Current:Home > reviewsThe NBA in-season tournament bracket is taking shape. See who's still got a shot tonight. -Secure Horizon Growth
The NBA in-season tournament bracket is taking shape. See who's still got a shot tonight.
View
Date:2025-04-15 07:46:50
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! (87)
Related
- 'Survivor' 47 finale, part one recap: 2 players were sent home. Who's left in the game?
- 21 Pop Culture Valentine’s Day Cards That Are Guaranteed To Make You Laugh
- Why Jodie Foster Hid Her Acting Career From Her 2 Sons
- Police in Jamaica detain former Parliament member in wife’s death
- Former Syrian official arrested in California who oversaw prison charged with torture
- A Ukrainian drone attack on an oil depot inside Russia causes a massive blaze, officials say
- Biden forgives $5 billion more in student loan debt. Here's who qualifies and how to apply.
- All the best movies we saw at Sundance Film Festival, ranked (including 'Girls State')
- Appeals court scraps Nasdaq boardroom diversity rules in latest DEI setback
- Nevada’s Republican governor endorses Trump for president three weeks ahead of party-run caucus
Ranking
- Questlove charts 50 years of SNL musical hits (and misses)
- Rent or buy a house? The gap is narrowing for affordability in the US
- 'Teen Mom 2' star Kailyn Lowry had twins, she reveals on new podcast
- Haven't made it to Taylor Swift's Eras Tour yet? International dates may offer savings
- Krispy Kreme offers a free dozen Grinch green doughnuts: When to get the deal
- For Netflix documentaries, there’s no place like Sundance
- Man gets 65 years in prison for Des Moines school shooting that killed 2 students
- Subway adds 3 new foot-long items to its menu. Hint: None of them are sandwiches
Recommendation
Whoopi Goldberg is delightfully vile as Miss Hannigan in ‘Annie’ stage return
Moldovan man arrested in Croatia after rushing a van with migrants through Zagreb to escape police
Rhode Island govenor wants to send infrastructure spending proposals to voters in November
Murder of Laci Peterson: Timeline as Scott Peterson's case picked up by Innocence Project
Tarte Shape Tape Concealer Sells Once Every 4 Seconds: Get 50% Off Before It's Gone
Friends of Kaylin Gillis, woman shot after turning into wrong driveway, testify in murder trial: People were screaming
Man sentenced to life plus 30 years in 2018 California spa bombing that killed his ex-girlfriend
Man arrested in series of New York City stabbings, police say
Like
- Senate begins final push to expand Social Security benefits for millions of people
- Fani Willis hired Trump 2020 election case prosecutor — with whom she's accused of having affair — after 2 others said no
- At Davos, leaders talked big on rebuilding trust. Can the World Economic Forum make a difference?