NBA
NBA Playoffs: How Does the NBA Play-In Tournament Work?
![NBA logo seen during a 2022 NBA Playoffs game between the Miami Heat and Philadelphia 76ers](https://www.sportscasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/06/NBA-team-before-Miami-Heat-and-Philadelphia-76ers-game.jpg)
The NBA playoffs have undergone quite a few changes over the years and yet another is upon us with the implementation of the new play-in tournament. The NBA tested a play-in round last year in the Orlando bubble, which only ended up affecting the Western Conference, and there’s no guarantee that this new play-in tourney will go beyond this season as the 2021 postseason will serve as a trial run for the new format that now gives 10 teams in each conference a chance to make the playoffs.
So how exactly does the NBA play-in tournament work?
The NBA tested a play-in round in the Orlando bubble
As the NBA was unable to play a full schedule in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the league instituted a play-in round when play resumed in the Orlando bubble in late July.
Under this format, if the team with the ninth-best record in a conference finished within four games of the team with the eighth-best mark, those two teams would compete in a play-in series. The No. 8 seed needed to win just one game to advance to the actual playoff bracket while the No. 9 seed had to win two.
This scenario actually played out in the Western Conference as the ninth-seeded Memphis Grizzlies, who had the same record as the Phoenix Suns but won the No. 9 spot in a tiebreaker, finished just a half-game back of the eighth-seeded Portland Trail Blazers at the conclusion of a regular season. Portland won the first game of the play-in series, thus eliminating the need for a second game, and advanced to the West bracket, where they were eliminated by the eventual champion LA Lakers.
There was no need for a play-in round in the East as the eighth-seeded Orlando Magic finished six games ahead of the Charlotte Hornets.
Under the new format, the top six teams in each conference automatically make the NBA playoffs
![The NBA Playoffs logo during a game in 2017.](https://www.sportscasting.com/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/NBA-playoffs.jpg)
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As far as the 2021 NBA play-in tournament is concerned, both conferences will be taking part as 10 teams from the West and 10 teams from the East will have a chance to make the actual NBA playoffs bracket.
But it’s not as if all 20 teams will be participating in the play-in portion of the NBA playoffs as the top six teams in each conference will automatically qualify for the postseason and, as per usual, will be seeded based on their regular-season record.
How does the NBA play-in tournament work?
As for the teams that finish Nos. 7-10 in the NBA standings, they’ll enter the new play-in tournament, which will begin on May 18, two days after the end of the regular season. Here’s the breakdown.
- In Game 1, the No. 7 seed will host the No. 8 seed with the winner automatically receiving the seventh seed in the NBA playoffs bracket. However, the No. 8 seed is not eliminated.
- In Game 2, the No. 9 seed will host the No. 10 seed. The winner moves on to Game 3 while the loser is completely eliminated.
- Game 3 then features the loser of Game 1 hosting the winner of Game 2 with the victor clinching the No. 8 seed.
Easy enough, right?