Tuesday will mark the last day of pool play for the inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament. From there, six first-place teams and two wild cards will advance to the knockout stage. The semifinals and championship games will be played in Las Vegas.
Several teams have already clinched first place in their "group," but a few consequential games remain on the docket Tuesday. Especially when it comes to potential wild card berths, which will be determined by record, head-to-head success, and point differential.
That's why we've seen teams gunning all the way to the final buzzer in IST games. Every point counts in theory, and that should make for some entertaining basketball the rest of the way. With pool play almost finished, here's a look at the current bracket.
Updated NBA In-Season Tournament standings: Final week of pool play
East Group A
1. Indiana Pacers (4-0)
2. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1)
3. Philadelphia 76ers (2-2)
4. Atlanta Hawks (1-2)
5. Detroit Pistons (0-4)
East Group B
1. Milwaukee Bucks (3-0)
2. New York Knicks (2-1)
3. Miami Heat (2-1)
4. Charlotte Hornets (1-2)
5. Washington Wizards (0-4)
East Group C
1. Orlando Magic (3-1)
2. Boston Celtics (2-1)
3. Brooklyn Nets (2-1)
4. Toronto Raptors (1-2)
5. Chicago Bulls (0-3)
West Group A
1. Los Angeles Lakers (4-0)
2. Phoenix Suns (3-1)
3. Utah Jazz (2-2)
4. Portland Trail Blazers (1-3)
5. Memphis Grizzlies (0-4)
West Group B
1. New Orleans Pelicans (3-1)
2. Houston Rockets (2-1)
3. Denver Nuggets (2-2)
4. Dallas Mavericks (1-2)
5. Los Angeles Clippers (1-3)
West Group C
1. Sacramento Kings (3-0)
2. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1)
3. Golden State Warriors (2-1)
4. Oklahoma City Thunder (1-2)
5. San Antonio Spurs (0-4)
The only teams who have clinched their spot, beyond a doubt, are the Pacers and Lakers. The Kings and Bucks can clinch with a win on Tuesday. Beyond that, it's a bloodbath.
All eyeballs will be on Kings vs. Warriors tomorrow night. Golden State can finish as high as first place with a win, or fall to third place in their group and miss the wild card with a loss.
The Celtics need a blowout victory over the Bulls on Tuesday to have a shot at catching Orlando, as it has a +22 point differential advantage. The Nets need to beat the Raptors by at least 15 points and pray for a Celtics loss.
The Rockets need to beat the Mavs by 18 or more to clinch the top spot over New Orleans.
Minnesota is theoretically still in play for the top spot in West Group C, but it would require a Warriors victory over Sacramento and a significant margin of victory over OKC on Tuesday to make it possible in a complex web of 3-1 tiebreakers.
Basically, tomorrow is going to cause a minor meltdown on the internet. Here's how the bracket currently shapes up.
NBA In-Season Tournament bracket as of Nov. 27
Eastern Conference
1. Indiana Pacers (4-0) +39
2. Milwaukee Bucks (3-0) +39
3. Orlando Magic (3-1) +22
4. New York Knicks (2-1) +18
WesternConference
1. Los Angeles Lakers (4-0) +74
2. Sacramento Kings (3-0) +29
3. New Orleans Pelicans (3-1) +33
4. Phoenix Suns (3-1) +34
The Bucks can clinch the No. 1 spot in the East with a victory. The Kings are locked as No. 2 in the West with a win.
NBA In-Season Tournament Wild Card standings
Eastern Conference
1. New York Knicks (2-1) +18
2. Miami Heat (2-1) +11
3. Brooklyn Nets (2-1) +8
4. Cleveland Cavaliers (2-1) +6
5. Boston Celtics (2-1) 0
6. Philadelphia 76ers (2-2) +9
Western Conference
1. Phoenix Suns (3-1) +34
2. Houston Rockets (2-1) +16
3. Golden State Warriors (2-1) +5
4. Minnesota Timberwolves (2-1) -3
