The regular season is in the books, and now it’s playoff time. This is where things get spicy: prize money, bragging rights, and egos are all on the line.

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Playoffs are funny. You can grind all season, barely sneak into the bracket, and then suddenly hit your stride when it matters most. 

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An “almost perfect” example comes from the NBA this year. The Indiana Pacers slid into the postseason as the #4 seed in the East with a 50–32 record. Not exactly dominant, but once the playoffs hit, they caught fire, making an incredible run all the way to the Finals before falling to OKC in a tough seven-game series. That’s the beauty of playoffs: it’s not about how you start, it’s about peaking when it matters most.

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How Playoffs Work 

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For those who don’t follow MLP as closely, here’s how the playoffs work: the top 10 Premier teams from the regular season qualify. The first-round play-in matches and quarterfinals took place in San Diego (Aug 15–17), while the semifinals and finals will go down in New York City (Aug 22–24).

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The format is simple but intense:

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• Play-in round: Single elimination, winner-take-all.
  
  
• Quarterfinals, semifinals, and finals:  Best-of-three match series.
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One of the coolest features of the MLP playoffs? Higher seeds get to choose their opponent. That twist always adds drama. For example, in the play-in round, the #7 seed Texas Ranchers picked the #10 seed Miami Pickleball Club, leaving the Orlando Squeeze to face off against the Utah Black Diamonds.

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San Diego Quick Recap: Chaos, DreamBreakers, and Statement Wins

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The most surprising move of the quarterfinals? Dallas Flash choosing the Columbus Sliders. Fans scratched their heads at the matchup… until it turned into one of the wildest battles of the weekend. Every single match went to a DreamBreaker, with the Sliders coming out on top and punching their ticket to NYC. The X-factor? Columbus’ men went a perfect 3–0 against JW Johnson and Augie Ge,  a statement performance when it mattered most.

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The rest of the quarterfinals were more straightforward. Three series ended in clean 2–0 sweeps. I honestly expected Brooklyn vs. LA Mad Drops to be tighter, but Ben Johns had the Brooklyn squad locked in, while Dekel Bar and the Mad Drops looked a step slow.

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Over in Challenger, things unfolded exactly how I called it back at the start of the season: Las Vegas Night Owls vs. Nashville Chefs in the finals. After the Mari Humberg trade, D.C. Pickleball just couldn’t keep pace, and the door opened wide for Vegas and Nashville to step into the spotlight and compete for the title. 

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NYC Predictions: What’s Coming

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Here’s how the semifinal matchups shake out in New York: St. Louis Shock vs. Columbus Sliders and The 5s vs. LA Mad Drops.

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Shock vs. Sliders

‍It’d be a massive upset if the Sliders pull this one off. A best 2-out-of-3 is a whole different beast compared to single elimination, and the Shock are stacked from top to bottom. They hold the #1 Men’s Team Ranking, #3 Women’s, and #1 Mixed (check DUPR’s data post). Hard to bet against that. My pick: Shock cruise to the Finals.

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5s vs. Mad Drops

‍This is where things get spicy. I see this one going the distance with multiple DreamBreakers on deck. The 5s hold the edge in women’s doubles, while the Mad Drops shine in men’s, which likely makes it 1–1 after genders. Mixed could easily split too, depending on pairings. So who takes the DreamBreaker? Both squads are strong, but I’m riding with the “on-paper underdog” LA Mad Drops.

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That sets up a St. Louis Shock vs. LA Mad Drops Finals  with the Shock looking for redemption after last year’s playoff collapse.

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Don’t sleep on Challenger either. The finals pit the Las Vegas Night Owls vs. Nashville Chefs, and my money’s on Vegas bringing it home.

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Why This Matters for You

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So why should you care if you’re not playing pro pickleball? Easy: this is the same format a lot of clubs are starting to use for leagues and events. DreamBreakers, best-of-3 series, picking your opponent; it’s drama, but it’s also fun to play in.

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Next time your club runs a DUPR league or team event, you’ll know the vibes:

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• Expect crazy upsets.
  
  
• Expect clutch moments from players who peak under pressure.
  
  
• And remember: sometimes the underdog writes the best story.

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Follow pros and keep working on your pickleball ratings!

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