As a rule, human beings are obstinately resistant to change. People once refused to enter elevators without a human operator. A 1995 story in Newsweek decried the benefits of the emerging internet, characterizing it as merely a fad. Despite its consistently proven life-saving effectiveness, one in 10 people still don’t wear a seatbelt in the front seat.
The same is true with the NBA Play-In Tournament, which began during the 2020 pandemic bubble and has continued every year since. If you’ll recall, Los Angeles Lakers forward LeBron James said in 2021 that whoever came up with the play-in tournament “needs to be fired.” Dallas Mavericks star Luka Doncic echoed James’ sentiment, saying “I don’t see the point of that.”
Ironically enough, both James and Doncic could find the play-in tournament as their only hope for a playoff berth this season.
It appears the play-in is here to stay, so it’s worth a refresher on how the whole thing works. Below you will find the format, schedule, current matchups and viewing information, with the regular season set to end on Sunday.
How does the NBA Play-In Tournament work?
There are eight total teams involved in the play-in tournament — seeds Nos. 7-10 from each conference. The No. 7 team will host No. 8 on April 11, with the winner earning the No. 7 seed. No. 9 will play No. 10 on April 12, with the loser eliminated from the postseason. Next, the loser of the 7-8 game will play the winner of the 9-10 game on April 14, with the victor earning the No. 8 seed in the playoffs. In every matchup, the higher seed is the home team. A little confusing, but it makes sense when you look at it:
Game 1: No. 8 at No. 7 (winner earns No. 7 seed)Game 2: No. 10 at No. 9 (loser eliminated, winner advances to play loser of Game 1)Game 3: Winner of Game 2 at Loser of Game 1 (loser eliminated, winner earns No. 8 seed)
What is the NBA Play-In Tournament schedule?
The play-in tournament takes place after the conclusion of the regular season and before the beginning of the playoffs. Here is the schedule for this postseason:
April 11…
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