The NBA play-in tournament was introduced during the 2019-2020 bubble season as a way to get more teams involved in meaningful late season action. Instead of the top 8 teams automatically making the playoffs, the top 10 teams now have a chance to compete in the postseason. Making predictions on the play-in tournament can be very fulfilling, and with just a few games to go in the regular season, there is still plenty of room for postseason jostling.
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Teams ranked 1st through 6th in each conference get an automatic playoff berth, while 7th through 10th place compete in the tournament. It is 3 games, with the 7th and 8th seeds needing just a single win to qualify for the playoffs, while the 9th and 10th seeds need back-to-back victories to have a chance at NBA glory.
What Is the NBA Play In Tournament?
The NBA play in tournament was a unique way to get more teams competing to win down the stretch, rather than tanking for a better draft pick. The Eastern Conference will see two sub 500 teams in the play-in tournament this year, which would have already thrown in the towel were it not for this late season addition.
When Is the NBA Play In Tournament?
The NBA play-in tournament takes place immediately following the regular season’s conclusion, but prior to the beginning of the postseason.
The last regular season games are scheduled for Sunday April 14th, with all 30 teams in action that afternoon. The first play-in tournament games are on Tuesday April 16th, with the 7th and 8th seeds in both conferences battling with a chance to secure their spot with a single victory.
On Wednesday April 17th, the 9th and 10th seeds will fight for a shot at upsetting the loser of the 7th vs 8th game.
The final play-in tournament games take place on Friday April 19th, before the playoffs kick off on Saturday April 20th. The festivities are from April 16th to April 19th, and it has resulted in the league’s top teams getting more than a week off after their last regular season game.
What Are the Rules of the NBA Play-in Tournament?
The NBA play-in tournament is a short end of season bracket used to determine the final two playoff teams from each conference. The 7th and 8th seeds square off in the opening game, with the winner securing the 7th seed in their conference. This is a single elimination game that will take place on the home court of the 7th seed. The next day, the 9th and 10th place teams square off, with much higher stakes on the line. Instead of being given a chance to immediately secure a postseason position like the 7th and 8th seeds, the 9th and 10th seeds play with the possibility of being sent home looming. It is once again a single elimination game, on the home court of the 9th seed. The loser is eliminated from the play in tournament, while the winner takes on the remaining 7th or 8th seed for the final playoff spot. This game will take place on the home court of the higher seed, with the winner being granted the 8th and final playoff spot.
In the three previous years with the play-in tournament, the 7th seed has advanced to the playoffs on all 6 opportunities, as they would need to lose back-to-back home games to be eliminated from the play-in tournament, which has yet to happen. Not only that, but the 7th seed from the regular season has gone 5-1 in the first game of the NBA play-in tournament, ensuring a more favorable first round playoff matchup. The 8th and 9th seeds have each made the playoffs 3 out of 6 times, while the 10th seed has yet to win back-to-back road games to secure a playoff spot.
How Many Games Are in a Play-in Tournament?
There are a total of 6 games in the play-in tournament, with 3 taking place in each conference. All 6 games are single elimination games, and there is little margin for error from the playoff hopefuls. You can make your play-in tournament predictions, as there is still plenty of basketball left to determine the final NBA play-in tournament teams.
