Quote:
Under the new format, the seventh- and eighth-place teams will face off in a single game to clinch a spot in the quarterfinals against the regular season's second-ranked team.
Likewise, the ninth- and 10th-place teams will in a single game whose loser will be eliminated. The winner will travel three days later to challenge either the seventh- or eighth-place team, whichever has lost their play-in game, to decide the final playoff spot and be paired with the top-ranked regular-season team.
Each game in the Play-In Showdown will be hosted by the team with the better record.
In essence, the seventh- and eighth-place teams that would have been playoff-bound under the previous format have a significant advantage in the Play-In Showdown as each needs to win only one game to reach the quarterfinals. The teams in ninth and 10th place game must win twice or be eliminated.