With the brand-new NBA In Season Tournament going on, a lot of people who are avid NBA fans are still trying to wrap their heads around the way this works. The NBA website has a very detailed section on how it works, but who wants to sit there and read it? I went ahead and broke down everything that the tournament has to offer, so that you don’t have to.

Every single team is drawn into 6 groups of 5. They all take turns playing a designated game based on their groups, and who they’ve already played, either on a Tuesday or a Friday. These teams will battle it out until they get the win, and that will determine if they make it to the knock out round

The knockout round is where it really starts to become fun. The top teams from each group have a guaranteed spot in the bracket, but 1 team from each conference (with the best record) will play their runner up- and the winners of those games will be considered wild cards. These 8 teams will play in a playoff style bracket.

The winners of the first round will advance to semi finals, the winners those games will become finalists, and the winner of that last game will be crowned the NBA In Season Tournament Champion. But what do they win? A trophy, and I guess bragging rights? Personally, I think this tournament is a fun way of getting more money for the NBA (as if they aren’t rich enough). Enjoy the games!!