The NBA is preparing for the second year of its in-season tournament, now branded as the Emirates NBA Cup.
The league said Thursday that the second annual tournament will begin Nov. 12 with regular-season fixtures designated as NBA Cup games.
As with last year’s competition, teams will be drawn into six groups of five for a single round robin. Group play games will take place across four Tuesdays (Nov. 12, Nov. 19, Nov. 26 and Dec. 3) and three Fridays (Nov. 15, Nov. 22 and Nov. 29).
The quarterfinals of the single-elimination knockout bracket will be played Dec. 10 and 11. Then the tournament will shift from NBA team markets to Las Vegas, where T-Mobile Arena (home of the NHL’s Golden Knights) will host the semifinals on Dec. 14 and the championship game on Dec. 17.
The NBA Cup groups will be drawn Friday night during a live ESPN broadcast.
The Los Angeles Lakers won the inaugural in-season tournament, defeating the Indiana Pacers in the championship game.
The NBA announced in February that a new partnership with Emirates would include branding the in-season tournament with the airline’s name beginning with the coming season.