Play-offs to pick last four NBA qualifiers

NEW YORK • The National Basketball Association (NBA) will use a play-off tournament to determine the seventh and eighth seeds in both conferences in the 2020-2021 post-season, according to a new format unveiled by the league on Tuesday.

The shortened season tips off on Dec 22, with each team playing 72 games rather than the traditional 82 games, so the play-offs can be completed in July and players made available for the Olympics.

The post-season will open on May 18. The biggest change to the format is the new method for determining the top eight post-season teams from the Eastern and Western Conferences.

Previously, the top eight teams in each conference advanced to the play-offs. Under the new format, the teams in each conference with the seventh-and eighth-highest winning percentages will play each other.

The winner of that game will take the seventh seeding. The loser will then play the winner of a play-off between the ninth-and 10th-placed teams for the eighth and final play-off berth.

A similar system was used last season when the league restarted in the Orlando "bubble" following a four-month shutdown due to the coronavirus pandemic.

A full schedule for the new season will be rolled out in stages, with the first half revealed during pre-season training camps.

Fixtures for the second half of the campaign will be confirmed midway through the season but the 72-game schedule is not expected to be perfectly balanced.

Meanwhile, the Milwaukee Bucks, under immense pressure to upgrade their roster to persuade reigning Most Valuable Player Giannis Antetokounmpo to pledge his long-term future, arranged a bold trade late on Monday to acquire the in-demand Jrue Holiday from the New Orleans Pelicans.

Forward Bogdan Bogdanovich will also move to the Bucks from the Sacramento Kings, with both trades not made official until the NBA league year begins this weekend.

AGENCE FRANCE-PRESSE, REUTERS, NYTIMES