What Is An NBA Play-In Game?

The NBA Play-In Tournament is a mini-tournament that was introduced in the 2020-21 season to determine the final two participants of the NBA playoffs. The tournament is structured so that the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference (the teams with the worst records among playoff teams) play each other, with the winner receiving the seventh seed. The loser of that game then plays the ninth seed (the team with the next-worst record among playoff teams), with the winner receiving the eighth and final seed in the playoffs.

How Do NBA Play-In Games Work?

The NBA play-in game is a single elimination game that is held to determine which team will get the final spot in the playoffs. This game is held between the 8th and 9th seed in each conference. The winner of this game will then go on to play the first seed in the playoffs.

Seeding

The NBA Playoffs are a best-of-seven elimination tournament annually held after the NBA’s regular season to determine the league’s champion. The bracket is set in advance and two teams play each other, with the winner advancing to the next round and the loser going home.

In recent years, the NBA has implemented a new rule where the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference play each other in a play-in game. The winner of that game becomes the seventh seed, while the loser gets one more chance to win by playing the loser of the game between the sixth and fifth seeds.

The team that wins that game becomes the eighth and final seed in the conference playoffs. This rule was implemented for the 2020 NBA Playoffs, which were held entirely in Orlando, Florida due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Format

The NBA play-in game is a single elimination game between the teams with the seventh and eighth best records in each conference. The winner of that game earns the seventh seed in the conference’s playoff bracket.

The play-in game is held at the end of the regular season, after all 82 games have been played and before the start of the playoffs. It is typically held on the Tuesday or Wednesday after the regular season ends.

The format of the NBA play-in game was changed for the 2020-21 season, due to the COVID-19 pandemic. In previous seasons, only two teams (the seventh and eighth seed) participated in the play-in game.

This year, there will be four teams participating in two separate games. The first game will be between the seventh and eighth seed, as usual. The winner of that game will earn the seventh seed in their conference’s playoff bracket.

The loser of that game will then play against the winner of a second play-in game between ninth and tenth seeded teams. The loser of that second game will be eliminated from playoff contention.

Why Do NBA Play-In Games Exist?

The NBA play-in game is a single elimination tournament that takes place after the NBA’s regular season and before the start of the NBA playoffs. The tournament is comprised of the teams with the seventh through tenth best records in each conference. The winner of each play-in game earns the seventh seed in their respective conference’s playoff bracket.

The NBA play-in game was introduced for the 2020 NBA playoffs, which were originally scheduled to begin on April 18th but were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The 2020 NBA playoffs eventually began on August 17th, with the play-in games taking place from August 15th-18th.

The rationale for introducing the play-in game was to increase excitement and viewership for the NBA’s regular season, as well as give teams that just missed out on qualifying for the playoffs a chance to earn their spot. In order to ensure that all teams still had something to play for late in the season, the NBA also implemented a new playoff seeding format in which the top six seeds in each conference would qualify for the playoffs regardless of their record.

The new playoff format proved to be successful, as evidenced by competitive and thrilling play-in games between some of the league’s best teams. For example, in 2020, Damian Lillard of the Portland Trail Blazers hit a buzzer beater three-pointer to eliminate Russell Westbrook and the Houston Rockets from playoff contention.

It is currently unclear if the NBA will continue to use the play-in game format for future seasons or if it was simply implemented as a one-time measure due to the unique circumstances surrounding the 2020 season.

What Happens if a Team Loses a Play-In Game?

The team that loses a play-in game will still have an opportunity to make the playoffs. They will be placed in the NBA Draft Lottery and will have a chance to win the first overall pick in the draft. The team that wins the play-in game will advance to the playoffs and will play the number one seed in the first round.

Are NBA Play-In Games Fair?

The NBA has a play-in tournament to decide the final two playoff spots in each conference. This year, it will be held from May 18-21. The tournament is single elimination, and the winner of each game will earn the 7th or 8th seed in the playoffs.

The tournament has been criticized because it gives an unfair advantage to teams that finish seventh or eighth in their conference. These teams only have to win one game to make the playoffs, while teams that finish ninth or tenth have to win two games.

Some people argue that the play-in tournament is unfair because it gives an advantage to teams that are not as good as other teams in the league. However, others argue that it is fair because it gives all teams a chance to make the playoffs.

What do you think? Is the NBA play-in tournament fair?

What Are the Chances of a Play-In Game Happening?

The chances of a play-in game happening are usually pretty slim. In order to be eligible for the play-in game, a team must finish within four games of the eighth seed in their conference. With 82 games in an NBA regular season, that means a team would have to go 34-48 or worse to have a shot at the play-in game. That’s not very likely.

What Are the Pros and Cons of NBA Play-In Games?

The National Basketball Association (NBA) is the world’s premier professional basketball league.

The NBA is made up of 30 teams, 29 from the United States and 1 from Canada.

The NBA regular season runs from October to April, and each team plays 82 games.

The NBA playoffs start in late April, and the Finals are held in June.

The champion is crowned after a best-of-seven series.

In recent years, the NBA has implemented a “play-in” game to decide which teams will take the final two spots in the playoffs.

This system has been met with mixed reviews, as some argue that it cheapens the regular season and gives an unfair advantage to certain teams.

Others believe that it adds excitement and intrigue to the end of the season, and provides more teams with a chance to make the playoffs.

Below, we will take a closer look at the pros and cons of NBA play-in games.

How to Watch NBA Play-In Games?

The NBA Play-In Tournament is a modified version of the playoffs that was introduced for the 2020-21 season. The tournament will include the seventh through tenth seeds in each conference. The seventh and eighth seeds will play each other, with the winner earning the seventh seed in the conference playoffs. The ninth and tenth seeds will play each other, with the winner taking on the loser of the seventh and eighth seed matchup. The winner of that game will earn the eighth and final spot in the conference playoffs.

The NBA Play-In Tournament will take place from May 18-21. All games will be broadcast on ESPN.

You can watch NBA Play-In games with a Live TV Streaming Service. No cable or satellite TV subscription needed! You can start a free trial with any of the following services:

AT&T TV NOW
fuboTV
Hulu with Live TV
Sling TV

What Is An NBA Play-In Game?