- NBA. NBA In-Season Tournament 2023: Teams and Groups
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The NBAIn-Season Tournament is a groundbreaking addition to the league's annual calendar.
This competition is designed to provide players and teams with a fresh challenge, engage fans in a new and thrilling way, and generate additional excitement in the early stages of the regular season.
The inaugural In-Season Tournament kicks off on Friday, November 3, 2023, and it's poised to be a game-changer in the world of professional basketball.
Where and how will the In-Season Tournament be played?
The tournament comprises two stages: Group Play and the Knockout Rounds, with every game played in NBA team markets.
While fans can catch all the Group Play action in the various team markets, the excitement will reach its highest point during the Semifinals and Championship, scheduled for Thursday, December 7, and Saturday, December 9, respectively.
These pivotal games will take place at none other than the home of professional basketball, the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
Now, here's the nitty-gritty of how the tournament unfolds.
All 30 NBA teams will participate, each playing a total of four games during the group stage.
From these intense matchups, the top eight teams will advance to a single-elimination knockout round, comprising three group winners and one wild card team from each conference.
For teams that don't make it to the knockout round or are eliminated before the championship game, there's still plenty of action from December4 to 9.
One important detail to note is that all 67 games in both the Group Play and Knockout Rounds will count toward the regular-season standings, except for the Championship game.
In other words, the tournament is not just about glory but can also have a significant impact on a team's overall season.
Eight teams, consisting of the team with the best standing in Group Play games in each of the six groups and one "wild card" team from each conference, will proceed to the Knockout Rounds.
The stage is set, the teams are ready, and the fans are eager.
The first game of the In-Season Tournament, scheduled for Friday, November 3, will see the Cleveland Cavaliers face off against the Indiana Pacers at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse arena.
This matchup, part of Group A from the Eastern Conference, will tip off a 7 p.m. ET.