LeBron James -

Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports / Sip / SIPA

We knew that the NBA would resume just before Christmas, we now know that it will end just before the Olympics.

The way in which the next shortened season will unfold was revealed on Tuesday with several flagship measures including the maintenance of the "play-in tournament", these pre-play-offs dams pitting the 7th, 8th, 9th and 10th of the regular season against each other. in each conference and already tested in the Disney World bubble this summer.

The 7th will play at home against the 8th.

The winner of this match will qualify, earning N.7 seed status.

The 9th will play at home against the 10th.

The loser will be eliminated.

The winner will then meet the loser of the jump-off having opposed the 7th to the 8th.

The winner of this meeting will validate his ticket for the play-offs, with the status of seed N.8.

These dams are a test, the NBA having specified that they will only be in effect for the coming year.

But they could increase the interest of his regular end of seasons often devoid of stake and be called to continue.

72 games instead of 82

Before it gets to this stage, each of the thirty teams (fifteen per conference) will have 72 regular season games to play.

And to limit as much as possible the number of trips during coronavirus weather, the league has found a formula.

Each team will play their conference teams three times (two home games and one away or one home game and two away), or 42 games (14x3).

Each team will also play the teams from the other conference twice (one home game, the other away), for a total of 30 games (15x2).

This brings the total number of matches to be played to 72 (42 + 30).

The pending play-offs

This regular season, due to end on May 16, will be interrupted by a five-day break between March 5 and 10, called “All-Star Break”, without the NBA not mentioning the maintenance of the All-Star Game. originally planned for Indianapolis.

Finally, the play-offs will begin on May 22, after which a champion will be crowned on July 22 at the latest.

An epilogue that will not overlap with the Tokyo Olympics (July 23-August 8), which should allow the vast majority of internationals to participate.

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