Do 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament knockouts count as regular-season games?

The group stage of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament ended on Tuesday as eight teams qualified for the knockouts. More fans are starting to get an idea of how the new competition works, but some are still asking questions. One of them is: do the knockout games count as regular-season games?

According to the rules of the NBA In-Season Tournament, the quarter-finals and semi-finals count as regular-season games. The final or championship game is an extra game for the two teams who will battle it out for the NBA Cup on Dec. 9 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

That game for both finalists will not count as a regular-season game, so the standings won't be affected. All eight teams in the knockout rounds are expected to receive prize money based on their progression in the competition.

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Eight of the 30 teams progressed to the knockouts of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament. The LA Lakers, Sacramento Kings, New Orleans Pelicans and Phoenix Suns will represent the Western Conference.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks, Indiana Pacers, Boston Celtics and New York Knicks came out of the Eastern Conference. Every stage of the knockout round is a single-elimination game, with the semi-finals and finals to be played at the T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

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2023 NBA In-Season Tournament matchups and schedule

In the East side of the bracket, the Milwaukee Bucks face the New York Knicks in the quarter-finals. The other matchup is between the Indiana Pacers and Boston Celtics.

Meanwhile, the LA Lakers face the Phoenix Suns, while the New Orleans Pelicans battle it out against the Sacramento Kings. The quarter-finals of the 2023 NBA In-Season Tournament are scheduled on Dec. 4 and 5.

Here's the full quarterfinals schedule:

Pacers vs Celtics | Dec. 4 | 7:30 p.m. EST | Gainbridge FieldHouse in Indianapolis, Indiana
Kings vs Pelicans | Dec. 4 | 10:00 p.m. EST | Golden 1 Center in Sacramento, California
Bucks vs Knicks | Dec. 5 | 7:30 p.m. EST | Fiserv Forum in Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Lakers vs Suns | Dec. 5 | 10:00 p.m. EST | Crypto.Crom Arena in Los Angeles, California

The semi-finals and final are scheduled for Dec. 7 and 9, respectively, in Las Vegas. The winner of the 2023 NBA-In Season Tournament will win the inaugural NBA Cup, and each player and staff will pocket $500,000 in prize money.

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About the author

Juan Paolo is a journalist for Sportskeeda who covers the NBA and WNBA. He's been writing about basketball since 2015 and has been with Sportskeeda since 2021.

Juan's allegiance lies with the Golden State Warriors and his journey with the Warriors began with their memorable victory over the Lakers in 2000, and he experienced the successes of the 'We Believe' era and the rise of Steph Curry.

What Juan loves most about basketball is its ability to evoke a range of emotions, from adrenaline-fueled excitement to the highs of victory and the lows of defeat. To ensure complete accuracy in articles, he conducts thorough research before writing his articles.

The Warriors' victories in the 2022 and 2017 championships hold a special place in Juan's memories, as well as iconic moments like Baron Davis' dunk over Andrei Kirilenko and Goran Dragic's performance in the 2010 Western Conference semifinals.

Off the court, Juan enjoys watching football, TV and movies, caring for his numerous cats, and cooking whenever time permits.

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Edited by Juan Paolo David