FILE — Basketballs are lined up next to the stanchion before warmups of Game 3 of an NBA basketball first-round playoff series between the Indiana Pacers and the Miami Heat at AdventHealth Arena on August 22, 2020. Kim Klement – Pool/Getty Images/AFP
The NBA hopes play-in tournaments will be adopted as a permanent change, according to a report from Sports Illustrated on Monday.
The league used a play-in tournament last year ahead of the playoff bubble and brought it back this season.
In this year’s format, the top six teams in the regular season automatically qualify for the playoffs and etch their names into the bracket.
The No. 7-10 teams are then relegated to the “play-in” round.
No. 7 and No. 8 play each other for the right to the 7 seed. The loser of that matchup would host the winner of the No. 9 and No. 10 seed for the right to the final spot as the 8 seed.
Per the SI report, NBA commissioner Adam Silver and the rest of the league should have support to make it permanent.
All 30 team governors, in addition to the players, approved the play-in format for the 2021 season when the league inquired about implementing the tournament.
Having the play-in provides incentives to teams to remain competitive throughout the entire regular season, especially the final month, per the report.
However, the decision likely won’t be made until after the 2021 season concludes.