NBA In-Season Tournament: Lakers and Celtics in quarter-finals as Vegas showdown awaits - what games are on TNT Sports?
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Published 04/12/2023 at 15:34 GMT
The NBA In-Season Tournament group stage is over and it is now time for the knockout rounds. The brand new tournament which started in November is edging closer to a stunning showdown in Vegas where the final four will compete for the title. Before that, NBA stars LeBron James, Kevin Durant and Giannis Antetokounmpo will feature in the upcoming quarter-finals which will be live on TNT Sports
LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers
Image credit: Getty Images
The NBA In-Season Tournament is, at first, a little complicated to get your head around.
What is this brand new tournament that’s happening during the NBA season? How does it impact the regular season? Is it like a cup competition in football? Will it impact the playoffs?
It is an idea that NBA commissioner Adam Silver says has been “rumbling around the league office for about 15 years” and is a “perfect fit for our game”.
After getting underway on November 3, the tournament has now reached the knockout rounds and every quarter-final will be shown live on TNT Sports.
So what exactly is the In-Season Tournament and how does it work? We run through everything you need to know.
What is the NBA In-Season Tournament?
Let's start here.
The In-Season Tournament has been introduced for the first time this season and is, as the name suggests, a tournament within the season.
It will run from November 3 to December 9 and will see the 30 NBA teams split into six five-team groups.
Each team will play the other four teams in their group on ‘Tournament Nights’, when only In-Season Tournament games will be played. They will be on every Tuesday and Friday from November 3-28, aside from November 7.
The quarter-finals will be on December 5 and 6, the semi-finals on December 8, and the championship game on December 10 UK time.
Eight teams will advance to the quarter-finals: the teams with the best standings in each of the six groups and one wild card team from each conference.
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How will the NBA In-Season Tournament impact the regular season?
Still with us? Good.
The In-Season Tournament will not impact the regular season, much.
Regular season games will still be going on around the In-Season Tournament (although not on In-Season Tournament nights, as previously mentioned), and the In-Season Tournament games will count as regular season games in the standings.
Therefore every team will still play the standard 82 regular-season game schedule. Only the two teams who make the In-Season Tournament final will play an 83rd game, and this will not count towards the regular season standings.
The In-Season Tournament will not have an impact on the playoffs other than the wins and losses throughout the tournament counting towards the regular season record.
Where will the NBA In-Season Tournament be played?
All group games along with the quarter-finals will be played at the venue of the home team in the fixture.
The semi-finals and the final will be played in Las Vegas.
What were the NBA In-Season Tournament groups?
The groups were split by conference - East and West.
All 15 teams in each conference were put into five pots determined by their record last season and then drawn into three groups of five teams.
The groups are:
- East Group A: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons
- East Group B: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets
- East Group C: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
- West Group A: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, LA Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers
- West Group B: Denver Nuggets, LA Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
- West Group C: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
What is the NBA In-Season Tournament prize?
The winners of the In-Season Tournament will lift the NBA Cup.
There is also a prize pool for players, which increases as teams progress further in the tournament. The players on the winning team will each get $500,000 (£412,330).
There will also be a Most Valuable Player award for the In-Season Tournament.
What is the NBA In-Season Tournament schedule?
With the group stages out of the way, the quarter-finals are now set for the In-Season Tournament which begin on December 4.
They are:
- Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers (12.30am UK time December 5, live on TNT Sports 2)
- New Orleans Pelicans @ Sacramento Kings (3am UK time December 5, live on TNT Sports 2)
- New York Knicks @ Milwaukee Bucks (12.30am UK December 6, live on TNT Sports 1)
- Phoenix Suns @ LA Lakers (3am UK time December 6, live on TNT Sports 1)
The winners will then progress to the final four stage in Vegas where the second semi-final and final will be live on TNT Sports.
The semi-final will be available, starting at 2am UK time on Friday, December 8 while the final will be shown at 1.30am UK time on Sunday, December 10.
How to watch the NBA In-Season Tournament on TNT Sports
TNT Sports in the UK and Ireland is broadcasting 250 live NBA games throughout the regular season as part of a new multi-year deal.
TNT Sports is available across all major TV platforms including BT TV, Sky and Virgin Media. Existing BT Sport customers have been able to watch and enjoy TNT Sports without needing to take any further action.
discovery+ is the streaming destination for TNT Sports in the UK. discovery+ will present many of the world’s most celebrated sports events together with great entertainment. Customers who have access to the BT Sport App should follow a simple discovery+ authentication process and can then download the discovery+ app which will give them access to TNT Sports, Eurosport and original entertainment.
*£29.99 price previously charged for the BT Sport Monthly Pass by the BT and WBD Joint Venture. Pricing for TNT Sports for subscribers who contract via a platform such as BT, EE, Sky or Virgin Media will be determined by the relevant provider.
discovery+ is the streaming destination for TNT Sports in the UK. discovery+ will present many of the world’s most celebrated sports events together with great entertainment. Customers who have access to the BT Sport App should follow a simple discovery+ authentication process and can then download the discovery+ app which will give them access to TNT Sports, Eurosport and original entertainment.
*£29.99 price previously charged for the BT Sport Monthly Pass by the BT and WBD Joint Venture. Pricing for TNT Sports for subscribers who contract via a platform such as BT, EE, Sky or Virgin Media will be determined by the relevant provider.
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TNT Sports presents the premium live sports rights previously carried by BT Sport including the Premier League, UEFA Champions League, UEFA Europa League, UEFA Conference League, Gallagher Premiership Rugby, Investec Champions Cup, EPCR Challenge Cup, MotoGP, Cricket, UFC, Boxing and WWE. The streaming home for TNT Sports in the UK is discovery+, where fans can enjoy a subscription that includes TNT Sports, Eurosport and entertainment in one destination. You can also watch TNT Sports through BT, EE, Sky, and Virgin Media
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