Your Guide to Understanding the Tournament Format

The Timberwolves are on the verge of securing a spot in the NBA’s first in-season tournament’s eight-team knockout round with a victory on Friday.

Currently, the Wolves lead the West Group C standings with an impressive 2-0 record on the road, defeating Golden State and San Antonio. Meanwhile, Sacramento also boasts a 2-0 record after wins over San Antonio and Oklahoma City.

Friday night’s game at Target Center will see Sacramento facing the Wolves in a pivotal match in the in-season tournament.

A victory for the Wolves would guarantee their group win and advancement to the quarterfinals, regardless of the outcome of their final tournament game against Oklahoma City. They would hold the head-to-head tiebreaker over Sacramento and Golden State, the only teams with potential 3-1 records.

The unique in-season tournament is an exciting addition to the NBA this year, aiming to engage fans during a less attention-grabbing basketball season. Here’s how it works:

1. Six groups of five teams compete, with each group winner and two wild cards advancing to the eight-team knockout tournament.

2. Tournament games are specifically designated on the regular-season schedule before December.

3. In the event of advancing to the knockout round, the Wolves would compete in the quarterfinals on December 4 or 5, with the semifinals and finals scheduled for December 7-9 in Las Vegas. The final eight will play for significant prize money with all games counting as regular-season games except for the finals.

4. Seeding tiebreakers are determined by head-to-head play, followed by point differential and total points.

Click here to view the current standings.