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The NBA In-Season Tournament format explained: teams, groups, bracket and matchups

The NBA will stage its first In-Season Tournament in November, but what’s the format,? What’s the bracket and how does it work? Here’s the low down.

Paul Rudder
Paul RudderEnglish_AS
The NBA will stage its first In-Season Tournament in November, but what’s the format,? What’s the bracket and how does it work? Here’s the low down.
STEPH CHAMBERSAFP

As we prepare for the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament, it’s time to take a look at the format, groups and inner workings of what promises to be a very intriguing cross-conference tournament for the league.

What are the groups for the NBA In-Season Tournament?

With the tournament featuring six groups - 3 in the West and 3 in the East - that consist of five teams apiece, basketball fans will be assured of some enticing matchups. From the Heat, Knicks, and Bucks who all find themselves in the East’s Group B, to the Lakers and LeBron James who will have to tussle with Ja Morant’s Grizzlies - though he won’t be there due to suspension - and the star-studded Phoenix Suns, the NBA In-Season Tournament promises to be a spectacular show. Take a look at the full list of Groups below:

How does the NBA In-Season Tournament work?

In keeping with the fact that each group consists of five teams, each of those teams will play four Group Play games - one home and one away - between November 3rd and 28th. To be clear, all 30 teams have been randomly drawn into their respective groups within their conferences based on their win-loss records from the previous season. At the conclusion of Group Play, eight teams will advance to the Knock Out Rounds. Those teams will be made up of the six group winners, as well as two “wild card” teams i.e., a team from each conference that finished with the best second-place record among all teams that finished in second place in their groups.

The Knock Out Rounds will be played in a single-elimination format across the Quarterfinals (December 4th & 5th), the Semifinals (December 7th), and the Championship Game (December 9th). Where location is concerned, 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.

Yes, there are tie-breakers in group play

In the event of a tie between teams, the following criteria will be used to determine who advances and who gets a ticket home:

  • Head-to-head record in the Group Stage
  • Point differential in the Group Stage
  • Total points scored in the Group Stage

What’s the bracket look like in the NBA In-Season Tournament?

You can see the bracket for the Knock Out Rounds of the tournament below:

Is there a prize at stake in the NBA In-Season Tournament?

Yes, there is! The NBA has introduced the all-new NBA Cup. Additionally, there will also be league honors up for grabs with an MVP award on offer as well as an All-Tournament Team. There will also be a prize pool on the table for players on the teams that participate in the Knock Out Rounds.