The bracket for the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament is locked in. Here’s what basketball fans should know before the knockout round.
The bracket for the knockout round of the NBA’s inaugural In-Season Tournament is locked in.
Group play for the league’s newest scheduling feature concluded on Tuesday night. So a 30-team field has been cut to eight remaining squads for the single-elimination knockout round, which will begin early next week with the tournament’s quarterfinals.
The Los Angeles Lakers, Sacramento Kings and New Orleans Pelicans won their respective groups in the Western Conference, while the Phoenix Suns earned a Wild Card berth. In the East, the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics finished atop their groups and the New York Knicks clinched the final spot. The NBA also announced an updated schedule for the 22 teams that didn’t advance to the knockout round to ensure they still play 82 regular season games.
Commissioner Adam Silver’s addition of the tournament this year was meant to provide some extra intrigue during a usually slow start to the season. And now the NBA has elimination games in December, with plenty at stake for those involved.
Here’s what else fans should know ahead of the quarterfinals.
