How Many Games Are Played In The Play-In Tournament? Looking Into The Rules Of NBA’s Post-Season

Before heading into the postseason, the league would take a brief pause to conduct a mini-tournament. This isn’t a regular tournament conducted to give a breather to teams, but a tournament with the same playoff intensity. Moreover, the expectations surrounding this season’s tournament have sky-rocketed with the presence of LeBron James and Stephen Curry. As the tournament gets unparalleled attention, let’s take a closer look at the rules and the number of games played.

Each conference will play three Play-in games to secure a spot in the 7th and 8th seed of the table. First, the 7th and 8th will face each other, and the winner of the game will grab the 7th seed. Meanwhile, the loser will still have another chance. The 9th and 10th seeding teams engage in a knockout game, and the winner will face the loser of the first qualifier. Eventually, the winner will take the last spot in the postseason.

The initial version of the Play-in tournament was played during the NBA bubble when the teams returned from the pandemic. In the earlier format, the 8th and 9th seeds took part in a best-of-two series and the winner played in the playoff. In contrast, the current format was introduced in the 2020-21 season.

The introduction of Play-in gave opportunities to the 9th and 10th seeding teams, which toiled for months to the 8th seed, a chance at the ring. Interestingly, one of the most benefitted teams in this tournament was the Miami Heat. Last season, Jimmy Butler & Co. entered the Eastern Conference playoffs as the 8th seed. While they were expected to get decimated by the top-seeding Milwaukee Bucks in the first round, they sent Giannis Antetokounmpo & Co. home in a shocking series. And they went on to play the NBA Finals against the Denver Nuggets. Unfortunately, they couldn’t cross the line then.

What to expect in the 2024 NBA Play-in Tournament?

The Western Conference has a stacked line-up for the tournament. The LA Lakers (8) and Pelicans (7) play the qualifier game for the 7th spot. Golden State Warriors (10) and Sacramento Kings (9) take on the eliminator clash. Whereas in the East, the Heat (8) and Philadelphia 76ers (7) play the qualifier game. Atlanta Hawks (10) and Chicago Bulls(9) will play the eliminator game.

The 7th and 9th seeds get the home-court advantage and the loser of the qualifier game gets the home-court advantage in the second qualifier game.

Notably, the Lakers are in a tough spot, as they have to face the defending champions Denver Nuggets if they win their first qualifier game. And if they lost, LeBron James might have to face Stephen Curry in a do-or-die game. Last season, the Lakers entered the playoff through Play-in and ended up losing to the Nuggets in the Conference Finals. Since then, the LA side hasn’t won a single game against them.

On the other hand, the Heat play their back-to-back play-in tournament, however, this time, they have the opportunity to enter the 7th seed and face the NY Knicks in the first round. In the case of Philly, Joel Embiid‘s return could increase the team’s chances. Which four teams do you think will end up in the playoffs? Let us know in the comments.