Hornets’ in-season NBA tournament dates revealed. Here’s what you should know about it.

Roderick Boone
·3 min read

Circle Nov. 10 on the calendar.

That will be the Charlotte Hornets’ first game in the NBA’s inaugural in-season tournament, a newly-created annual competition for all 30 teams that will conclude with a championship game on Dec. 9 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.

The Hornets will travel to Washington for a date with the Wizards to begin their East Group 3 schedule before hosting Miami on Nov. 14, the league announced Tuesday. Charlotte also takes on Milwaukee on Nov. 17 at Spectrum Center prior to wrapping up group action in New York against the Knicks on Nov. 28.

Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, left, speaks with guard LaMelo Ball, right, during first half action against the Washington Wizards on Monday, October 10, 2022 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. The Hornets hosted the Washington Wizards in NBA preseason action.
Charlotte Hornets head coach Steve Clifford, left, speaks with guard LaMelo Ball, right, during first half action against the Washington Wizards on Monday, October 10, 2022 at Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. The Hornets hosted the Washington Wizards in NBA preseason action.

So what does that mean and exactly what should you know about the NBA’s new brainchild? Here’s the gist of how it will all work leading up to that title game in the desert:

Hornets in group play

Each conference is broken up into three groups. To determine the composition of the six groups, the 15 teams in each conference were divided into groups of five via a random drawing based on 2022-23 win-loss records.

The Hornets, just like the other 29 teams, have four designated games in group play. These are dubbed tournament nights on the league’s schedule, with games tipping off on Tuesdays and Fridays from Nov. 3-28 — the lone exception coming Nov. 7, when the league is going dark again on Election Day.

Charlotte has one game against each opponent in its group, splitting the quartet of outings between two at home and two on the road. The Hornets’ composite record in those four matchups determine whether they continue on to the next stage: knockout action.

The 22 teams that don’t push past group play will each play two regular-season games --- one home, one away --- on Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 and a formulaic approach will be used to pair the teams.

NBA tournament knockout stage

Once group play is complete, the six teams with the best standing in their respective groups earn a spot in the knockout rounds. Two wild card teams — one from each conference that finished with the next best record in group play action — also receive a nod.

Games in this round will be single elimination and begin taking place in NBA markets Dec. 4-5. Those quarterfinal dates come during the same week as the semifinals and championship game in Las Vegas, which are slated for Dec. 7 and Dec. 9, respectively.

The four teams that lose in the quarterfinals will also each play a regular-season game on Dec. 8, serving as the warm up act to the tournament’s overall winner hoisting the NBA Cup some 24 hours later.

Prizes/awards

Half a million dollars.

That’s what the players on the team that wins it all will receive for their accomplishment. It’s also $300,000 more than what those on the team that loses in the championship game will take home.

Reaching the semifinal round comes with a $100,000 guarantee and making it as far as the quarterfinals fetches a cool $50,000. Upon the tournament’s completion, an all-tournament team along with a most valuable player will be announced.

HORNETS IN-SEASON TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE

Nov. 10: at Washington, 7 p.m.

Nov. 14: vs. Miami, 7 p.m.

Nov. 17: vs. Milwaukee, 7 p.m.

Nov. 28: at New York, 7:30 p.m.