Four teams have punched their tickets to Las Vegas.
The last two quarterfinals concluded on Tuesday, with the Milwaukee Bucks routing the New York Knicks 146-122 in the first matchup. The Los Angeles Lakers then won a 106-103 thriller late versus the Phoenix Suns.
They follow the other two games on Monday that saw the Indiana Pacers eliminating the Boston Celtics 122-112 at home with the New Orleans Pelicans besting the Sacramento Kings 127-117 on the road.
With the semifinals now set for Sin City, here's everything to know to catch the semifinals of the inaugural NBA in-season tournament:
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What are the semifinal matchups in the 2023 NBA in-season tournament?
The first semifinal matchup will take place out East, featuring the Milwaukee Bucks and Indiana Pacers. Both teams topped their respective groups and will now meet for the chance to play in the final.
The second matchup is out West between the New Orleans Pelicans and Los Angeles Lakers. The Lakers topped their group and were the No. 1 seed while New Orleans was the No. 3 seed as a wild card entry.
NBA
How to watch the semifinals of the 2023 NBA in-season tournament
Here's how to watch the two semifinals on Thursday, Dec. 7:
- Eastern Conference Semifinal: Milwaukee Bucks vs. Indiana Pacers, 5 p.m. ET, ESPN
- Western Conference Semifinal: New Orleans Pelicans vs. Los Angeles Lakers, 9 p.m. ET, TNT
The final will be played on Saturday, Dec. 9, in Las Vegas. Tip off is set for 8:30 p.m. ET and will be broadcast on ABC.
What will the teams who were eliminated do?
The 22 teams who did not qualify for the quarterfinals will not watch from the couch. Instead, they will each play a home and away regular-season game on Wednesday, Dec. 6, and Friday, Dec. 8.
The four losers in the quarterfinals will play a regular-season game on Dec. 8.
Do in-season tournament games count in standings?
Yes, the 67 total games played in both group and knockout-round stages will count towards the regular season standings, except the championship game.
Players' statistics in the championship game will also not count towards regular season totals and averages.
What is the prize for the NBA in-season tournament winner?
The champion on Dec. 9 will see all players on the roster each winning $500,000. The runner-ups will receive $200,000 each; semifinal losers $100,000; and quarterfinal losers $50,000.
There will also be a Most Valuable Player award given along with an all-tournament team.
