How do 2025 Summer League playoffs work? Explaining the 4-team tournament format
Every team plays four games to determine the standings. The Thunder finished with a perfect 4-0 record with mostly lopsided victories, just like what the NBA champion experienced this past season. Nikola Topic and Ajay Mitchell were the top players of this year's roster.
As the Thunder have a real shot to make the Summer League playoffs, let's break down what needs to happen ot see if they can become the first franchise to win the NBA championship and then the Summer League championship a month later:
Summer League playoff format
The top four teams advance to a knockout tournament. That means the semifinals and finals are single elimination. The other 26 teams will play a fifth game. Because only four games are played, that leaves a lot of room for tiebreakers to be needed.
The first is point differential. Important to note that it is decided by the average margin of victory, not by the total number of points. There are eight teams in contention to clinch one of the four spots.
The Thunder, Sacramento Kings and Minnesota Timberwolves are all 4-0. Meanwhile, the Toronto Raptors, San Antonio Spurs, Atlanta Hawks, LA Clippers and Charlotte Hornets are 3-0. The latter five will play one last game before the playoff picture is set.
Important games
Only one day remains in the current Summer League schedule. Here are the games the Thunder must keep an eye on if they want to clinch a playoff spot:
Tiebreakers
Because three teams have already played their four games and won them, their tiebreaker is set up. They now await the results of the above games to figure out if it's large enough to clinch a playoff spot, if needed. Here are their point differentials:
When will the Summer League playoffs start?
The Summer League playoffs will take place from July 19-20. The semifinals will be played on July 19 and the championship game will be played on July 20. That means two teams will play an additional sixth game to their Summer League slate to determine the champion.
What do the Summer League champions win?
The Summer League champions will be rewarded with rings. It's a recent tradition that started in 2022. It's a cool prize to win, especially if you're a bubble NBA player who likely won't have a long career in the league and could bounce around overseas or in the G League.
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