Format and playoff plan for 2020-21 NBA season released originally appeared on NBC Sports Washington
The 2020-21 NBA season will include the return of the play-in tournament that will determine the final four teams in the playoffs and a 72-game schedule that will begin on December 22.
According to an announcement from the league on Tuesday, the regular-season schedule will be released in two parts, the first coming at the end of training camp and the second part during the latter part of the first half of the regular season.
Here is the tentative schedule calendar for the 2020-21 season:
• Dec. 11-19, 2020: Preseason games
• Dec. 22, 2020 – March 4, 2021: First Half of regular season
• March 5-10, 2021: All-Star break
• March 11 – May 16, 2021: Second Half of regular season
• May 18-21, 2021: Play-In Tournament
• May 22 – July 22, 2021: 2021 NBA Playoffs
For the play-in tournament, the seventh and eighth seed in each conference will play each other for the seventh spot in the playoffs. The ninth and 10th seed teams will play each other for a chance to play the loser of the seven/eight game. The winner of that final matchup will get the eighth spot in the playoffs.
