What is the NBA In-Season Tournament? It’s a popular question as the tournament play hits the NBA this season. In this post, we’ll cover every aspect of the NBA’s In-Season Tournament, from the start date, how the format works, and what teams receive for winning the trophy.
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What is the NBA In-Season Tournament?
The NBA wanted a way to spice up regular season play, both for the fans and for all 30 NBA teams. So they came up with an In-Season Tournament that each team will get to participate in, no matter what.
The tournament has no impact on the playoffs. But the NBA hopes by creating an In-Season Tournament, that they will increase TV viewership while getting more people to take an interest in basketball when other sports such as the NFL and college football begin their playoff push.
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NBA In-Season Tournament standings
Here are the latest NBA In-Season Tournament standings entering Friday, Nov. 10.
East Group A
- 76ers – 1-0
- Pacers – 1-0
- Cavaliers – 0-1
- Pistons – 0-1
- Hawks – 0-0
East Group B
- Heat – 1-0
- Bucks – 1-0
- Hornets – 1-0
- Knicks – 0-1
- Wizards – 0-2
East Group C
- Celtics – 1-0
- Nets – 1-1
- Bulls – 0-1
- Raptors – 0-0
- Magic – 0-0
West Group A
- Jazz – 1-0
- Lakers – 1-0
- Blazers – 1-0
- Suns – 0-1
- Grizzlies – 0-2
West Group B
- Nuggets – 1-0
- Rockets – 1-0
- Mavericks – 1-1
- Clippers – 0-1
- Pelicans – 0-1
West Group C
- Kings – 1-0
- T-Wolves – 1-0
- Warriors – 1-0
- Spurs – 0-1
- Thunder – 0-2
NBA In-Season Tournament results
Friday, November 3
- Indiana Pacers 121, Cleveland Cavaliers 116
- Milwaukee Bucks 110, New York Knicks 105
- Miami Heat 121, Washington Wizards 114
- Brooklyn Nets 109, Chicago Bulls 107
- Portland Trail Blazers 115, Memphis Grizzlies 113
- Denver Nuggets 125, Dallas Mavericks 114
- Golden State Warriors 141, Oklahoma City Thunder 139
Friday, November 10
- Charlotte Hornets 124, Washington Wizards 117
- Philadelphia 76ers 114, Detroit Pistons 106
- Boston Celtics 121, Brooklyn Nets 107
- Minnesota Timberwolves 117, San Antonio Spurs 110
- Utah Jazz 127, Memphis Grizzlies 120
- Houston Rockets 104, New Orleans Pelicans 101
- Dallas Maavericks 144, Los Angeles Clippers 126
- Sacramento Kings 105, Oklahoma City Thunder 98
- Los Angeles Lakers 122, Phoeni Suns 119
NBA In-Season Tournament schedule
Tuesday, November 14
- San Antonio Spurs vs Oklahoma City Thunder
- Los Angeles Clippers vs Denver Nuggets
- Miami Heat vs Charlotte Hornets
- Atlanta Hawks vs Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers vs Philadelphia 76ers
- Orlando Magic vs Brooklyn Nets
- Dallas Mavericks vs New Orleans Pelicans
- Minnesota Timberwolves vs Golden State Warriors
- Memphis Grizzlies vs Los Angeles Lakers
When are the next NBA In-Season Tournament games?
The NBA In-Season Tournament resumes on Tuesday, November 14 with nine different matchups, including two nationally-televised games. There will be more in-season tournament games on Tuesday, Nov. 14.
How does the NBA In-Season Tournament format work?
There are six groups of five teams each, split between the Eastern Conference and Western Conference. The groupings were randomly drawn based on last season’s team records.
Each team gets to play two home games and two road games, facing each group rival one time.
These games will take place on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Three group winners plus the next-best team overall will advance to an eight-team quarterfinals round. Winners of this section advance to the semifinals, and so forth.
Here is how each of the six groups are broken down by conference.
East Group A
- Atlanta Hawks
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Detroit Pistons
- Indiana Pacers
- Philadelphia 76ers
East Group B
- Charlotte Hornets
- Miami Heat
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Washington Wizards
East Group C
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Chicago Bulls
- Orlando Magic
- Toronto Raptors
West Group A
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns
- Portland Trail Blazers
- Utah Jazz
West Group B
- Dallas Mavericks
- Denver Nuggets
- Houston Rockets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- New Orleans Pelicans
West Group C
- Golden State Warriors
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- Sacramento Kings
- San Antonio Spurs
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When does the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament begin?
The 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament tips off Friday, Nov. 3. The four group stage games are played on seven different dates throughout November. These will take place on four Fridays and three Tuesdays.
- Fridays – Nov. 3, 10, 17, 24
- Tuesdays – Nov. 14, 21, 28
Quarterfinals are played on Monday, Dec. 4, and Tuesday, Dec. 5.
The semifinals and championship game will take place on Thursday, Dec. 7, and Saturday, Dec. 9, in Las Vegas.
Here is the broadcast schedule for the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament.
How does the In-Season Tournament impact each team’s schedule?
Instead of having 82 games on the schedule, each team has just 80 for now. The final two games will be determined based on how the In-Season Tournament plays out. For the 22 teams who don’t qualify for the elimination games, they’ll have their final two matchups come on Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 against other already-eliminated teams.
The two teams who reach the championship will actually be forced to play 83 games instead of the typical 82.
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Where is the NBA In-Season Tournament?
Aside from the semifinals and championship games, all NBA In-Season Tournament games will take place on the normal home courts of all 30 NBA franchises, although there is a twist. Each team has a unique home court design for their In-Season Tournament games.
Semifinals and championship games will take place in Las Vegas at T-Mobile Arena.
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What do you get for winning the NBA In-Season Tournament?
The winning team wins the first NBA Cup. Each player from the winning team will take home $500,000 apiece.
Each player of the losing championship team receives $200,000. Losing players of the semifinals receive $100,000 each, and losers of the quarterfinals get $50,000 each.
There will also be a Most Valuable Player award, plus an all-tournament team named based on play from the In-Season Tournament games.
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