NBA In-Season Tournament: Do teams that are eliminated in the quarterfinals receive any prize money?
The NBA’s In-Season Tournament is now at the quarterfinal stage and with that, we’re taking a look at what players stand to gain whether they win or lose.
It’s been an exciting ride so far in the first-ever NBA In-Season tournament. With quarterfinals starting on Monday night, there’s no better time than right now to explore what’s at stake for the teams that are left standing.
What is the NBA In-Season Tournament?
In a first-of-its-kind type of move, the NBA has created what we now know as the ‘In-Season Tournament. With games being played during the regular season, the tournament has featured a number of teams separated into six groups - 3 in the West and 3 in the East - consisting of five teams each. After group play has concluded, six group winners and two “wild cards” advance, i.e., the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group. The eight teams - four per conference - that advance will then head into the second stage of the tournament which is to say, the Knockout Rounds.
So, back to the breakdown: At this stage, each team will face single-elimination games for the Quarterfinals (December 4th & 5th), Semifinals (December 7th), and Championship Game (December 9th). If you’re wondering, the Quarterfinals will be played in NBA team markets, while the Semifinals and Championship Game will be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. It’s worth mentioning that the 22 teams that fail to make the Quarterfinals will be assigned two regular season games (one home and one away) that will be played on December 6th and 8th. As for the teams that lose in the Quarterfinals, they will play each other - within their conference - on December 8th as well.
Who is in the NBA In-Season Tournament quarterfinals?
The quarterfinals of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament will tip off at 7:30 p.m. ET on Monday, November 4th, with a clash between the Indiana Pacers and the highly favored Boston Celtics. For a look at the complete schedule of games for Monday night, take a look below:
OK, but do losing teams still get paid?
As a matter of fact, they do. To be clear, the players on the team that wins it all will each receive $500,000, while the runners-up will get $200,000 per player. Where the semifinals and quarterfinals are concerned, The losing players will each get $100,000, and $50,00 respectively.