This is crazy! All: These are the NBA tie-break procedures for the postseason. Some things have changed from previous seasons. Please contact me with any questions. -Pete Playoff Tie-Break Procedures Ties for playoff positions (including division winners) will be broken utilizing the criteria set forth in subparagraph a. below (in the case of ties involving two teams) and subparagraph b. below (in the case of ties involving more than two teams), and the guidelines set forth in subparagraph c. below. Two Teams Tied. In the case of a tie in regular-season records involving only two teams, the following criteria will be utilized in the following order: (1) Division winner (this criterion is applied regardless of whether the tied teams are in the same division). (2) Better winning percentage in games against each other. (3) Better winning percentage against teams in own division (only if tied teams are in same division). (4) Better winning percentage against teams in own conference. (5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position). (6) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in opposite conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position). (7) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”). More Than Two Teams Tied. In the case of a tie in regular season records involving more than two teams, the following criteria will be utilized in the following order: (1) Division winner (this criterion is applied regardless of whether the tied teams are in the same division). (2) Better winning percentage in all games among the tied teams. (3) Better winning percentage against teams in own division (only if all tied teams are in the same division). (4) Better winning percentage against teams in own conference. (5) Better winning percentage against teams eligible for playoffs in own conference (including teams that finished the regular season tied for a playoff position). (6) Better net result of total points scored less total points allowed against all opponents (“point differential”). Guidelines For Applying Tie-Break Criteria. The following guidelines shall be used when applying the above criteria to break ties for playoff positions: (1) (a) Ties to determine the division winners must be broken before any other ties. (b) When a tie must be broken to determine a division winner, the results of the tie-break shall be used to determine only the division winner, and not for any other purpose. (2) If a tie involves more than two teams, the tie-break criteria in subparagraph b. shall be applied in the order set forth therein until the first to occur of the following: (a) Each of the tied teams has a different winning percentage or point differential under the applicable tiebreak criterion (a “complete” breaking of the tie). In this circumstance, the team with the best winning percentage or point differential under the criterion will be awarded the best playoff position, the team with the next-best winning percentage or point differential will be awarded the next-best playoff position, and so on, and no further application of the tie-break criteria will be required. (b) One or more (but not all) of the tied teams has a different winning percentage or point differential under the applicable tie-break criterion (a “partial” breaking of the tie). In this circumstance: (x) any team(s) that performed better under the applicable criterion than any other team(s) will be awarded a higher playoff position than such other team(s); and (y) teams that had equivalent performance under the applicable criterion will remain tied, and such remaining tie(s) will be broken by applying, from the beginning, the criteria in subparagraph a.(1)-(6) above (for any remaining tie involving only two teams) or subparagraph b.(1)-(5) above (for any remaining tie involving more than two teams) and the guidelines set forth in this subparagraph (3) If application of the criteria in subparagraph a. or b. does not result in the breaking of a tie, the playoff positions of the tied teams will be determined by a random drawing. Peter D. Newmann NBA Research and Information Specialist ESPN, Inc.
Re: NBA Playoff Tie Breaker Scenarios 101 If the Blazers end up in a tie with Denver, the tie-breaker could very well go to the 4th level (winning percentage against teams in own conference)....in which case Denver would get it. As it stands, the Blazers are 4 games behind them in that category.
Re: NBA Playoff Tie Breaker Scenarios 101 Wrong Denver has two less divisional losses than us with one divisional game remaining. They are guaranteed the second divisional tiebreaker.
Re: NBA Playoff Tie Breaker Scenarios 101 Check the date of his post. At the time he wrote it, if Denver had lost to OKC last night and the Blazers had won out (including beating Denver on the last day of the season), both teams would have finished with identical 11-5 division records. BNM
Re: NBA Playoff Tie Breaker Scenarios 101 LOL my bad someone linked to this thread, thought I'd be a know it all.
Re: NBA Playoff Tie Breaker Scenarios 101 I see a few threads talking about what if this and what if that. Who do we want to win and if they are tied who gets what. Here are all the answers!
Re: NBA Playoff Tie Breaker Scenarios 101 This stuff makes my head explode. I'm just going to wait until Wednesday knowing we're a top five seed.
Seeds 3,4,5-TieBreak Scenarios http://sports.espn.go.com/nba/dailydime?page=dime-090413 On the right hand column half way down, they explain pretty well how the playoff seeding will work if we are all tied.
