What Is NBA In-Season Tournament: Format, Teams, Prize, And How It Works

Marking its debut in the 2023-24 season, the NBA In-Season Tournament promises to add an extra layer of excitement to the basketball calendar. Commencing on Friday, Nov. 3, and reaching its climax with the Championship on Saturday, Dec. 9, the tournament introduces a captivating format and structure, revolutionizing the regular-season landscape.

In-Season Tournament Format

Group Play

The tournament kicks off with Group Play, where all 30 teams are randomly drawn into groups of five within their respective conferences based on the previous season's won-loss records. From Nov. 3 to Nov. 28, each team engages in four designated Group Play games on "Tournament Nights." These games, split evenly between home and away fixtures, lay the groundwork for advancement.

Knockout Rounds

Advancing to the Knockout Rounds are the team with the highest standing in Group Play from each of the six groups and two "wild cards" (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group). Quarterfinals, scheduled in NBA team markets on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5, will be followed by single-elimination Semifinals and Championship games. Teams vying for victory will vie for a substantial prize pool and the esteemed NBA Cup.

TCC, let’s get ittt @DavidsonMBB ! It’s a new season, show up and show out 🙌🏽 🏀 pic.twitter.com/pKwiKfc1L6 — Stephen Curry (@StephenCurry30) November 4, 2023

All 67 games, spanning both Group Play and Knockout Rounds, contribute to regular-season standings, excluding the Championship. Teams will uphold their commitment to 82 regular-season games in the 2023-24 season, inclusive of those in Group Play and Knockout Rounds.

Fourteen Group Play games (two games each Tournament Night) and all seven Knockout Round games will receive national television coverage. The detailed game and broadcast schedule for the In-Season Tournament will be disclosed in August.

In-Season Teams And Groups

The grouping of teams for Group Play games was determined through a meticulous process, considering the prior regular-season records. The Western and Eastern Conferences each have three groups, further adding a strategic element to the tournament:

Western Conference

Eastern Conference

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The meticulous process of team placement commenced with each squad finding its niche within a designated "pot," a classification determined by its performance in the prior regular season (2022-23). This methodical categorization ensured a fair and competitive landscape, as teams were methodically distributed into five distinct pots:

• Pot 1: Comprising the cream of the crop, housing teams with the three best records from the previous season within a conference.
• Pot 2: Welcoming teams that secured the fourth-through-sixth positions in the prior-season standings.
• Pot 3: Embracing teams that occupied the seventh-through-ninth slots in the records from the 2022-23 regular season.
• Pot 4: Encompassing teams that claimed the 10th-through-12th positions in the prior-season standings.
• Pot 5: Hosting teams that found themselves at the 13th-through-15th spots in the records from the preceding regular season.

Group Play

The tournament begins with all 30 teams randomly drawn into groups of five within their conferences, based on their won-loss records from the previous regular season. From Nov. 3 to Nov. 28, each team engages in four designated Group Play games on "Tournament Nights." These games, held both at home and on the road, set the stage for the knockout rounds.

Each team engages in a spirited face-off with the other four contenders within its group during a high-stakes Group Play game. The outcome of these four intense intraconference clashes intricately weaves the narrative of a team's journey towards potential qualification for the Knockout Rounds.

If the Group Play standings echo a symphony of tie scores among two or more teams, a rigorous tiebreaking saga unfolds. The journey to break the deadlock marches through the following sequential crucibles:

• Head-to-head Record in the Group Stage: A meticulous scrutiny of confrontations serves as the first litmus test for supremacy.
• Point Differential in the Group Stage: Delving into the nuances, the point differentials incurred during the Group Stage games emerge as the next yardstick of distinction.
• Total Points Scored in the Group Stage: The grand tally of points accumulated in the crucible of Group Play becomes a crucial metric in the quest for separation.
• Regular Season Record from the 2022-23 NBA Regular Season: A retrospective glance at the prior season's performance offers a historical perspective, contributing to the determination of merit.
• Random Drawing: In the unlikely scenario that the preceding tiebreakers fail to deliver a decisive verdict, the ultimate resort is a random drawing. A chance occurrence becomes the arbiter of fate, ensuring an equitable resolution even in the rarest of circumstances.

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Eight teams earn the coveted passage to the Knockout Rounds, embodying the crème de la crème. The standout, the undisputed leader in Group Play games from each of the six groups, secures a direct ticket. In tandem, a singular wild card entry per conference emerges, donned by the team boasting the most formidable record in Group Play games among those who clinched the second position in their respective groups.

Should the competitive spirit ignite tiebreakers for the wild card in a conference, an unwavering protocol comes into play. Adhering to the same stringent tiebreaker framework as elucidated earlier, except for head-to-head records in the Group Stage, the deadlock among the teams will be meticulously unravelled. A hierarchical pursuit of fairness dictates that ties within groups will be resolved before venturing into the intricate realm of wild card tiebreakers.

Knockout Rounds

The knockout rounds, unfolding as single-elimination spectacles, commence with the Quarterfinals on December 4-5. Victorious teams progress to the neutral-site Semifinals on December 7, culminating in the Championship on December 9.

While Quarterfinal and Semifinal games count as regular-season fixtures, the Championship stands apart, not influencing regular-season records or statistics.

In each conference, the two teams with the best Group Play records host Quarterfinal games, and the superior Group Play team hosts the wildcard team, with tiebreakers used if necessary.

On days without In-Season Tournament games, non-qualifying teams play two regular-season games. Matchups are determined using a formulaic approach based on Group Play standings, with specific considerations for cross-conference games.

Prizing and League Honors

The 2023-24 season introduces an In-Season Tournament prize pool allocated to Knockout Rounds participants. Post-tournament, the NBA will confer honours upon the Most Valuable Player and the All-Tournament Team, acknowledging outstanding performances in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.

As the NBA charts this new course with the In-Season Tournament, basketball enthusiasts can anticipate a riveting blend of competition, strategy, and elite athleticism, adding a fresh and dynamic dimension to the NBA season.