The 2020-21 season was a thrilling one that ended with the Milwaukee Bucks hoisting the 2021 NBA Championship trophy, but the league also had to be happy about how the 2021 NBA Play-In Tournament unfolded.
Despite some grumblings from LeBron James, the Los Angeles Lakers and Golden State Warriors played one of the year’s best games as the two sides fought for the seventh seed in the Western Conference. The Lakers would eventually emerge as victors after James sunk the go-ahead three-pointer in the game’s final minutes.
The NBA and Players Association agreed to extend the concept, and the Board of Governors later approved a proposal to keep the Play-In Tournament for the 2021-22 season.