After completing a month of group stage matches, the NBA's in-season tournament moves to the knockout phase with exciting matchups set to take place. The Indiana Pacers will host the Boston Celtics, while the New Orleans Pelicans hit the road to face the Sacramento Kings on Monday. Tuesday night will witness the New York Knicks playing against the Milwaukee Bucks, followed by the Phoenix Suns taking on the Los Angeles Lakers.
The winners of these quarterfinal games will progress to the semifinals scheduled for December 7 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas. The Eastern Conference teams will compete at 5 p.m., followed by the Western Conference teams at 9 p.m. The tournament's championship game, where the victor claims the NBA Cup and a prize of $500,000 per player, is set for December 9.
A unique aspect of this tournament is that each of the four quarterfinals features matchups that have already occurred four times in the regular season, now extending to five encounters, a departure from the usual frequency of games in a given campaign.
The 22 teams that did not advance to the knockout stage will play one home game and one road game on December 6 and 8. Additionally, the teams that lose in the quarterfinals will face each other on December 8.
The NBA has unveiled the schedule for the remaining 22 teams, featuring notable matchups. The Minnesota Timberwolves will take on the San Antonio Spurs, showcasing young stars Anthony Edwards and Victor Wembanyama, with a notable French duel between Wembanyama and Rudy Gobert. Another highlight is the Denver Nuggets facing the LA Clippers in a rematch of Denver's impressive Sunday victory without key players Nikola Jokic, Aaron Gordon, and Jamal Murray.
Other intriguing matchups include the Oklahoma City Thunder against the Houston Rockets on December 6, and on December 8, the Cleveland Cavaliers versus the Miami Heat, as well as the Golden State Warriors against the Thunder.
ADD A COMMENT :