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How does the NBA play-in tournament work? Dates, projections and rules explained

How does the NBA play-in tournament work and which teams will participate during the 2020-21 season?

The league first tested the play-in round during the 2020 NBA restart in Orlando, Florida, with the Portland Trail Blazers topping the Memphis Grizzlies to get the final spot in the Western Conference playoffs. In November, the NBA's board of governors unanimously approved a plan to institute a new version of the play-in on a one-year basis.

The play-in adds a fascinating wrinkle to the end of the regular season and the start of the postseason.