Is Integrity Compromised by In-Season Tournament Point-Differential Tiebreakers?

NBA teams on Tuesday night had to win and win big to advance in the inaugural in-season tournament, making point differential matter more than ever.

Despite its significance, not everyone was thrilled with this new system.

The New York Knicks secured the sole wild-card spot in the Eastern Conference by tiebreaker due to their point differential, a result of their 115-91 victory against the Charlotte Hornets, after finishing second in Group B behind the Milwaukee Bucks.

New York guard Josh Hart expressed his dissatisfaction with the system, saying, “It was interesting. I don’t really like it. We were focused, at first, just about winning. The last couple of minutes it feels weird. At a certain point, you just start chasing points, doing all that. So it kind of messes with the integrity of the game a little bit.”

The Cleveland Cavaliers’ 3-1 record in group play wasn’t enough to advance to the tournament quarterfinals due to their point differential. Despite trailing by 20 against Cleveland, Atlanta Hawks coach Quin Snyder pulled his starters, while the Cavs continued pushing for a bigger lead in the hopes of advancing.

Cleveland star Donovan Mitchell admitted the final moments were awkward, saying, “I feel like we were all trying to score but also respect the game. So it’s different, especially when they took their starters out; you’re trying to balance it. But at the end of the day, you’re playing to win. You’re playing to get to Vegas, get to the tournament. But it’s definitely a little weird.”

The NBA’s new in-season tournament presented uncomfortable situations, as confirmed by Snyder and others involved.

In Boston, the Celtics sealed a win and secured a substantial scoring night against the Chicago Bulls to have a shot at the tournament quarterfinals. The approach to aim for a large point differential was clear as star Jayson Tatum played the final 9:33 and all five starters played at least five minutes in the fourth, even though Boston was significantly ahead.

Celtics star Jaylen Brown acknowledged that the focus on point differential was unusual, stating, “It’s tough because that’s just not how the game is supposed to be played. You’ve got to respect your opponents.”

Boston coach Joe Mazzulla voiced similar discomfort about running up the score and engaged in discussions with Bulls counterpart Billy Donovan, who expressed his frustration with the strategy. Mazzulla, however, acknowledged the league’s influence in implementing the point-differential rule.

Information from The Associated Press was used in this report.