Each team's eight-game closing schedule
This is not official.
BOSTON CELTICS vs. Bucks, Wizards, Raptors, Nets, Wizards, Blazers, Grizzlies, Heat
BROOKLYN NETS vs. Clippers, Kings, Wizards, Celtics, Magic, Clippers, Magic, Blazers
DALLAS MAVERICKS vs. Suns, Clippers, Kings, Blazers, Suns, Rockets, Jazz, Bucks
DENVER NUGGETS vs. Spurs, Lakers, Clippers, Thunder, Raptors, Heat, Spurs, Thunder
HOUSTON ROCKETS vs. Lakers, Blazers, Kings, Bucks, Mavericks, Pacers, 76ers, Raptors
INDIANA PACERS vs. 76ers, Heat, Suns, Magic, Rockets, Kings, Clippers, Lakers
L.A. CLIPPERS vs. Nets, Pelicans, Mavericks, Nuggets, Suns, Nets, Pacers, Thunder
L.A. LAKERS vs. Rockets, Nuggets, Jazz, Jazz, Raptors, Pacers, Trail Blazers,* Heat or Magic*
MEMPHIS GRIZZLIES vs. Blazers, Jazz, Spurs, Thunder, Bucks, Pelicans, Pelicans, Celtics
MIAMI HEAT vs. Bucks, Pacers, Thunder, Nuggets, Suns, Celtics, Raptors, *Lakers or Trail Blazers*
MILWAUKEE BUCKS vs. Celtics, Heat, Grizzlies, Wizards, Rockets, Wizards, Mavericks, Raptors
NEW ORLEANS PELICANS vs. Kings, Jazz, Clippers, Spurs, Grizzlies, Kings, Grizzlies, Magic
OKLAHOMA CITY THUNDER vs. Jazz, Wizards, Grizzlies, Nuggets, Heat, Nuggets, Suns, Clippers
ORLANDO MAGIC vs. Pacers, Kings, Nets, Nets, Pelicans, 76ers, Raptors, Lakers or Trail Blazers*
PHILADELPHIA 76ERS vs. Pacers, Wizards, Raptors, Blazers, Suns, Rockets, Magic, Spurs
PHOENIX SUNS vs. Mavericks, Pacers, Clippers, Mavericks, 76ers, Wizards, Heat, Thunder
PORTLAND TRAIL BLAZERS vs. Grizzlies, Rockets, Mavericks, 76ers, Celtics, Nets, Lakers,* Heat or Magic*
SACRAMENTO KINGS vs. Pelicans, Nets, Mavericks, Rockets, Magic, Pelicans, Pacers, Spurs
SAN ANTONIO SPURS vs. Nuggets, Grizzlies, Pelicans, Jazz, Jazz, Nuggets, Kings, 76ers
TORONTO RAPTORS vs. 76ers, Celtics, Nuggets, Lakers, Bucks, Rockets, Heat, Magic
UTAH JAZZ vs. Thunder, Pelicans, Grizzlies, Lakers, Lakers, Spurs, Spurs, Mavericks
WASHINGTON WIZARDS vs. Celtics, Thunder, 76ers, Nets, Bucks, Celtics, Suns, Bucks
Play-in tournament
Once each team has played its remaining eight-game schedule, the Nos. 1-7 seeds in each conference, at least, will be locked in. At that point, if the No. 9 seed is within four games of the No. 8 seed, there will be a play-in series for the final spot in each conference.
Playoff format
Same as always. Once the eight seeds in each conference are determined via the mechanisms above, seven-game series will commence with traditional formatting. This means no group-stage format or 1-16 inter-conference seeding. Yes, I find this very boring and wildly disappointing given the opportunity the league had to try something new and fun.
ahhh ball is back....