The NBA is introducing a new in-season tournament this fall, which comprises three groups of five in both the Eastern and Western Conference. The winners of each group, along with one wild-card from each conference with the best group-stage record among non-group winners, advance to an eight-team knockout round.
The 2023-24 tournament will tip off on Friday, Nov. 3 and culminate with the championship game on Saturday, Dec. 9. The semifinals (Dec. 7) and championship will take place at a neutral Las Vegas site.
Excluding the championship, all tournament games will also count toward each team’s 82-game record for the 2023-24 season. In short, the NBA is multi-purposing some of its existing results, as opposed to adding games or lengthening an already long regular season.
The Rockets will be clear underdogs in their West group, which also includes the Dallas Mavericks, New Orleans Pelicans, Los Angeles Clippers, and defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets. Each of those four teams were far better last season than the 22-60 Rockets.
Then again, perhaps a younger team like the Rockets will be more incentivized to prioritize tournament games when compared to established teams with larger goals for the 2024 playoffs.
Further details on the rules and format are available at NBA.com.
Which 8 teams will advance out of the group stage? 🤔
The NBA In-Season Tournament starts November 3!
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— NBA (@NBA) July 9, 2023
