The NBA is finally adding an in-season tournament after years of clamor to spice up the regular season, which can be monotonous in some stretches.
The league's first-ever In-Season Tournament will begin on Friday, November 3, and culminate with the championship game on Saturday, December 9.
NBA In-Season Tournament Format
The new tournament will involve all 30 teams, divided into six groups - three from each conference, with five teams in each group.
The division will be determined through a random draw based on their respective regular season records during the 2022-23 NBA season. Each team will play its groupmates one time for a total of four games, two at home and two on the road.
Following the group stage matches, the team with the top record in each group, along with the overall next-best team in each conference, will advance to the knockout round, which will consist of four teams per conference.
Subsequently, the remaining eight teams will participate in a single-elimination format, from the quarterfinals to the final four teams.
These teams will then battle in the semifinals and championship game for the NBA Cup, set to take place at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, Nevada.
NBA In-Season Tournament Rules
All teams will continue to play for 82 games for the 2023-24 season, including the tournament fixtures. All statistics from the In-Season Tournament will count towards regular season stats, except for the championship game.
Players on the NBA Cup-winning team will earn $500,000 each, while those on the runner-up team will receive $200,000 per player.
Players from teams that lose in the semifinals will be awarded $100,000 each, and those on quarterfinal losing teams will take home $50,000.
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NBA In-Season Tournament Groupings
West Group A: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers
West Group B: Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
West Group C: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
East Group A: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons
East Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets
East Group C: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
NBA In-Season Tournament Schedule: When Is the Championship?
The group stage matches, also known as Tournament Nights, are scheduled every Tuesday and Friday from November 3 to 28, except for Election Day on Tuesday, November 7, wherein no games will be held.
The knockout rounds will kick off with the quarterfinals on December 4 and 5. Following this, the semifinals are scheduled for Thursday, December 7, and the championship game will take place on Saturday, December 9. The winning team will take home the NBA Cup.
To balance the number of games played by those in the knockout rounds, the 22 teams that do not qualify will play in two regular season matches against each other on December 6 and 8.
NBA In-Season Tournament Title Favorites
According to betting odds from several sportsbooks, the consensus favorites to win the NBA Cup are the Boston Celtics, followed by the Milwaukee Bucks, Denver Nuggets, Phoenix Suns, and Golden State Warriors.
Other teams with a shot are the Los Angeles Clippers, Los Angeles Lakers, Dallas Mavericks, Philadelphia 76ers, and the Cleveland Cavaliers.
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