With the In-Season tournament’s quarterfinalists now all but decided, players will be more inclined to do their best to win the competition. The overall pool of $18 million guarantees that each member of the winning team will walk away with a $500,000 cash prize.
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As far as the individual awards are concerned, the NBA will announce both a Most Valuable Player for the In-Season tournament, as well as an All-Tournament team, much like that of the Regular Season. With the knockout teams now completely decided, a range of contenders have emerged for the attractive prize, including the likes of Zion Williamson, LeBron James, and Damian Lillard, among others.
With the 30 teams divided into 6 groups of 5, only the group leaders gained direct qualification into the quarters. Two wildcard teams in the form of the New York Knicks and the Phoenix Suns have also qualified for the knockout stages of the tournament, with the quarterfinals set to take place on December 4 and 5, as per CBS Sports.
The tournament’s final stages will have a festive ambience and take place at the T-Mobile arena in Las Vegas. With the Championship game scheduled for December 9th, it is only a matter of days before the first-ever champion of the NBA Cup is announced. Of course, the league has already indicated that it has every intention to ensure that the tournament becomes a tradition of sorts, with Adam Silver claiming that they were inspired by European Football Cup competitions concerning the overall concept.
The In-Season tournament has already seen multiple big games
The In-Season tournament seems to have already struck a chord with fans and franchises alike. With new team-themed courts, jerseys and a comprehensive financial bag to gain, teams seemed to have given their all in order to qualify for the knockouts.
The Boston Celtics, for example, needed a win against the Chicago Bulls in order to reach the quarters. They ended up fouling Andre Drummond repeatedly in the fourth quarter in order to gain possession and win the game. The ploy worked, as Drummond, who has traditionally been a poor free throw shooter, went 0-4 in the final minutes.
The Celtics won the game 124-97 eventually, after surviving a late onslaught from the likes of Ayo Dosunmu, Coby White, and Jevon Carter. On the other hand, defending champions Denver Nuggets have already been knocked out after losing to the Houston Rockets.
