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April 10 update: It came down to the final day of the season, but the matchups are set for the East play-in bracket. It’ll be Nets-Cavaliers in 7-8 game and Hawks-Hornets in the 9-10 game.
The Eastern conference play-in tournament will determine the No. 7 and No. 8 seeds in the final postseason bracket. Unlike previous seasons, the East has been competitive from top to bottom in the playoff field in 2021-22. This had led to a tight race across the board for seedings, although we do know the identity of the four teams taking part in the play-in tournament.
The Charlotte Hornets, Atlanta Hawks, Cleveland Cavaliers and Brooklyn Nets will be in this bracket, although the seeds are still to be determined. The Hornets were here last year, while the Cavaliers, Hawks and Nets did not expect to be in this position at the start of the season.
2022 NBA play-in tournament: Eastern Conference bracket
No. 7 Brooklyn Nets vs. No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers
No. 9 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 10 Charlotte Hornets
The No. 7 and No. 8 seeds will play each other, with the winner taking the No. 7 seed in the main playoff bracket. The No. 9 and No. 10 seeds will also play each other, with the loser being eliminated and the winner advancing to face the loser of the 7-8 game. The 7-8 loser and 9-10 winner will play for the right to the No. 8 seed in the East.