August 15, 2023 – The Charlotte Hornets announced today the team’s four-game slate for the Group Play stage of the NBA In-Season Tournament, a new annual competition for all 30 teams that will debut in the upcoming 2023-24 regular season.

Charlotte begins play at Washington (Nov. 10 at 7 p.m.), then returns to Spectrum Center to host Miami (Nov. 14 at 7 p.m.) and Milwaukee (Nov. 17 at 7 p.m.) before concluding Group Play at New York (Nov. 28 at 7:30 p.m.). The Hornets’ full In-Season Tournament Group Play schedule is listed below.

After all 30 teams compete in the Group Play stage, eight teams will advance to the Knockout Rounds: the team with the best record in each of the six groups and two “wild cards” (the team from each conference with the best record in Group Play games that finished second in its group). The Knockout Rounds will consist of single-elimination games in the Quarterfinals (played in NBA team markets on Dec. 4 and Dec. 5), as well as the Semifinals and Championship (played at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas on Dec. 7 and Dec. 9, respectively). The Knockout teams will compete for a prize pool and the new In-Season Tournament trophy, the NBA Cup.

The 30 teams were randomly drawn into groups of five within their conference based on win-loss records from the 2022-23 regular season. Each team will play four designated Group Play games – one game against each opponent in its group, with two games at home and two on the road – on “Tournament Nights,” which will take place every Tuesday and Friday from Nov. 3-28 (with the exception of Election Day on Nov. 7, when no games will be played). The only NBA games played on Tournament Nights will be Group Play games.

The prize pool includes $500,000 each for players on the winning team of the Championship, $200,000 each for players on the losing team of the Championship, $100,000 each for players on losing teams of the Semifinals and $50,000 each for players on losing teams of the Quarterfinals.

The 67 games across both stages of the In-Season Tournament will count toward the regular-season standings, with the exception of the Championship. Each team will continue to play 82 regular-season games in the 2023-24 season, including those games that are part of Group Play and the Knockout Rounds. The teams that do not qualify for the Knockout Rounds will each play two regular-season games on Dec. 6 and Dec. 8 that will be announced following the conclusion of Group Play.

In total, 14 Group Play games (two games on each Tournament Night) and all seven Knockout Round games will be televised nationally.

At the conclusion of the In-Season Tournament, the NBA will name the Most Valuable Player of the In-Season Tournament and the All-Tournament Team. Selection will be based on the players’ performance in both Group Play and the Knockout Rounds.

Hornets In-Season Tournament Group Play Schedule

Friday, November 10

7 p.m. – Charlotte at Washington

Tuesday, November 14

7 p.m. – Charlotte vs. Miami

Friday, November 17

7 p.m. – Charlotte vs. Milwaukee

Tuesday, November 28

7:30 p.m. – Charlotte at New York