The 2026 NBA Playoffs on Top Shot. Every Night Matters.
The NBA Playoffs tip off on April 18. Sixteen teams. 70-plus games across two months. Every possession matters more than the last, and the Moments that come out of this stretch will define legacies, break hearts, and make careers.
This year, Top Shot is matching that intensity. Not with one big drop that packages the playoffs into a box weeks after the games happened. This year, every night matters on Top Shot the same way every night matters on the court. When a player hits a series-clinching buzzer-beater on Tuesday night, you can secure that Moment for your collection on Wednesday. When you think the Spurs are winning on the road tonight, you can put that pick on the record. And all of this is about to become your ticket into a storefront stocked with signed jerseys, game-worn memorabilia, and items you cannot buy anywhere else.
What's Ahead
Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition
The regular season version of Top Shot This proved something: collectors want to own the Moment while the conversation is still happening.
Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition takes that formula and supercharges it for the postseason.
Starting April 20, when something incredible happens in a playoff game, that Moment goes live on Top Shot at noon ET the following day. You buy a $10 pack, and inside is that Moment with a chance at any of the six parallels: Blockchain (/99), Hardcourt (/50), Hexwave (/25), Jukebox (/10), Galactic (/5), and Omega (1-of-1).
You read that right. There is a 1-of-1 Omega hidden in the packs for all of the top playoff Moments this year. Collectors will be pulling 1-of-1 Playoffs Omegas from $10 packs throughout the postseason.
The standard edition is minted to demand. The parallels are fixed.
Set Details:
- Set Name: Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition (standalone set, separate from the regular season TST)
- Max Editions: 40
- Timing: First Round through Conference Finals. Everything from the NBA Finals is reserved for the Finals drop.
- Price: $10 per pack
- Player Rules: A player can receive multiple TSTs throughout the NBA Playoffs.
- Airdrops: For each Moment, the top 10 collectors on corresponding seasonal team leaderboard will receive an airdropped Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition pack.
- Set Reward: Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition will have a set locking challenge with a pack reward at the end of the Playoffs.
2026 Playoff Premieres
This rookie class is special. Multiple rookies are playing meaningful roles on playoff teams, and some of them have a real chance to make deep runs. It is not common to see that kind of rookie talent in that kind of position this early.
When one of these players hits a game-winning shot in the Conference Finals, that Moment belongs on the platform. A career does not feel properly told, and the history of it does not feel properly captured, if we exclude a signature playoff play just because it happened in a player's first season. Those Moments matter.
But not at the cost of the scarcity we built all season.
Introducing the Rookie Rare Burn-to-Earn Set: 2026 Playoff Premieres
Every Moment in the 2026 Playoff Premieres set is earned exclusively through burning. Nothing is sold directly. The net effect on supply is always negative.
How It Works:
Day 0: A rookie has a standout playoff Moment.
Day 1: 1-for-1 Trade-In: This is where every night matters. You have to stay tuned in to the league and tuned in to Top Shot, because when a big rookie play happens, you will be able to trade in a pre-existing Rare of that player and receive their new playoff Rare in return. If Kon Knueppel hits a game-winner in the Conference Finals, you can trade in any of his Rare Moments one-for-one for his 2026 Playoff Premieres Moment. First-come, first-served. Up to 129 spots. Net supply change: zero.
Day 2: Parallel Upgrade Auctions: Burn Rares of that player to compete for the Hexwave (/25) or Jukebox (/10). This is where supply shrinks.
The Math: Say a rookie has 2 Rares with roughly 320 in circulation across all editions. After a Day 1 trade-in (129 burns, 129 mints) and a Day 2 upgrade auction (roughly 35 spots at an average of 3 burns per win), approximately 100 additional Rares are removed from circulation. That is a roughly 30% reduction in total Rare supply for that player. Every collector holding that player's remaining Rares benefits.
Set Details:
- Max Editions: 12
- Distribution: Burn-to-earn only. Never sold.
Parallels: Hexwave /25, Jukebox /10 (featuring autos from partnered players)
MONTHLY DROPS
To continue building on the monthly drop cadence, there will be 2 drops during the NBA Playoffs (May 20th and June 24th), featuring the Cases, Boxes, and Packs that collectors have enjoyed all season. More details will follow on these drops, but below you'll find an overview of what to expect.
May 20 | 2026 NBA Playoffs
The first major playoff drop lands after the Conference Semifinals. This drop is loaded: great regular season Moments, playoff Commons from the first two rounds, some of the greatest legendary playoff performances in NBA history, Rookie Ultimates, Heroes of the Game, and more.
Rookie Ultimate (1-of-1)
Heroes of the Game (/10 Standard, 1-of-1 Diamond Edition)
Run It Back: Playoff Classics (/44 Standard, /5 Galactic, 1-of-1 Omega)
Defining Moments of NBA playoff history. The biggest stages and the performances that shaped how we remember entire eras.
For the Win (20 editions, /249 Standard, Hexwave /25, Jukebox /10)
The buzzer-beaters and clutch plays that sealed victories during the regular season.
Video Game Numbers (20 editions, /249 Standard, Hexwave /25, Jukebox /10)
The stat lines that did not seem possible.
2026 NBA Playoffs (/1000 Standard, /99 Blockchain, /50 Hardcourt)
The classic Common playoff set returns featuring standout Playoff Moments
Base Set
June 24 | 2026 NBA Finals
The crown jewel drop of the entire playoff run, featuring these new and returning sets:
Rookie Ultimate (1-of-1)
Heroes of the Game (/10 Standard, 1-of-1 Diamond Edition)
2026 NBA Finals (/39 Standard, /5 Galactic, 1-of-1 Omega)
The biggest Moments from the biggest stage. This is the set that crowns the champions and caps the season!
** A note on rookies and the Finals Legendary set: if a rookie delivers an iconic Finals Moment, they may be included in this set. If that happens, their Finals Legendary will be earned exclusively through a trade-in auction. Any Rare or Legendary Moment from that player qualifies as a bid.
Throwdowns (20 editions, /249 Standard, Hexwave /25, Jukebox /10)
The most memorable dunks of the regular season, held until now to make sure the best of the best made the cut.
Heat Check (20 editions, /249 Standard, Hexwave /25, Jukebox /10)
Unstoppable scoring stretches. Hero ball runs that switched up entire games.
2026 NBA Playoffs (/1000 Standard, /99 Blockchain, /50 Hardcourt)
Base Set
Final Seasonal Team Leaderboards
OK.. One more Seasonal Team Leaderboard!
When the final buzzer of the NBA Finals sounds (literally), there will be a final seasonal leaderboard snapshot for the 2026 NBA Champion team, rewarding that teams top fans of the season with Legendary 2026 NBA Finals Moments!
1st Place wins a /5 Galactic 2026 NBA Finals Legendary Moment from the Finals MVP
2nd & 3rd Place wins a /39 Standard 2026 NBA Finals Legendary Moment from the Finals MVP
**Please note: The Common Set ‘Royal Flush,’ previously announced in the Series 2025-26 Roadmap, has been removed from the plans.
Airdrops & Snapshots
📸 Wednesday, MAY 13 at 12 PM ET: Seasonal Team Leaderboard Snapshots
10 collectors from each team will be airdropped a single Moment pack containing a NEW Series 2025-26 Rare or Legendary Moment from this drop from the corresponding team.
🔒 #1-5 Guaranteed winners
🪂 #6-100 Weighted draw for 5 additional winners
Road to the Ring | Limited-Time Event
This is the new layer on top of everything.
Road to the Ring is a points-based progression campaign that runs the length of the NBA Playoffs, from April 17 through June 26. Everything you do on Top Shot earns Playoffs Points. Buy a pack. Lock a Moment. Complete a quest. Play Fast Break. Make picks. It all counts, and it all moves you up the ladder.
Six Tiers
- Prospect — 0 Playoffs Points (everyone starts here)
- Starter — 1,000 Playoffs Points
- All-Star — 10,000 Playoffs Points
- All-NBA — 40,000 Playoffs Points
- MVP — 100,000 Playoffs Points
- Legend — 200,000 Playoffs Points
You climb by accumulating Playoffs Points. Hit a new threshold at any point during the playoffs and you move up instantly.
Two Numbers, One System
Playoffs Points only go up. They track everything you have earned during the event and determine your tier. Spending does not reduce them. You can never drop a tier once you have reached it.
Spendable Balance is what you actually use on picks and in the prize store. It goes up when you earn and down when you spend.
The result: you can drain your entire Spendable Balance claiming a prize and your tier stays exactly where it is. Spending is encouraged, not punished.
Playoff Picks
Every game day during the playoffs, picks open based on that night's matchups. You allocate points from your Spendable Balance to a pick. Get it right, and you earn points. Get it wrong, and your points are returned in full. You cannot lose points on a pick.
Pick Types:
- Game Winner — Will the Lakers or Nuggets win tonight?
- Player Scoring — Will Booker score more or less than 29.5 points?
- Player Duel — Who scores more tonight, Shai or Jokic?
- Series Length — How many games will this series go? (4, 5, 6, or 7)
- Team Total — Will the Lakers score more or less than 112.5 tonight?
- And more!
Picks are free to play. They reward engagement and basketball IQ, and they give you another reason to be on Top Shot every single night of the playoffs.
The Prize Store
Your Spendable Balance unlocks a storefront that you cannot access anywhere else. Every item in this store is exclusive, redeemable with points only, never purchasable with dollars.
The store opens on April 18 and runs through June 26. New items arrive in waves tied to the rounds of the playoffs, with a headline item anchoring each wave.
The Top Shelf:
- Wave 1 (Launch): Brandon Miller Signed Basketball
- Wave 2 (First Round): Shaedon Sharpe Game-Worn Jersey
- Wave 3 (Conference Semifinals): Joel Embiid Game-Worn Jersey
- Wave 4 (Conference Finals): Signed Larry Bird Celtics Jersey
All four grails are visible from day one. They unlock when their wave arrives.
Beyond these headline items, the store is stocked with warm-up jackets, shooting shirts, game-worn items, Top Shot merch, and packs at every point level. Entry-level items are accessible within the first week for active collectors. The Larry Bird jersey is a Playoffs long grind reserved for the most committed collectors on the platform.
This is a limited-time event that ends on June 26, 2026.
Fast Break: Playoff Edition
Fast Break is getting a special Playoffs Edition as well. The format is clean, the lineups are tight, and the objective is dead simple: score the most points. This format continues only through the end of the NBA Finals.
What's Changing
No stat thresholds. Regular season Fast Break asked you to hit specific benchmarks. This Playoffs, your only goal is to maximize total points scored. Highest score wins. Like the regular, there will be a Captain slot.
Smaller lineups. The regular season used 5-player lineups. The playoffs cut that down:
- Run 1 (First Round + Conference Semifinals): 3 players per day
- Run 2 (Conference Finals + NBA Finals): 2 players per day
Fewer roster spots means every decision carries more weight. You are not filling a roster. You are picking the players you believe in most.
How Rankings Work
Daily Leaderboard: Ranked by total points scored that day. No wins, no thresholds. Just points.
Run Leaderboard: Ranked by cumulative points across all collectors in the run.
Daily Tiebreaker: If two users tie on total points, the tiebreaker goes to serial numbers. For each player in your lineup, we automatically choose your highest tier Moment (tiers within the game, not rarity tiers) with the lowest serial.
Run Tiebreaker: If two users tie on cumulative run Points, the tiebreaker goes to average daily placement. Lower average rank wins.
The Full Timeline
- April 17 —Road to the Ring goes live. Prize store opens.
- April 18 — NBA Playoffs tip off.
- April 20 — Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition debuts (first Moments from opening weekend games).
- April 20+ — TST: Playoffs Moments drop at noon ET throughout the first three rounds and 2026 Playoff Premieres burn-to-earn auctions run whenever a rookie delivers a standout Moment.
- May 20 — Drop 1: Run It Back Legendary, For the Win, Video Game Numbers, Playoff Commons, Rookie Ultimates, Signature Series.
- June 24 — Drop 2: 2026 NBA Finals Legendary, Throwdowns, Heat Check, Playoff Commons, Rookie Ultimates, Signature Series.
The Lock-In: April Deposit Match
Before the first playoff game tips off, there is an opportunity to load up your collection and get paid for it.
From April 13 at 12:00 AM ET through April 22 at 11:59 PM ET, we are matching your deposits. Deposit new funds into your Dapper Wallet, buy NBA Top Shot Moments or packs on the marketplace, lock your purchases, and earn a percentage back as Dapper Balance.
Match Rates:
- VIPs: 15% back, uncapped
- All Collectors: 10% back, up to $1,000
- Minimum qualifying spend: $50 (dropped from $100 in previous match events)
Your rebate is calculated on what you deposit, buy, and lock. Sales during the window don't reduce your qualifying amount. No complicated deductions. Credits land as non-withdrawable Dapper Balance on the evening of April 23.
Deposit on day one, buy from the drop the next day, lock everything by the deadline, and get Dapper Balance back.
Every night of the NBA Playoffs, something is happening on Top Shot. A new Moment to own. A pick to make. A Fast Break lineup to set. A prize store to browse.
The regular season built the collection. The playoffs are where it pays off.
Road to the Ring starts April 17. Top Shot This: Playoffs Edition drops April 20. We will see you there.
