NBA In-Season Tournament: Schedule and matchups for the East and West quarterfinals

The NBA In-Season Tournament has moved on to the knockout rounds. Let's update the brackets and look ahead to the quarterfinals.

The inaugural NBA In-Season Tournament has officially moved on from its group stage. After each team played four games in their respective group stages, four teams advanced from each conference. That NBA In-Season Tournament will now shift to the quarterfinals.

Here are the quarterfinals, which are slated to take place December 4 and 5, schedule and matchups in the East and West brackets:

• New York Knicks @ Milwaukee Bucks (December 5 - 7: 30 p.m. ET)
• Boston Celtics @ Indiana Pacers (December 4 - 7:30 p.m. ET)
• Phoenix Suns @ Los Angeles Lakers (December 5 - 10:00 p.m. ET)
• New Orleans Pelicans @ Sacramento Kings (December 4 - 10:00 p.m. ET)

In these quarterfinal matchups, we are going to get a preview of what we could possibly expect in the playoffs. The Knicks, Bucks, Celtics, and Pacers are four of the six top teams in the Eastern Conference standings. In the West, the Suns, Lakers, Pelicans, and Kings are also four teams that are widely expected to be in the postseason.

A few days after the quarterfinals, the semifinals are expected to take place. The semifinals are slated for December 7 and the NBA In-Season Tournament Final is set for December 9.

How will the NBA In-Season Tournament be remembered?

Ultimately, the knockout round could determine the success or failure of the NBA In-Season Tournament and dictate how it is remembered. After a fairly entertaining slate of group play, there's nothing that truly stands out from the Tournament thus far.

But the knockout round could completely change the perception of the Tournament. If there are a couple of noteworthy moments and/or an exciting championship, it could catapult the NBA to continue this idea for the foreseeable future.

Quite frankly, that decision may already be decided but a memorable moment in the knockout round could very much hammer it home.

And with good matchups in the quarterfinals and possibly in the semifinals and final, the NBA In-Season Tournament could add another element to the regular season over the next week and a half. One that it hasn't seen ever.

As many were rightfully hesitant about the idea of the NBA In-Season Tournament, it's been fairly second nature. It's time to see if the knockout portion of the Tournament sticks.