After many rumors and much speculation, the league announced on Saturday night that the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament will be taking place this upcoming season.
All 30 teams will be participating in the tournament, set to begin on Nov. 3 with the group stage and run until the championship game on Dec. 9. There will be six groups of five teams — three from each conference — with last season’s standings serving as the barometer for team placement.
Group play will take place between Nov. 3 through Nov. 28, to be played on Tuesdays and Fridays — excluding Nov. 7 (Election Day). The six group winners and two wild card teams (one from each conference) will advance to the knockout rounds, with quarterfinal games set to be played on Dec. 4 and 5 in single-elimination format. The semifinals will be played on Dec. 7 with the championship following two days later, with games to be played at a neutral location.
For many wondering why the In-Season Tournament is a thing in the first place, it’s a new pinnacle moment and piece of hardware for teams and players to strive for. There will be an All-Tournament team and MVP honors, giving players an opportunity to thrive in clutch situations and further build their legacies.
This will not affect the season as all contests played during group play will count as regular season games.
The Jazz will are in the group West A, alongside Memphis, Phoenix, Portland, and the Los Angeles Lakers.