For years, NBA commissioner Adam Silver had expressed his desire to add an In-Season Tournament to the league's calendar. Well, he finally got his wish.
As part of the most recent collective bargaining negotiations, the NBA and its players agreed to introduce the first-ever In-Season Tournament during the 2023-24 campaign. The league took elements from European soccer tournaments in order to bring more excitement to the regular season.
So, how will this new competition work? Here's a breakdown of what to expect from the 2023 In-Season Tournament.
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NBA In-Season Tournament format
The most recent collective bargaining agreement includes an explanation of the In-Season Tournament format:
- The In-Season Tournament is split into two stages: the group stage and knockout stage.
- All 30 teams will participate in the group stage, and each team will play a total of four group stage games.
- There are six total groups in the group stage (three per conference), and each group has five teams. Those teams were placed into groups via random drawings.
- The six group stage winners will move on to the knockout stage. The two "wild card" teams (one per conference) that have the highest winning percentages but finish second in the group standings will also advance to the knockout stage.
- Each game of the knockout stage will be an elimination game, meaning the winners will advance to the next round and the losers will be eliminated from the In-Season Tournament.
- The semifinal and championship games will be held at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. Each In-Season Tournament game other than the championship game will be considered a regular season game.
NBA In-Season Tournament schedule
- Group stage start date: Nov. 3
- Group stage end date: Nov. 28
- Quarterfinals: Dec. 4-5
- Semifinals: Dec. 7
- Championship: Dec. 9
Group stage games will be played on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. The knockout stage will begin in early December.
Friday, Nov. 3
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Cavaliers vs Pacers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Knicks vs Bucks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Wizards vs Heat | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Warriors vs Thunder | 8 p.m. | — |
| Mavericks vs Nuggets | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Grizzlies vs Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. | — |
Friday, Nov. 10
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| 76ers vs Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
| Hornets vs Wizards | 7 p.m. | — |
| Nets vs Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pelicans vs Rockets | 8 p.m. | — |
| Jazz vs Grizzlies | 8 p.m. | — |
| Timberwolves vs Spurs | 8 p.m. | — |
| Clippers vs Mavericks | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Lakers vs Suns | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Thunder vs Kings | 10 p.m. | — |
Tuesday, Nov. 14
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Heat vs Hornets | 7 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs Pistons | 7 p.m. | — |
| Pacers vs 76ers | 7 p.m. | — |
| Magic vs Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Spurs vs Thunder | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Mavericks vs Pelicans | 8 p.m. | — |
| Trail Blazers vs Jazz | 9 p.m. | — |
| Clippers vs Nuggets | 10 p.m. | TNT |
| Timberwolves vs Warriors | 10 p.m. | — |
| Grizzlies vs Lakers | 10:30 p.m. | — |
Friday, Nov. 17
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Bucks vs Hornets | 7 p.m. | — |
| Knicks vs Wizards | 7 p.m. | — |
| 76ers vs Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Pistons vs Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Celtics vs Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs Spurs | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Magic vs Bulls | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nuggets vs Pelicans | 8 p.m. | — |
| Suns vs Jazz | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Lakers vs Trail Blazers | 10 p.m. | — |
| Rockets vs Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | — |
Tuesday, Nov. 21
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Raptors vs Magic | 7 p.m. | — |
| Pacers vs Hawks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Cavaliers vs 76ers | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Trail Blazers vs Suns | 9 p.m. | — |
| Jazz vs Lakers | 10 p.m. | TNT |
Friday, Nov. 24
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Celtics vs Magic | 2:30 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Suns vs Grizzlies | 5 p.m. | NBA TV |
| Heat vs Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | ESPN |
| Bulls vs Raptors | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Pistons vs Pacers | 8 p.m. | — |
| Nuggets vs Rockets | 8 p.m. | — |
| Wizards vs Bucks | 8 p.m. | — |
| Kings vs Timberwolves | 8 p.m. | — |
| Spurs vs Warriors | 10 p.m. | ESPN |
| Pelicans vs Clippers | 10:30 p.m. | — |
Tuesday, Nov. 28
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| Bulls vs Celtics | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Raptors vs Nets | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Hawks vs Cavaliers | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Bucks vs Heat | 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| Hornets vs Knicks | 7:30 p.m. | — |
| Thunder vs Timberwolves | 8 p.m. | — |
| Rockets vs Mavericks | 8:30 p.m. | — |
| Warriors vs Kings | 10 p.m. | TNT |
Monday, Dec. 4 (Quarterfinals)
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| TBD vs TBD | 7 or 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs TBD | 9:30 or 10 p.m. | TNT |
Tuesday, Dec. 5 (Quarterfinals)
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| TBD vs TBD | 7 or 7:30 p.m. | TNT |
| TBD vs TBD | 9:30 or 10 p.m. | TNT |
Thursday, Dec. 7 (Semifinals)
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| TBD vs TBD | 5 p.m. | ESPN |
| TBD vs TBD | 9 p.m. | TNT |
Saturday, Dec. 9 (Championship)
| Game | Time (ET) | National TV |
| TBD vs TBD | 8:30 p.m. | ABC |
NBA In-Season Tournament groups
Each team will play four group stage games. Eight teams (six group stage winners and two "wild card" teams) will advance from the group stage to the knockout stage.
East Group A
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Indiana Pacers
- Detroit Pistons
East Group B
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Miami Heat
- Washington Wizards
- Charlotte Hornets
East Group C
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Chicago Bulls
- Orlando Magic
West Group A
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Phoenix Suns
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Utah Jazz
- Portland Trail Blazers
West Group B
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
West Group C
- Sacramento Kings
- Golden State Warriors
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
NBA In-Season Tournament prize money
Players will earn prize money based on how far their teams advance in the In-Season Tournament, per the collective bargaining agreement.
- Win championship: $500,000 per player
- Reach championship game: $200,000 per player
- Reach semifinal game: $100,000 per player
- Reach quarterfinal game: $50,000 per player
Players will also be eligible to win the In-Season Tournament MVP award and make the All-Tournament Team.
NBA In-Season Tournament trophy
The winner of the In-Season Tournament will receive the NBA Cup.
The all-new NBA in-season tournament trophy 🏆👀 pic.twitter.com/AuRlQuxWjH
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) July 8, 2023
NBA In-Season Tournament courts
The In-Season Tournament will feature alternate courts for all 30 teams. You can take a closer look at each court here.
NBA DEBUTS IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT COURTS FOR ALL 30 TEAMS pic.twitter.com/OHmOA8LYGL
— NBA (@NBA) October 30, 2023