NBA Releases Details On Upcoming Season Schedule
Nov 17, 2020, 7:18 PM
NBA commissioner Adam Silver (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
(Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
SALT LAKE CITY, Utah – The NBA released a scheduling update for the upcoming 2020-21 season. Opening night is scheduled for December 22, with individual workouts beginning before training camp on December 1. The league announced the format of the upcoming schedule including how teams will function in a shortened 72 game schedule.
“Each Team will play three games against each intraconference opponent (42 total games per team), with each pairing featuring either two home games and one road game or one home game and two road games,” The release said. “Within each team’s division, the league office as randomly assigned which two opponents will be played twice at home and which two opponents will be played twice on the road.
“All five teams from within a division will play all five teams from one other intraconference division twice at home, and all five teams from the remaining intraconference division twice on the road.
“Each team will play two games against each interconference opponent (30 total games per team), with each paring featuring one home game and one road game.”
Here’s what the NBA season will look like @UtahJazz fans. pic.twitter.com/WzCoQj4PHx
— Ben Anderson (@BensHoops) November 18, 2020
Additionally, the season will be released in two segments to allow for adjustments in light of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The first half of the schedule will be released towards the beginning of training camp while the second half will be released later in the season.
The NBA season will feature an All-Star break scheduled between March 5-10 separating the two halves of the season.
The final two playoff spots in each conference will be decided via a play-in tournament between the seventh and tenth seeds. The seventh and eighth will play one game, with the winner earning the seventh spot in the seeding and a matchup with the second-seeded team in the postseason. The ninth and tenth seeded teams will play one game, with the winner having to face the loser of the seven-eight matchup. The winner of that game will earn the final playoff seed in the conference.
