The NBA announced on Tuesday that Nikola Jokic and the reigning NBA champion Denver Nuggets will be the highlight of the first-ever in-season tournament as it gets underway.
The tournament, which starts on November 3, now has a complete game schedule that includes games for group play, which makes up the first two stages of the competition, on ESPN, TNT, and NBA TV.
The group play matches, which are scheduled for Tuesdays and Fridays in November, are referred to by the NBA as “Tournament Nights.” Games from group play tournaments will only be played on those nights.
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The Dallas Mavericks vs. the champion Denver Nuggets doubleheader on ESPN is the highlight of the November 3 schedule. In the opening contest, the Milwaukee Bucks travel to face the New York Knicks.
From November 3 to November 28, each side will play four group games, two at home and two away.
Based on their win-loss records from the 2022–23 regular season, all 30 teams were arbitrarily divided into six groups of five within their conference.
The NBA announced the groups last month:
Group 1: Philadelphia 76ers, Cleveland Cavaliers, Atlanta Hawks, Indiana Pacers, Detroit Pistons
Group 2: Milwaukee Bucks, New York Knicks, Miami Heat, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets
Group 3: Boston Celtics, Brooklyn Nets, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Orlando Magic
Group 4: Memphis Grizzlies, Phoenix Suns, Los Angeles Lakers, Utah Jazz, Portland Trail Blazers
Group 5: Denver Nuggets, Los Angeles Clippers, New Orleans Pelicans, Dallas Mavericks, Houston Rockets
Group 6: Sacramento Kings, Golden State Warriors, Minnesota Timberwolves, Oklahoma City Thunder, San Antonio Spurs
Four clubs from each conference will send eight teams to the elimination stages. These groups will consist of the six group winners as well as the two wild cards, which will be awarded to the conference’s team that had the best record in group matchups but placed second in their group.
The elimination rounds will take place from December 4–5, with the semifinals and championship games taking place at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on December 7 and December 9, respectively.
All-tournament games—aside from the title contest—count toward the standings during the regular season.
On Thursday, the full schedule and the national TV program will be revealed.
