The NBA regular season has nearly drawn to a close and it’s time for the business end of the season - the Playoffs.
Eight teams from each conference will advance to the Playoffs, and the winners from the East and West will face off for the title. c
However, before the Playoffs, eight teams will also be seen competing in the Play-In tournament. Here is all you need to know about the mini-competition.
What is the Play-In Tournament?
The NBA decided to tweak the qualification path to the Playoffs. Earlier, the top eight teams headed for the post-season. However, now, only the first six teams secure a direct berth in the Playoffs.
The teams placed seventh to 10th take part in the Play-In tournament for the final two spots in the Playoffs. The change was brought in to give a chance to the ninth and 10th placed teams to make it to the post-season.
When was the first Play-In Tournament held?
The first Play-In Tournament was first introduced during the 2019-20 season. It was brought in as the season was cut short due to Covid-19 and teams had played an uneven number of games.
What is the format and what happens to the winners of the Play-In Tournament?
The competition starts with two matches - the seventh seed versus the eighth seed and the ninth seed vs the 10th seed.
The higher-placed teams are given an advantage. The winner of the 7th-vs-8th match is given the seventh seed place in the Playoffs, which faces the 2nd seed of the conference.
In the 9th-vs-10th match, the winner advanced to the next match while the loser is knocked out. The third match of the Play-In Tournament decides the final team for the Playoffs. The loser of 7th-vs-8th faces the winner of 9th-vs-10th.
The winner is the eighth seed for the Playoffs and takes on the first seed of the conference. Both - Eastern and Western Conferences - have their own Play-In tournament.
The higher-placed team in a particular fixture will be the home team for the matches in the Play-In Tournament.
Who is playing in the Play-In Tournament this year?
Although there is one round of matches remaining in the regular season, the teams for the Eastern Conference Play-In Tournament are locked in.
From the Western Conference, though the teams are decided, the positions can change after the last fixtures.
Play-In Tournament Teams
Eastern Conference
Western Conference (As things stand)
When is the Play-In Tournament happening this year?
The Play-In Tournament is scheduled from April 11 to April 13. The 7th-vs-8th games from both conferences will be played on April 11. This will be followed by the 9th-vs-10th matches on April 12. The last set of matches will be played on April 14th after a rest day in between.
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