The NBA revival is activated. North American franchises voted Thursday, June 4, in favor of the resumption of the season, suspended since March 11 because of the coronavirus, from July 31 with matches played behind closed doors at Disney World in Florida.
The NBA Board of Governors today approved a competitive format to restart the 2019-20 season with 22 teams returning to play and a tentative start date of Friday, July 31.
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The plan submitted by league boss Adam Silver, involving 22 teams, required the green light from three-quarters of the owners of the thirty clubs. It has been approved by 29 of them, says ESPN, one of the major basketball broadcasters in the United States.
According to The Athletic, only the owner of the Portland Trail Blazers, yet affected by this plan, voted against. Friday, the players' union (NBPA), which mainly expressed their desire to replay this summer during a poll by their authority, should in turn approve this plan.
The finals in October?
The NBA has not yet officially communicated, after this crucial milestone for the resumption of the season, that Silver has set for July 31, four and a half months after the positive test at Covid-19 of the French pivot Rudy Gobert (Utah Jazz), which forced him to pause the championship. According to ESPN, its epilogue is scheduled for October 12 at the latest if the finals are to be played in seven matches.
All the meetings will take place at Disney World in Orlando, where the teams will be concentrated on the huge site called "ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex", which notably has a 5,000-seat hall, the HP Field House, and several hotels.
Expanded playoffs
On the sporting side, the 22 teams concerned are the first eight of each conference on the evening of March 11: Milwaukee, Toronto, Boston, Miami, Indiana, Philadelphia, Brooklyn, Orlando to the East / Lakers, Clippers, Denver, Utah, Oklahoma City , Houston, Dallas, Memphis to the West. As well as the six clubs that are six wins or less from 8th place in each conference, namely New Orleans, Phoenix, Portland, Sacramento, San Antonio to the West, and only Washington to the East.
This plan, which de facto excludes the eight worst-ranked clubs in the championship, all conferences combined, will therefore mark the end of the season for Charlotte, Chicago, New York, Detroit, Atlanta, Cleveland, Minnesota and Golden State.
With AFP
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