Jimmy Butler's 2020 Play-In Tournament Push

Lore & Background

The 2020–21 season started just 72 days after the completion of the 2020 NBA Finals, the shortest off-season in league history. The 2021 NBA All-Star Game was played on March 7, at State Farm Arena in Atlanta, and was won by Team LeBron, 170–150. Due to COVID-19 cross-border restrictions imposed by the Canadian government, the Toronto Raptors played their 2020–21 home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida. The season featured a condensed schedule so that the NBA Finals could conclude by July 22, allowing NBA players to participate in the 2020 Summer Olympics.

In Their Own Story

The 2020–21 season was unlike any other. The regular season was reduced to 72 games per team, beginning on December 22, 2020. For the first time, the NBA staged a play-in tournament for teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference from May 18 to 21. The playoffs then ran under the standard 16-team playoff format from May 22 to July 20, 2021. The season was delayed because of the COVID-19 pandemic, with the NBA initially setting a target date of December 1, 2020, before eventually settling on December 22. Each team played three games against each opponent from its own conference and two games against each interconference opponent. The season included a six-day All-Star break from March 5 to 10, with the All-Star Game held in Atlanta on March 7.

Did You Know?

• The 2020–21 season was the 75th season of the NBA, though the 75th anniversary was not celebrated until the following season.
• The season started just 72 days after the completion of the 2020 NBA Finals, the shortest off-season in league history.
• For the first time, the NBA staged a play-in tournament for teams ranked 7th through 10th in each conference.
• Due to COVID-19 cross-border restrictions, the Toronto Raptors played their 2020–21 home games at Amalie Arena in Tampa, Florida.
• The 2021 NBA All-Star Game was played on March 7 at State Farm Arena in Atlanta and was won by Team LeBron, 170–150.