2023 NBA Play-In Tournament: What To Know About The NBA Play-In Tournament
The NBA Play-In Tournament is organized near the end of the regular season and the postseason start. The event aims to give the teams who rounded off the season between 7th to 10th in their different conferences an opportunity to secure a playoff berth. The Play-In tournament offers a glimpse of the playoff drama before the postseason competition has even started. It was first played during the short-term 2020–2021 season, but it has earned a spot on the game calendar as a spectacular campaign addition.
On April 9, 2023, the 2022–2023 NBA regular season will come to a successful end, and from April 11–14, 2023, after March Madness, the Play-Ins will officially kick-off. Punters can wager on March Madness odds during these games. Playoffs begin without a break on Sunday, April 15, and everything else proceeds from there. The tournament is more or less compared to the UEFA Europa League of soccer, and fans in their numbers still come out to celebrate their favourite teams in the conference.
This article will answer the frequently asked questions and everything you need to know about the NBA Play-In Tournament, generally with the 2023 edition in view. So, let’s dive in!
What is the Play-In Tournament?
The National Basketball Association’s (NBA) Play-In Tournament is the first round of the playoff competition. It takes place right before the NBA Playoffs, which is the primary postseason tournament.
A competition decides the seven and eighth seeds chosen in each bracket between the teams that finished the normal season in positions 7 through 10 in their respective league’s standings. The event usually decides the final two playoff spots in the Eastern and Western Conference region.
When is the 2023 NBA Play-In Tournament to Hold?
The Play-In Tournament will start on April 10 and end on April 14 (both days inclusive). Each of the teams in each conference with the seventh- and eighth-highest overall scores will get two chances to win one game and secure a postseason position. To qualify for the playoffs, the clubs in each conference with the ninth and tenth-highest number of points will need to win two straight games.
How Do the Format and Structure Work?
The top 1-6 NBA clubs in each conference who end the regular season with the highest points will be guaranteed a playoff spot. To qualify for the playoffs, teams ranked 7 through 10 in each conference must participate in the play-in.
The franchise with the highest win percentage from the different leagues will play host to those with the eighth seed, and the team that wins will receive the No. 7 place in the playoffs. The club that loses will have another chance to face the team that won the ninth vs. tenth seed matchup.
The 10th seed will be hosted by the team that finishes ninth in each conference by winning percentage. The team that loses will be eliminated, and the winner will play the loser of the seventh-versus-eighth-place match in game three. The ninth-spot vs. tenth-spot team of both leagues will face the winner in game three, and the team that loses will be eliminated from the postseason race and placed in the lottery. To qualify for the postseason, the ninth or tenth-place team must win two straight games.
It indicates that the defeated team from the seventh vs. the eighth clash in both conferences won’t be eliminated immediately from the postseason race. The No. 7 spot in the NBA playoffs will go to the 7th vs. 8th matchup winner, and the No. 8 seed will go to the team that loses the 7th vs. 8th matchup against the 9th vs. 10th team winner.
What Next After the Play-Ins?
The NBA playoffs will start with the customary 16-team, best-of-seven series format following the Play-In tournament. Each conference’s 7th and 8th seeds will go to the Play-In tournament winners. Officially, the 2023 NBA Playoffs event will start on April 15 and last until roughly June 18.
Conclusion
The NBA Play-In tournament is a thrilling event that draws a lot of media attention. As earlier said, it is comparable to the UEFA Europa League of soccer, available to teams who finished off 7th through 10th in their different conferences to compete and secure a spot in the major playoffs.
So far, only two play-in tournaments have been held, all generating major hype and buzz. Regardless, most teams gun for the top and hope to qualify as a top dog rather than go through the play-ins. Regardless, fans always look out for these events, and if their teams have to reach the playoffs through the play-ins, then it’s all great.
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With 2023 approaching real quick, the NBA play-in tournament draws nigh. Here is the basic information you need to know about this annual event.