MEYER MCCAULSKY
Special to The Leader
On August 15, 2020, NBA fans got a taste of the Play-In Tournament when the Portland Trail Blazers faced the Memphis Grizzlies.
This was known as the Play-In Game, and whoever won had a date with the first-seeded Los Angeles Lakers, who ended up winning the 2020 NBA Finals on October 11.
However, the format for the Play-In Game is different from the format that the NBA is using for this year’s Play-In Tournament.
In order for the eighth-seeded Trail Blazers to clinch the final playoff spot, they only needed to win one game, whereas the ninth-seeded Grizzlies needed to win two games. The Trail Blazers ended up defeating the Grizzlies 126-122 in an instant classic, which influenced the NBA’s Board of Governors to approve the proposal to implement the Play-In Tournament.
As far as the new format is concerned, the first round of the tournament will consist of two single elimination games between the seventh and eighth-seeded teams as well as the ninth and 10th-seeded teams in their respective conferences.
The winner of the game between the seventh and eighth seed will earn the seventh seed, while the loser of that game will face the winner of the game between the ninth and tenth seed, and the loser of that game is eliminated from playoff contention.
The winner of the second round of the Play-In Tournament will earn the eighth seed and a date with the first seed in the first round for their respective conference.
The Play-In Tournament, sponsored by State Farm, will begin on May 18 and end on May 21. The NBA Playoffs will begin on May 22.