Phoenix Suns to face off with Lakers, others in NBA In-Season Tournament
Jul 8, 2023, 5:23 PM | Updated: Jul 10, 2023, 7:57 am
Kevin Durant #35 and Devin Booker #1 of the Phoenix Suns during the second half of Game Two of the Western Conference First Round Playoffs at Footprint Center on April 18, 2023 in Phoenix, Arizona. The Suns defeated the Clippers 123-109. (Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
(Photo by Christian Petersen/Getty Images)
Another team in Arizona will have a chance to lift a Cup this year.
The Phoenix Suns will face off with Western Conference foes Los Angeles Lakers, Memphis Grizzlies, Utah Jazz and Portland Trail Blazers as they pursue the NBA Cup in the NBA In-Season Tournament.
Commissioner Adam Silver said the NBA’s In-Season Tournament has been 15 years in the making at the league’s offices.
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Group games start Nov. 3 and will be played throughout the month of November on Tuesdays and Fridays, with the exception of Nov. 7 (Election Day). The schedule for the 2023-24 NBA season is still to be released.
Format
Teams are divided into six intra-conference groups consisting of five teams. Teams will play each other once. The best team from each group will advance, as well as two “wild card” teams — the team with the best record from the tournament from each conference that did not win its group. The eight teams that advance to the “Knockout Rounds” will play single-elimination games until a winner is crowned.
All 67 games in the NBA In-Season Tournament will count toward regular-season records except for the championship game. Those two teams will play 83 games.
The commissioner announced the final four teams in the tournament will play the semifinals and final in Las Vegas. Games will be hosted Dec. 7 and 9 at T-Mobile Arena.
In order to make some extra money from the In-Season Tournament, teams will have to make the quarterfinals. Players on the winning team will make an additional $500,000 per player while players on the runner-up will make $200,000 per player. Meanwhile, teams that lose in the semifinals will make an additional $100,000 per player and the players knocked out in the quarters will make $50,000 per player.
The other groups
The Suns will play in West Group A. Here are the other groups in the West:
Group A
- Phoenix Suns
- Los Angeles Lakers
- Memphis Grizzlies
- Utah Jazz
- Portland Trail Blazers
Group B
- Denver Nuggets
- Los Angeles Clippers
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Dallas Mavericks
- Houston Rockets
Group C
- Sacramento Kings
- Golden State Warriors
- Minnesota Timberwolves
- Oklahoma City Thunder
- San Antonio Spurs
Here are the Eastern Conference groups:
Group A
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Cleveland Cavaliers
- Atlanta Hawks
- Indiana Pacers
- Detroit Pistons
Group B
- Milwaukee Bucks
- New York Knicks
- Miami Heat
- Washington Wizards
- Charlotte Hornets
Group C
- Boston Celtics
- Brooklyn Nets
- Toronto Raptors
- Chicago Bulls
- Orlando Magic
