and SA Spurs tiebreaker?
DEN Nuggets, GS Warriors, NO Pelicans, PHX Suns, SAC Kings and SA Spurs finished level at 0-1, 10th–15th in the Western Conference. They are still level after the first 4 criteria, so the tie goes to record against playoff-eligible clubs — which this page does not compute.
How are ties for draft position broken?
Not with these criteria. Clubs that missed the postseason on the same record share their lottery odds, and the order they pick in is settled by a random drawing.
MORE

Related pages

NBA Eastern Conference standingsNBA Western Conference standingsNBA play-in tournamentNBA playoff pictureNBA draft lottery oddsNBA markets