The NBA board of governors voted yesterday to approve a 22-team format to restart the 2019-20 season on July 31 in Orlando, Florida.
Sources say the vote was 29-1, with the Portland Trail Blazers voting against the proposal.
Next up: the National Basketball Players Association representatives have a conference call today to approve the proposal.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said, “We are hopeful of finishing the season in a safe and responsible manner based on strict protocols now being finalized with public health officials and medical experts.”
The NBA said the season’s resumption is contingent on an agreement with The Walt Disney Co. to use the Walt Disney Resort for all games, practices and housing.
Teams will begin training in Orlando starting July 9-11.
How it will work:
Under the plan, 13 Western Conference teams and 9 Eastern Conference teams will play eight regular-season “seeding” games, a possible play-in tournament for the eighth seed, and playoffs at the Walt Disney World Resort.
The top 16 teams in the Eastern and Western conferences will be joined by teams currently within six games of eighth place in the two conferences. That’s New Orleans, Portland, San Antonio, Sacramento, Phoenix and Washington.
The play-in tournament will include the No. 8 and No. 9 teams in a conference — if the ninth seed finishes the regular season within four games of the eighth. In that case, the No. 9 seed would need to beat the No. 8 seed twice to earn the playoff berth, while the No. 8 would need one win from the two potential games.
