Here’s what the Bulls’ loss to the Nets means for the NBA In-Season Tournament

Here’s what the Bulls’ loss to the Nets means for the NBA In-Season Tournament originally appeared on NBC Sports Chicago

The Bulls dropped a Friday night contest to the Brooklyn Nets, marking the first loss counting towards their in-season tournament record.

What does this mean? Let’s break it down.

The Bulls, along with the rest of the NBA, are currently participating in “group play” – the initial stage of the NBA’s in-season tournament. Each team has been assigned to a group within their respective conference, consisting of five teams per group across six groups league-wide.

The Bulls belong to Group C, which comprises the Nets, Boston Celtics, Toronto Raptors, and Orlando Magic.

The Nets are currently leading in group play after defeating the Bulls on Friday, leaving the Bulls with three more games to improve their standing. Their upcoming schedule includes a home game against the Magic on November 17, followed by away games against the Raptors on November 24 and the Celtics on November 28.

Once the group play stage concludes for all teams, one team from each group will advance to the eight-team tournament, which is the actual in-season tournament. This tournament uses a single-elimination format and includes the six group winners and two wild card teams.

The wild card teams consist of one team from each conference that had the best record among second-place finishers in their respective groups. These teams will compete in single-elimination games until a winner is determined. The semifinals and final match will be held in Las Vegas to determine the champion of the inaugural NBA Cup.

Starting with a loss puts the Bulls at a disadvantage as they navigate through group play. With only four games to improve their standing, they must act swiftly to recover from their initial setback.

However, there is still a chance for the Bulls to achieve the best record in their group or tie with another team. Tiebreakers for teams with the same record in group play are determined by head-to-head record, followed by point differential, total points in group play, and finally, regular-season record.

Despite the rough start, the Bulls have the opportunity to advance to the actual tournament. Their journey continues on November 17 when they face the Magic in their second in-season tournament game.

Stay tuned.

Click here to follow the Bulls Talk Podcast.