In-Season Tournament

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Wheat Hotchkiss

When the NBA announced plans for a new In-Season Tournament to debut during the 2023-24 season, there were plenty of questions surrounding the new event, from the potential format to the prize pool to how it would impact the regular season.

But the biggest question was if teams and fans would buy into the concept.

The answer in Indiana has been a resounding yes.

The Pacers expressed excitement about the opportunity to take part in the inaugural event, then made the most of that opportunity by winning all four Group Play games to advance to the Knockout Rounds. They made history as the first team to win an In-Season Tournament game, as well as the first to clinch a berth in the Knockout Rounds. They will also host the first Knockout Round game on Monday, when they welcome the Boston Celtics to Gainbridge Fieldhouse for an East Quarterfinal game.

For a young Indiana team short on playoff experience, the In-Season Tournament was a welcome opportunity to simulate a playoff environment in the early weeks of a season that they hope ends with the Pacers' first postseason berth since 2019-20.

Star point guard Tyrese Haliburton was an All-Star last season at age 22, but he hasn't made the playoffs so far in his career. The same holds true for other young players on the roster like Bennedict Mathurin, Andrew Nembhard, and Isaiah Jackson.

Other young players like Aaron Nesmith, Jalen Smith, and Obi Toppin were part of playoff teams in previous stops, but either barely saw the floor or played a limited role for those teams. They are now all key rotation pieces for the Blue & Gold.

Buddy Hield has been in the NBA for seven seasons, but has not yet made the playoffs. He entered the year with the dubious distinction of having played the sixth-most games without reaching the playoffs of any player in NBA history, a note he is hoping to erase from his resume this season.

Even other veterans like Myles Turner and T.J. McConnell have playoff experience, but haven't been to the postseason since the Pacers' last trip in 2020. And those playoff games took place in the NBA bubble in Orlando, so Gainbridge Fieldhouse hasn't hosted a playoff game since April 2019.

With all that in mind, the Pacers entered In-Season Tournament play with a purpose. They wanted to make the most of the chance to "play for something real," as Haliburton put it.

"I've never played in a playoff game so I take this very serious," Haliburton said. "Because it's my first time really competing for a championship, having a chance to in something."

For the first edition of the In-Season Tournament, the league divided each conference into three five-team groups based on last season standings. For Group Play, each team played four total games during the month of November against the other teams in its group (two home games and two road games). The three group winners and one Wild Card (the second-place team with the best record) from each conference advanced to the single-elimination Knockout Rounds.

The higher seeds (including the Pacers) will host Quarterfinals at their home arenas on Dec. 4 and 5, with the Semifinals and Championship game held on a neutral floor in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and 9, respectively.

The league took a number of steps to make the In-Season Tournament as exciting and interesting as possible for both teams and fans. They unveiled a new trophy (the NBA Cup) for the winning team and rolled out a prize pool for both players and coaches that pays out a bonus for each team that reaches the Knockout Rounds and increases in size based on how far a team advances, with every player on the team that wins the title taking home $500,000.

The NBA designated all Tuesdays and Fridays in November as In-Season Tournament days, with all the Group Play games taking place on those days of the week. But they also took an extra step to make the games visually distinctive, having every home team wear their City Edition uniforms and play on a court that features their City Edition colors.

For the Pacers, that meant a bright blue court with a gold runway across the middle of it. In Philadelphia, the Pacers played on a red court against the 76ers.

The bright-colored courts were a stark departure for traditional fans, but drew plenty of attention, especially from younger audiences.

"I think it's fire," Haliburton said after playing on the blue court at Gainbridge Fieldhouse for the first time on Nov. 3. "I love the color. I feel like I'm in 2K out there."

Pacers head coach Rick Carlisle had never seen anything quite like it over his decades in the NBA as both a player and a coach.

"It’s creative for sure," Carlisle said. "I think the thought with the IST is to make it different, make it very much a thing that you know when that thing is happening…I think it’s pretty cool...The courts are making a statement that this is something special happening."

The courts certainly made a statement and so did the Pacers when the actual games began.

They had the distinction of hosting the first In-Season Tournament game to tip off on Nov. 3 against Cleveland. Turner scored the first points ever in the event, a two-hand slam off a dish from Haliburton in a pick-and-roll, and the Pacers ultimately came away with a hard-fought 121-116 win over the Cavs, with Turner scoring a team-high 27 points.

The Blue & Gold's toughest test on paper was their next game — at Philadelphia on Nov. 14. But once again they were up to the task, as Haliburton tallied 33 points and 15 assists (with no turnovers) and Toppin added 27 points in a 132-126 win.

That set Indiana up with a chance to clinch their group with a victory in Atlanta a week later. What unfolded was one of the most exciting offensive showcases in recent NBA history. Haliburton was spectacular, recording 37 points and 16 assists, while Hield went 6-for-6 from 3-point range and hit the game-winning three in the final minute in a 157-152 shootout.

They closed out Group Play in style back at home on Nov. 24, outscoring Detroit 32-9 over the final nine minutes in a 136-113 win. Seven Pacers reached double figures in the victory, with Haliburton and Turner both collecting double-doubles.

There was an added intensity to each and every contest, with the outcome of every game in doubt entering the fourth quarter in all four games and coming down to the final minute in the first three.

"It's obviously not the playoffs, but they're playoff feel, playoff-like games," Turner said. "Us getting this experience early, being such a young group, is so important...Being battle-tested early so you're ready for that type of physicality and that type of style of play near the end of the year. It's big time."

"It's a great deal for us, great deal for the fans, great deal for the NBA," Hield added. "Watching these games, these games are high intensity. They're like playoff-type games. They're coming down to the last plays...It's been fun to watch."

Though the Pacers knew already knew they were hosting a Quarterfinal, they were all tuned into the NBA action on Tuesday, the final day of Group Play competition. Depending on the results of the five Eastern Conference games that evening, they could have ended up playing any one of seven different teams. Hield was glued to his phone that night trying to keep up with all the possible permutations.

"I'm calling coaches, I'm calling (analytics staffers) saying, 'Yo if this team wins or this team loses by this amount, who do we play?'" he said. "I'm trying to be locked in. It's kind of cool. I think that it's exciting to be following it."

The fans in Indiana and across the country appear to have bought in as well. The NBA had its highest average attendance on record for the month of November, set new records for social media consumption in November, and saw viewership increase by 20 percent year over year for local broadcasts, 25 percent for NBA League Pass, and 26 percent for national broadcasts.

The Pacers' reward for going 4-0 in Group Play? Hosting a game with real stakes in early December. And one more chance to play on that bright blue floor.

"This team, it's been a while since they've made it far in the playoffs or got to the Finals," Toppin said. "So having the opportunity to have that type of feel of the playoffs, Finals type of atmosphere, it's fun for us, but it's fun for the fans, too."

Turner agreed, noting he was eager to once again be playing games with real stakes at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

"Playing in front of the best fans in the world...This is exactly what we needed," Turner told Bally Sports Indiana's Jeremiah Johnson after the Pacers secured homecourt advantage for the Quarterfinals. "It's good for the city, it's good for Indy and good for our team as well.

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Pacers Relishing In-Season Tournament Experience

INDIANAPOLIS –&nbsp;As part of the quarterfinal round of the NBA's In-Season Tournament, the Indiana Pacers are scheduled to host the Boston Celtics at Gainbridge Fieldhouse Monday, December 4 at 7:30 p.m. After completing the group round with a 4-0 record, the Pacers have reached the knockout stage of the In-Season Tournament with a chance to advance to the semifinals played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.&nbsp;

Monday's Pacers vs. Celtics game will be broadcast on Bally Sports Indiana as well as nationally on TNT. Bally Sports Indiana's&nbsp;Pacers Live&nbsp;pregame show will begin at 7 p.m.

In addition, the Elevance Health Radio Network will carry Monday's game. Pregame coverage on flagship station 93.5FM and 107.5FM The Fan, as well as partner stations across the extensive Elevance Health Radio Network, will begin at 7 p.m.

Details for future rounds of the NBA's In-Season Tournament will be announced at a later date.&nbsp;

Fans can watch the Pacers on Bally Sports on cable, satellite, and streaming TV providers throughout the region. In addition, fans can stream Pacers games with a subscription to Bally Sports+, the stand-alone streaming service that gives fans direct access to Pacers games. For more information on how to watch the Pacers, visit&nbsp;Pacers.com&nbsp;or&nbsp;BallySports.com.

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Indiana Pacers Announce In-Season Tournament Broadcast Details

The matchups are set for the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinals. Gainbridge Fieldhouse will host the first ever In-Season Tournament Knockout Round game on Monday, Dec. 4, when the Pacers host the Boston Celtics at 7:30 PM ET.

The Blue & Gold won East Group A with a perfect 4-0 record. They will meet a Celtics team that captured East Group C with a 3-1 record. Boston had an identical record in their group to both Orlando and Brooklyn, but won the tiebreaker over those teams because they had the best point differential during Group Play, thanks in large part to Tuesday's 27-point victory over Chicago.

All eyes will be on Indiana on Monday night. The Quarterfinal game against the Celtics will be televised nationally on TNT and the winner will advance to the Semifinals, which will be held in Las Vegas on Thursday, Dec. 7.

The Pacers and Celtics have met one time this season, with Boston prevailing 155-104 in a game that Indiana All-Star guard Tyrese Haliburton missed due to injury. The two teams were already scheduled to play four times this season, with games in Indiana on Jan. 6 and 8 and another matchup in Boston on Jan. 30. Monday's Quarterfinal also counts as a regular season game, so the two teams will now play five times, though the stakes are larger for Monday's matchup.

Pacers fans can be a part of history by purchasing tickets to Monday's Quarterfinal game. Tickets are on sale now at Pacers.com/Tickets.

Buy Tickets to the In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal Game vs. Boston >>

The winner of Monday's game will advance to face the winner of the other East Quarterfinal between the Milwaukee Bucks and New York Knicks in Vegas. Milwaukee hosts New York on Tuesday night. The two East Quarterfinal losers will play a regular season game against each other on Friday, Dec. 8.

On the other side of the bracket in the Western Conference, the Kings will host the Pelicans on Monday and the Lakers will host the Suns on Tuesday. The Championship game will take place in Las Vegas on Saturday, Dec. 9, with the winning team being awarded the inaugural NBA Cup.

Players and coaches from each team that reached the Knockout Rounds will receive shares of a prize pool that will go up in value depending on how far their team advances, with players on the team that wins the Championship receiving $500,000 each. There will also be an In-Season Tournament MVP and an All-Tournament team that will be named at the end of the event.

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Indiana Pacers FULL 2023-24 In-Season Tournament Group Play Highlights

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Pacers to Host Celtics for In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal on Monday, Dec. 4

The Pacers officially became the first team ever to advance to the Knockout Rounds of the NBA's new In-Season Tournament on Tuesday, clinching first place in East Group A with a thrilling 157-152 victory in Atlanta.

With this being the first year of the In-Season Tournament, many fans probably have some questions about what this all means, who the Pacers will play next, and what their potential path to an In-Season Tournament title looks like. We've tried our best to answer all your questions below.

How did the Pacers advance to the Knockout Rounds?

The first phase of the In-Season Tournament is Group Play. In each conference, the teams were divided into three groups of five teams. Over the course of November, every team in the league is playing one Group Play game against each team in its group (four games total — two home and two away).

The winner of each group along with one Wild Card team in each conference (the second-place team with the best record) advance to an eight-team single-elimination bracket for the Knockout Rounds.

The Pacers won Group A by winning all of their first three games in the group. They beat Cleveland 121-116 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Nov. 3, won in Philadelphia 132-126 on Feb. 14, then came away with another victory on Tuesday night in Atlanta.

Indiana still has one more Group Play game on Friday against Detroit, but the Pacers have already secured first place in East Group A. The worst that Indiana can finish is 3-1. Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia all already have two or more losses. Cleveland is 2-1, but even if the Cavaliers were to tie the Pacers at 3-1, the Blue & Gold have the tiebreaker over the Cavs because they beat them head-to-head.

So the Pacers already won their group, but they still have one more Group Play game on Friday against Detroit. Is there anything at stake in that game?

Yes, actually. The four teams from each conference that advance to the Knockout Rounds will be seeded based on their records in Group Play, with the top two seeds getting to host Quarterfinal games on their home court. That means the Pacers should be highly motivated to secure a top-two seed in the East so they can host a Quarterfinal game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.

If the Pacers beat the Pistons on Friday to finish 4-0 in their group, they should be in good position to host a Quarterfinal game. There are three other unbeaten teams currently in the East — Milwaukee and Miami in East Group B as well as Boston in East Group C — but each of those teams has only played two Group Play games. In the event that all three group winners finish 4-0, the top two seeds would be determined based on which teams have the best point differential in the group stage.

All In-Season Tournament games except for the championship game also count toward the regular season standings, so there is also that motivation for both the Pacers and Pistons on Friday.

When will the Pacers' Quarterfinal game be played?

The Quarterfinals are scheduled to be played on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5, so the Pacers will play on one of those two dates. The full bracket won't be set until after the final night of Group Play next Tuesday (Nov. 28). Once all Quarterfinal matchups are determined, the NBA will announce the dates and times for those games.

It's still too early to have a good read on who the Pacers' potential opponent in the Quarterfinals might be, but they could potentially end up facing any Eastern Conference team that has currently has one loss or less in Group Play. Those teams include the Bucks, Heat, Celtics, Cavaliers, Knicks, Nets, and Magic (view the complete standings here).

Can I buy tickets for the Quarterfinal game if it ends up being played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse?

Yes! Although the date and opponent for that game are not set, tickets are available now for purchase. It should be an electric atmosphere if the Pacers host a Quarterfinal game, so secure your seats now to make sure you're a part of history. Find Tickets >>

In fact, as part of our Gold Friday Deals presented by KeyBank, we're offering a incredible deal on tickets to a potential Quarterfinal matchup, with tickets starting at just $4 in the Balcony Level and $20 in the Krieg DeVault Level. Hurry, because this offer only lasts until Friday night (Nov. 24) at 9:00 PM ET. Gold Friday Deals >>

What happens based on the results of the Quarterfinals?

The four teams that win their Quarterfinal matchups will advance to the Semifinals, which will be held in Las Vegas on Thursday, Dec. 7. The two Semifinal winners will remain in Vegas and square off in the first-ever In-Season Tournament Championship on Saturday, Dec. 9.

All Quarterfinal and Semifinal games will count toward the regular season standings, but the Championship game is a standalone game that does not factor into the final standings.

The four teams that lose in the Quarterfinals will play a regular season game on Friday, Dec. 8 to ensure that those teams also play 82 regular season games. Those games will take place at NBA arenas. The matchups and times for those games will be determined after the Quarterfinals conclude.

The team that wins the In-Season Tournament will secure the NBA Cup, a new trophy designed for this year's event. A prize pool will also allocate a financial prize to all players and coaches on each team that reaches the Knockout Rounds, with allocations increasing depending on how far each team advances in the Knockout Rounds.

The NBA will also name an In-Season Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the event, so there is a chance for players to earn league-wide recognition for outstanding play over the course of the In-Season Tournament.

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So the Pacers Advanced in the In-Season Tournament — What Comes Next?

Oct. 30, 2023 - The Pacers revealed the court they will play on for their home games during the NBA's inaugural In-Season Tournament. The court will debut on Friday, Nov. 3 when Indiana hosts Cleveland at Gainbridge Fieldhouse and will also be used for the Pacers-Pistons game on Nov. 24.

In‑Season Tournament

Pacers Relishing In-Season Tournament Experience

Indiana Pacers Announce In-Season Tournament Broadcast Details

Pacers to Host Celtics for In-Season Tournament Quarterfinal on Monday, Dec. 4

So the Pacers Advanced in the In-Season Tournament — What Comes Next?

2023 In-Season Tournament Court Reveal