The owners of the NBA franchises have formalized the new access system to the play-offs. With the new reform, more teams will have a chance to qualify at the end of the season. This format, known as the “play-in”, in effect for the 2021 play-offs, has been tested for two seasons, allowing franchises that finish between seventh and tenth place in their Conference, to compete for two places in the play-off. In the past, the top eight in each conference qualified directly for the play-offs at the end of the regular season.
How the new play-off format is structured
The play-in allows you to keep the suspense until the end of the regular season for multiple franchises, four for Conference. As a result, the teams that finish the regular season in seventh and eighth place will compete and the winner will qualify for the play-offs. The loser will meet the winner of the match between the teams classified in ninth and tenth position. The last ticket for the play-offs goes to the winner of this challenge.
In view of the 2022-2023 season, the “play-in” tournament will take place from 11 to 14 April, between the end of the regular season (9 April) and the start of the play-offs (15 April).
