NBA Play-In Tournament Rules 2023. The NBA’s play-in basketball tournament adds an intriguing twist to the end of the regular season and the beginning of the postseason. Because of the flat lottery odds implemented in 2019, teams were already less inclined to tank games down the stretch. More groups will stay in the mix for longer now that the top ten teams in the standings will complete the regular season with at least a chance of making the playoffs.
Some players, such as LeBron James and Dallas Mavericks All-Star Luka Doncic, were not thrilled with the prospect of the play-in tournament, but we can expect some heated battles as teams compete for the final playoff seeds in each conference.
Here’s everything you need to know about the upcoming NBA Play-In Tournament Rules.
What precisely is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The NBA Play-In Tournament is the league’s different format for determining each conference’s eight playoff teams.
The system allows the top ten teams in the Western and Eastern Conference standings to compete for a playoff spot, making the regular season’s end more enjoyable.
With the 2020 NBA restart in the Orlando bubble, the league had already evaluated a version of the play-in format last summer. At the time, the Portland Trail Blazers were competing against the Memphis Grizzlies for a spot in the Western Conference playoffs.
NBA Play In Tournament Rules
NBA Play-In Tournament Rules: The Play-In Tournament will feature six games between eight teams from each conference.
Teams finishing 1-6 for each conference standings will meet the criteria for the playoffs, while teams finishing 7-10 will compete in the Play-In Tournament.
The NBA’s standings will be determined by winning percentage.
- Game 1: The team with the highest winning percentage at No. 7 in each conference will face the team with the highest winning percentage at No. 8 in the playoffs for the No. 7 seed. In Game 3, the losing team will have a 2nd opportunity to make the playoffs.
- Game 2: In each conference, the team that has the highest winning percentage at No. 9 will host the team with the best winning percentage at No. 10. The winner will compete in Game 3 for a playoff berth, whilst the losing team will join the NBA draft lottery.
- Game 3: For the eighth seed in the playoffs, the losing team of No. 7 vs. No. 8 (Game 1) will face the winning team of No. 9 vs. No. 10 (Game 2). The losing team will be eligible for the NBA draft lottery.
This means that the teams with the seventh and eighth-highest winning percentages will have two chances to win one game to qualify for the playoffs, whereas the teams with the ninth and tenth-highest winning percentages must win two straight games to advance.
When will the 2023 Play-In Tournament be held?
The Play-In Tournament will take place from Tuesday, April 11 to Friday, April 14. The teams with the seventh and eighth-highest winning percentages in every conference will each have two chances to win one game in order to qualify for the playoffs. To qualify for the playoffs, the teams with the ninth and tenth-highest winning percentages in every conference must win two consecutive games.
How to Watch the NBA Play-In Tournament in 2023
The NBA play-in basketball tournament can be seen on ESPN and TNT. If you already use a pay-TV provider with connectivity to all those channels, you can watch NBA content on each station’s app.
If you don’t have cable or satellite, you can join a live TV streaming service that offers TNT and ESPN. YouTube TV, Sling TV, and Hulu + Live TV all offer packages that include both channels.
FAQs
What is the format of NBA Play-In Tournament Rules?
The team with the seventh-highest winning percentage for each conference will host the team with the eighth-highest winning percentage in a Play-In Game at the end of the regular season but before the beginning of the playoffs. The winner of each conference’s Seven-Eight Game will receive the No. 7 seed.
In the “Nine-Ten Game,” the team with the ninth-highest winning percentage in every conference will host the team with the tenth-highest winning percentage. The loser of the Seven-Eight Game would then host the winner of the Nine-Ten Game in a Play-In Game, with the winner of that game earning the No. 8 seed in each conference.
What happens to the Play-In Tournament winners?
The winners of the NBA Play-In tournament will be seeded seventh and eighth in each conference. The NBA Playoffs will begin with the conventional 16-team, best-of-seven series requirements specified in the Play-In Tournament.
When Will The Playoffs Begin?
The NBA Playoffs will begin on April 15, 2023.
The bottom line
NBA Play-In Tournament Rules: The NBA Play-In tournament is coming soon! I hope that this article is useful to you! If you have any questions or anything to talk about, don’t forget to let a comment in the comment box below.
