History
Because it was founded (as the Basketball Association of America) by arena owners who were involved with hockey, the NBA has always had a playoff format similar to that of the NHL.
Currently, 16 teams get into the playoffs, eight each from the Eastern and Western Conferences, and they're seeded, based on their regular-season records. The playoffs first determine the conference champions, who then meet in a best-of-seven series for the league championship.
