NBA plans in-season tourney: report

LOS ANGELES • The National Basketball Association (NBA) and the players' union are discussing making an in-season tournament part of the annual league calendar - an addition that could shorten the league season by four games, ESPN reported on Sunday.

If the league and the National Basketball Players Association (NBPA) reach an agreement, the tournament could be added to the league calendar as early as the 2022-23 season, according to the report.

The proposal being discussed by the two sides involves all 30 teams, who would compete in the pool-play portion of the tournament as part of the regular season.

The eight teams with the top records would play in a single-elimination tournament that would finish before the holidays, and the regular season would have 78 instead of 82 games under the plan.

Players will receive financial incentives, which could involve as much as US$1 million (S$1.4 million) for each player on the winning team.

But the report said the league must balance what it could gain in television and sponsorship revenues against what teams could lose by the reduction of games.

NBA commissioner Adam Silver is an enthusiastic supporter of the idea and has watched how fans of European football have embraced in-season tournaments.

The NBPA is expected to discuss the idea in depth at its winter meetings in February during the All-Star weekend in Cleveland.

In Los Angeles, reigning Most Valuable Player Nikola Jokic had 26 points, matched his career best of 22 rebounds and also contributed eight assists as the visiting Denver Nuggets rallied to beat the Clippers 103-100 on Sunday night.

The Serbian centre became the first player to record 25-plus points, 20-plus rebounds and five-plus assists in consecutive games since NBA great Charles Barkley in 1988.

Nuggets coach Michael Malone said after halting a two-game slide: "It was a little bit of an adventure there at the end, but we did enough to pull out the win. We needed this one."

 

The Clippers (17-16) slumped to their fourth loss in five games and to make matters worse, it was announced over the weekend that Paul George will be out for a month with a ligament tear in his right elbow.

 

Already shorn of their other All-Star and two-time Finals Most Valuable Player Kawhi Leonard, who has not played since suffering a cruciate ligament injury during last season's play-offs, Los Angeles are concerned moving forward.

Forward Terance Mann, who contributed 11 points for the hosts, said: "We're missing our best closer (in George)."

In Miami, Jimmy Butler posted 17 points and 11 rebounds in his return from an eight-game injury absence, leading the Heat to a 93-83 win over the Orlando Magic.

Teammate Kyle Lowry, who entered the game ranking fifth in the NBA in assists average (8.2), was placed in the NBA Covid-19 protocols list just before the game.

Even so, the Heat won their fifth straight game against their cross-state Florida rivals.

REUTERS