- The Heat made the 2023 NBA Finals after advancing past the play-in tournament.
- LeBron James and Steph Curry faced off in the play-in tournament in 2021.
- The tournament determines the 7th and 8th seed in each conference.
The play-in tournament has added a new twist to the early part of postseason play, giving NBA betting enthusiasts another competitive game to profit from.
The Miami Heat, who had just +1400 odds to win the 2023 NBA championship before the 2022-2023 season at BetMGM, weren’t among the heavy favourites on basketball betting lines, but they still ended up in the NBA Finals.
Let’s take a look at how the play-in tournament has changed the landscape of the NBA Playoffs.
How Does the Play-In Tournament in the NBA Work?
In each conference’s first round, the seventh seed plays the eighth seed, and the ninth seed plays the 10th seed. The winner of the 7-8 matchup clinches the seventh seed, and the loser faces off against the winner of the 9-10 matchup to determine the eighth seed.
So if the 8th-seeded Golden State Warriors beat the 7th-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, they would steal the seventh seed despite finishing the regular season with a worse record.
If the Lakers then lost to the winner of the 9-10 matchup, they would miss out on the playoffs entirely.
The tournament effectively gives teams another shot who get hot down the stretch or come up short of the eighth seed despite a strong regular season.
Over the past two decades, there have been several instances in which a team out West was flirting with 50 wins that missed out on the playoffs due to the number of contenders in that conference.
The Denver Nuggets, who finished 46-36 during the 2017-18 season, are the most recent example.
Meanwhile, there have been several playoff teams in the East over those years that would’ve been several games short of a playoff spot out in the Wild Wild West.
While the play-in tournament doesn’t enforce playoff seeding regardless of conference, it at least gives teams who deserve a chance to compete in the postseason a shot.
In turn, the play-in games have created some of the most entertaining NBA matchups in recent memory.
The NBA world also got to see LeBron James and Stephen Curry battle it out for a chance to make the playoffs in 2021 as well as the Minnesota Timberwolves celebrating like they had just won a championship in 2022, garnering lots of laughs and reactions from people on social media.
The Timberwolves when they win the NBA In Season Tournament:pic.twitter.com/NyH6g5rE1R
— BetMGM 🦁 (@BetMGM) September 9, 2022
In 2023, the Lakers got to the Western Conference Finals, and the Heat got to the NBA Finals. Both teams emerged from the play-in tournament that season.
How Many Rounds Is the NBA Play-In Tournament?
The NBA play-in tournament is two rounds per conference. The 7-8 and 9-10 matchups constitute the first round, and the battle for the eighth seed constitutes the second round.
Which Teams Qualify for the NBA Play-In Tournament?
Eight teams qualify for the NBA play-in tournament, four in each conference. They are the seven through 10 seeds in each conference.
How Many Games Are in the Play-In Tournament?
There are six games in the play-in tournament, three in each conference.
What Channel Are the NBA Play-Ins On?
- United States: ESPN, TNT
- Canada: TSN, Sportsnet
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