How does the NBA in-season tournament work?

During the Los Angeles Clippers’ media introduction to the In-Season Tournament cup, Bones Hyland, the 26th pick of the 2021 NBA Draft, said: “I’m not even going to lie. I don’t even know what’s going on. I don’t even know how it works. I don’t know anything honestly.” He speaks for most of us.

The In-Season Tournament was introduced to add excitement and novelty to the regular NBA season. It could work, because, as you may have noticed, some teams don’t play early and mid-season games with the level of intensity and motivation that gets fans interested in watching or attending the games.

However, for you to fully appreciate the In-Season Tournament and how it impacts the game, you must understand how it works.

This quick explanation by former player Richard Jefferson should help, but you can read on for a more in-depth explanation.

What is the NBA In-Season Tournament?

The NBA In-Season Tournament is a new annual NBA event that takes place during the regular season. It involves all 30 NBA teams competing for a championship title.

The tournament made its debut on Friday, November 3rd, and will end with the championship game in Las Vegas on Saturday, December 9th.

How does the NBA In-Season Tournament work?

There are two terms you must understand to know how the NBA In-Season Tournament works: Group Play and Knockout Rounds.

Group Play

All 30 NBA teams were split into six groups based on their 2022-23 regular season record.

In the Group Play stage, each team plays the four teams in their group on “Tournament Nights”, which fall on Fridays and Tuesdays from November 3rd to 28th. These games count to each team’s 82-game schedule.

Knockout Rounds

After each team has played four Group Play games (two at home and two on the road), eight teams proceed to the Knockout Rounds.

The eight teams comprise six with the best standings in their respective groups and 2 “wild cards” (teams from each conference that had the best record in group play games but finished second in its group).

If multiple teams tie for first place in a group or the “wild card” spot, the league will use the following tiebreakers, in order:

• Head-to-head record in the group stage
• Point differential in the group stage
• Total points scored in the group stage
• Regular season record from the 2022-23 NBA regular season
• Random drawing (in case two or more teams are still tied after the above tie breakers)

The Knockout Round involves single-elimination games. The eight teams play on 4th and 5th December, with the winners advancing to the semi-finals on 7th December before the finals on 9th December. Only the finals don’t count as a regular season game.

The semifinals and championship will be held at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, while the knockout games will be at the higher-seeded team’s venue.

What is the NBA In-Season Tournament prize?

The winning team receives the new NBA Cup and its players receive $500,000 each.

Players of the other teams that participate in the Knockout Rounds will also be awarded depending on how far they progressed in the tournament. Here’s a breakdown of their awards:

• Losing in the quarter finals: $50,000 per player
• Losing in the semi finals: $100,000 per player
• Losing in the finals: $200,000 per player

There is also an MVP and an All-Tournament team award for the tournament.