The NBA has released the schedule for the league’s inaugural in-season tournament and the Toronto Raptors are set to take on some Eastern Conference foes between November 17 and November 28.
.acf-block-preview .instagram-twitter-container {
width: 340px;
margin: 0 auto;
}
The Raptors will play in the East C group, consisting of the Orlando Magic, Boston Celtics, Chicago Bulls and Brooklyn Nets, competing for the prize pool of about $18 million.
The Raptors’ schedule is as follows:
Nov. 17: Raptors vs. Celtics, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Nov. 21: Raptors at Magic, 7 p.m. ET / 4 p.m. PT
Nov. 24: Raptors vs. Bulls, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Nov. 28: Raptors at Nets, 7:30 p.m. ET / 4:30 p.m. PT
Teams were assigned to a five-team group. They’ll play one game against each other; the six group winners will make the quarterfinals, as will the best two second-place teams from the groups.
All games on Tuesdays and Fridays in November will be designated as tournament-game days. (That doesn’t include Nov. 7, when the league will not hold any games in observance of Election Day.)
There are 14 teams that will begin play on Nov. 3, and 13 teams will get their first tournament games in on Nov. 10.
Orlando and Atlanta won’t start their tournament schedules until Nov. 14, and Toronto doesn’t make its tournament debut until Nov. 17.
Another highlight: 10 games on the schedule for Nov. 24, the day after Thanksgiving and traditionally one of the busiest holiday shopping days. That day’s slate starts with Boston visiting Orlando at 2:30 p.m. ET.
KNOCKOUT ROUNDS
Quarterfinals will be played on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5. The semifinals are in Las Vegas on Dec. 7, and the championship game is there on Dec. 9.
Every tournament game will count as a regular-season game in the standings — except for the championship game.
— With files from The Associated Press.