2025 NBA Playoff Tracker: Eastern Conference Play-In Matchups Officially Set, Dates, and Times

With their win over the 76ers, the Hawks will head to Orlando to face the Magic on Tuesday with a chance to get into the playoffs and face the Boston Celtics

Apr 11, 2025; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Atlanta Hawks guard Trae Young (11) controls the ball against the Philadelphia 76ers in the first quarter at Wells Fargo Center. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images / Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

With the Atlanta Hawks defeating the Philadelphia 76ers tonight, the Eastern Conference play-in tournament field is now set. Atlanta will travel to Orlando next Tuesday to face the Magic, with the winner earning a trip to Boston to face the defending champion Celtics. On Wednesday, Chicago will face Miami and the loser of that game will be eliminated from the playoffs. The winner of the Chicago/Miami matchup will then face the loser of the Hawks/Magic matchup and the winner of that game gets the final playoff spot in the Eastern Conference, facing the No. 1 seeded Cleveland Cavaliers.

The Hawks have plaed Orlando three times this season, with the Magic winning the last two, including the game on Tuesday night.

Orlando is a tough matchup for the Hawks given their injuries in the frontcourt, but when you turn the ball over 18 times, five more than your opponent, it is going to be tough to win. There was plenty of poor officiating in this last game that favored Orlando, but the Hawks did not deserve to win based on the way they took care of the ball.

The Hawks' defense has been really poor to end the season, and that was the case last night against one of the NBA's worst offenses. Atlanta allowed Orlando to shoot 50% from the field and 42% from three (14-34). When you allow the Magic to shoot better than you, that is not a good recipe because of how good the Magic's defense is. The Hawks have not been able to contain Paolo Banchero in any of the three matchups this season, and he had 33 points last night, leading all scorers. If these two match up in the play-in tournament, the Hawks' defense has to be better.

One thing that needs to change in Tuesday's matchup is that the Hawks supporting cast around Trae Young has to be better.

Atlanta got big nights from Onyeka Okongwu (30 points and 14 rebounds) and Young (28 points and 10 assists), but it was a pedestrian night for most everyone else. After scoring nine points in the first quarter, Caris LeVert only finished with 13. Terance Mann scored zero points in nearly 30 minutes, Vit Krejci could not find his shot, and Zaccharie Risacher was in foul trouble for the entire game. The Magic got good games from Kentavious Caldwell-Pope and Wendell Carter Jr to go along with big games from Banchero and Franz Wagner.

NBA Eastern Conference Play-In Matchups

Tuesday, April 15th

No. 7 Orlando Magic vs No. 8 Atlanta Hawks (TNT, Time TBD)

Wednesday, April 16th

No. 9 Chicago Bulls vs No. 10 Miami Heat (ESPN, Time TBD

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