MILWAUKEE, WI (WSAU) – The NBA today announced the full game schedule and national broadcast matchups for Group Play of the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament, which will begin on Friday, November 3 during the 2023-24 regular season.
The first of two stages of the In-Season Tournament, Group Play games, will be held on Tuesdays and Fridays in November. On these “Tournament Nights,” the only NBA games scheduled are Group Play games.
During Group Play, ESPN and TNT will broadcast 14 games together. The first Tournament Night (Nov. 3) will feature a doubleheader on ESPN, with the New York Knicks visiting the Milwaukee Bucks (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Denver Nuggets hosting the Dallas Mavericks (10 p.m. ET). TNT’s Group Play coverage will kick off on Tuesday, Nov. 14, when the San Antonio Spurs visit the Oklahoma City Thunder (7:30 p.m. ET) and the Nuggets host the Los Angeles Clippers (10 p.m. ET).
Three rematches from the 2023 NBA Playoffs are in the Group Play national broadcast schedule. The Miami Heat will visit the Knicks on Friday, Nov. 24 (7:30 p.m. ET/ESPN) and host the Bucks on Tuesday, Nov. 28 (7:30 p.m. ET/TNT), while the Golden State Warriors will visit the Sacramento Kings on Nov. 28 (10 p.m. ET/TNT).
Eight teams (four from each conference) will advance from Group Play to the Knockout Rounds of the In-Season Tournament. The six group winners and two “wild cards” (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group) will advance.
Single-elimination games will be played in the Quarterfinals (Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5), Semifinals (Thursday, Dec. 7), and Championship (Saturday, Dec. 9). The Knockout Rounds nationwide broadcast schedule will be confirmed at a later date.
Except for the Championship, all 67 games from both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season rankings. In the 2023-24 season, each team will continue to play 82 regular-season games, including those played as part of Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.
The complete game schedule and national broadcast schedule for the 2023-24 regular season will be released on Thursday.
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