Current:Home > InvestThe NBA in-season tournament bracket is taking shape. See who's still got a shot tonight. -CapitalWay
The NBA in-season tournament bracket is taking shape. See who's still got a shot tonight.
View
Date:2025-04-14 15:44:48
Tonight ends pool play in the NBA's inaugural in-season tournament, and only two teams have officially won berths into the eight-team bracket that will play out in December's knockout rounds.
The Los Angeles Lakers and Indiana Pacers went undefeated in their pool games and have punched their tickets to the knockout round, which guarantees each player $50,000 or even $500,000 if they win it all.
Several teams are still in contention for the knockout round as the final eight games of pool play open Tuesday night. The dozen teams who are 2-2 or worse are officially out of contention. The only exception: The Philadelphia 76ers in the East Group A.
NBA in-season tournament standings
The tournament does not add games to the 82-game schedule (except for the two finalists), but it adds extra incentive for players to compete in these early-season games. Here's a look at the six groups and each team's standings:
With just four games to determine each group's winner, that leaves six spots open for the knockout round going into the final night: Four group winners and two wild cards. What will determine the group winners on Tuesday night:
- If the Houston Rockets defeat the 1-2 Dallas Mavericks, they'll take the West Group B. The Rockets edged out the New Orleans Pelicans in their first game of the tournament. Otherwise, the Pelicans will take the group.
- In the West Group C, the 3-0 Sacramento Kings and 2-1 Golden State Warriors will play for their group's title.
- Similarly, in the East Group B the winner of the 3-0 Milwaukee Bucks and 2-1 Miami Heat will emerge as their group's winner.
- In the East Group C, the Orlando Magic, Brooklyn Nets and Boston Celtics all have potential path to win the group, but Nets seemingly have the inside lane as they face the 1-2 Toronto Raptors.
The remaining NBA in-season tournament schedule
NBA in-season tournament explained
Each team played the other four teams in their group (three groups of five teams in each conference) on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. The teams with the best records in their group plus a wildcard from each conference move to a one-week knockout round in December. The semifinals and final are Dec. 7 and Dec. 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
"We think we can create another peak in the NBA calendar in December, another thing to celebrate, another thing for players, teams, fans to rally around," NBA executive vice president of basketball strategy and analytics Evan Wasch said.
Results from the in-season tournament games count toward the teams' regular-season records. The teams that don't make the knockout round will play on the evenings following the quarterfinal and semifinal games. That ensures all teams play at least the usual 82 regular-season games, although some teams will have an extra home or away game.
NBA in-season tournament prize
Players on all eight teams who make it to the knockout round are guaranteed at least $50,000 each. They can earn 10 times that amount if they bring home the NBA Cup. A tournament MVP and all-tournament honors will also be awarded.
How the in-season teams were placed in their groups
The teams were placed in their groups somewhat randomly with a couple of key qualifiers in the selection process:
- The teams remained in their 15-team Eastern and Western conferences.
- Teams were distributed in their conferences in sets of three based on their 2022-23 records. For example, the top three teams in the East (Milwaukee Bucks, Boston Celtics and Philadelphia 76ers) are in different groups just as the teams with the worst records were dispersed (Orlando Magic, Charlotte Hornets and Detroit Pistons).
veryGood! (2419)
Related
- Paula Abdul settles lawsuit with former 'So You Think You Can Dance' co
- Prosecutors in Trump’s Georgia election subversion case estimate a trial would take 4 months
- Carl Nassib, the NFL's first openly gay player, announces his retirement
- 'AGT': Simon Cowell's Golden Buzzer singer Putri Ariani delivers 'perfect act' with U2 cover
- Selena Gomez engaged to Benny Blanco after 1 year together: 'Forever begins now'
- The Great Salt Lake is shrinking rapidly and Utah has failed to stop it, a new lawsuit says
- Taylor Momsen Shares the Real Reason She Decided to Leave Gossip Girl
- 2 teens killed by upstate New York sheriff’s deputy who shot into their vehicle
- Could Bill Belichick, Robert Kraft reunite? Maybe in Pro Football Hall of Fame's 2026 class
- Americans drink a staggering amount of Diet Coke, other sodas. What does it do to our stomachs?
Ranking
- Paige Bueckers vs. Hannah Hidalgo highlights women's basketball games to watch
- China authorities arrest 2 for smashing shortcut through Great Wall with excavator
- Poccoin Cryptocurrency Exchange Platform - The New King of the Cryptocurrency
- Carmakers fail privacy test, give owners little or no control on personal data they collect
- Are Instagram, Facebook and WhatsApp down? Meta says most issues resolved after outages
- Joe Jonas files for divorce from Sophie Turner after 4 years of marriage: 'Irretrievably broken'
- Aerosmith kicks off Peace Out farewell tour in Philadelphia
- Horoscopes Today, September 5, 2023
Recommendation
Pregnant Kylie Kelce Shares Hilarious Question Her Daughter Asked Jason Kelce Amid Rising Fame
Michigan court to hear dispute over murder charge against ex-police officer who shot Black motorist
New Pennsylvania Legislation Aims to Classify ‘Produced Water’ From Fracking as Hazardous Waste
Arkansas blogger files suit seeking records related to Gov. Sarah Huckabee Sanders’ travel, security
'As foretold in the prophecy': Elon Musk and internet react as Tesla stock hits $420 all
UAW chief: Union to strike any Detroit automaker that hasn’t reached deal as contracts end next week
The Great Salt Lake is shrinking rapidly and Utah has failed to stop it, a new lawsuit says
Joe Alwyn Shares Glimpse Inside His New Chapter After Taylor Swift Split