by Wheat Hotchkiss
The Pacers officially became the first team ever to advance to the Knockout Rounds of the NBA’s new In-Season Tournament on Tuesday, clinching first place in East Group A with a thrilling 157-152 victory in Atlanta.
With this being the first year of the In-Season Tournament, many fans probably have some questions about what this all means, who the Pacers will play next, and what their potential path to an In-Season Tournament title looks like. We’ve tried our best to answer all your questions below.
How did the Pacers advance to the Knockout Rounds?
The first phase of the In-Season Tournament is Group Play. In each conference, the teams were divided into three groups of five teams. Over the course of November, every team in the league is playing one Group Play game against each team in its group (four games total — two home and two away).
The winner of each group along with one Wild Card team in each conference (the second-place team with the best record) advance to an eight-team single-elimination bracket for the Knockout Rounds.
The Pacers won Group A by winning all of their first three games in the group. They beat Cleveland 121-116 at Gainbridge Fieldhouse on Nov. 3, won in Philadelphis 132-126 on Feb. 14, then came away with another victory on Tuesday night in Atlanta.
Indiana still has one more Group Play game on Friday against Detroit, but the Pacers have already secured first place in East Group A. The worst that Indiana can finish is 3-1. Detroit, Atlanta, and Philadelphia all already have two or more losses. Cleveland is 2-1, but even if the Cavaliers were to tie the Pacers at 3-1, the Blue & Gold have the tiebreaker over the Cavs because they beat them head-to-head.
So the Pacers already won their group, but they still have one more Group Play game on Friday against Detroit. Is there anything at stake in that game?
Yes, actually. The four teams from each conference that advance to the Knockout Rounds will be seeded based on their records in Group Play, with the top two seeds getting to host Quarterfinal games on their home court. That means the Pacers should be highly motivated to secure a top-two seed in the East so they can host a Quarterfinal game at Gainbridge Fieldhouse.
If the Pacers beat the Pistons on Friday to finish 4-0 in their group, they should be in good position to host a Quarterfinal game. There are three other unbeaten teams currently in the East — Milwaukee and Miami in East Group B as well as Boston in East Group C — but each of those teams has only played two Group Play games. In the event that all three group winners finish 4-0, the top two seeds would be determined based on which teams have the best point differential in the group stage.
All In-Season Tournament games except for the championship game also count toward the regular season standings, so there is also that motivation for both the Pacers and Pistons on Friday.
When will the Pacers’ Quarterfinal game be played?
The Quarterfinals are scheduled to be played on Monday, Dec. 4 and Tuesday, Dec. 5, so the Pacers will play on one of those two dates. The full bracket won’t be set until after the final night of Group Play next Tuesday (Nov. 28). Once all Quarterfinal matchups are determined, the NBA will announce the dates and times for those games.
It’s still too early to have a good read on who the Pacers’ potential opponent in the Quarterfinals might be, but they could potentially end up facing any Eastern Conference team that has currently has one loss or less in Group Play. Those teams include the Bucks, Heat, Celtics, Cavaliers, Knicks, Nets, and Magic.
Can I buy tickets for the Quarterfinal game if it ends up being played at Gainbridge Fieldhouse?
Yes! Although the date and opponent for that game are not set, tickets are available now for purchase. It should be an electric atmosphere if the Pacers host a Quarterfinal game, so secure your seats now to make sure you’re a part of history.
What happens based on the results of the Quarterfinals?
The four teams that win their Quarterfinal matchups will advance to the Semifinals, which will be held in Las Vegas on Thursday, Dec. 7. The two Semifinal winners will remain in Vegas and square off in the first-ever In-Season Tournament Championship on Saturday, Dec. 9.
All Quarterfinal and Semifinal games will count toward the regular season standings, but the Championship game is a standalone game that does not factor into the final standings.
The four teams that lose in the Quarterfinals will play a regular season game on Friday, Dec. 8 to ensure that those teams also play 82 regular season games. Those games will take place at NBA arenas. The matchups and times for those games will be determined after the Quarterfinals conclude.
What is at stake in the Knockout Rounds?
The team that wins the In-Season Tournament will secure the NBA Cup, a new trophy designed for this year’s event. A prize pool will also allocate a financial prize to all players and coaches on each team that reaches the Knockout Rounds, with allocations increasing depending on how far each team advances in the Knockout Rounds.
The NBA will also name an In-Season Tournament MVP and All-Tournament Team at the conclusion of the event, so there is a chance for players to earn league-wide recognition for outstanding play over the course of the In-Season Tournament.
Originally posted on pacers.com