Help · Pool types
How NBA Survivor works
Pick one NBA team from the commissioner's chosen games each regular-season week. No team reuse and one strike are the defaults; the commissioner can allow reuse and set a strike limit from one to five.
Rules
Picks, teams and strikes
- Each Monday-to-Sunday week, pick one NBA team from the regular-season games the commissioner chose for that week's slate. The commissioner also chooses the pool's first and last week.
- A wrong pick or a missed pick adds one strike. One strike is the default; the commissioner can set one to five and can have members pick winners (the default) or losers.
- Team reuse is off by default. The commissioner can allow any team to be picked again in another week. NBA Survivor is straight up only; it does not use a spread.
Locks and late joins
- Each pick locks when its game starts and stays hidden from other members until then. Members can join until the first week ends. A missed pick in any week, including the first, adds a strike; late joiners can choose any unstarted game in the first week's slate.
- The pool runs through the end of the NBA regular season. A win keeps an entry alive, while a strike can eliminate it.
- The commissioner chooses the slate and week range when creating the pool. Survivor rules can change until the first game starts; team reuse locks as soon as anyone saves a pick.
Winners and revives
- There is no tiebreaker. Entries alive at the end share the win; if every remaining entry is eliminated in the same week, they share it too.
- The pool ends early when one or zero entries remain after a fully played week. Before the regular season is complete, the commissioner can revive everyone eliminated in the latest week.
Two weekly picks from January 2026
Avery uses Boston, then Philadelphia, and survives both weeks. Blair's Knicks lose in Week 1; Casey's Pistons win that week, but Casey's Cavaliers lose in Week 2.
| Member | Pick | Game | Final | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avery | Boston Celtics | Chicago Bulls at Boston Celtics | Celtics 115–101 Bulls | Won; remains alive. |
| Blair | New York Knicks | Knicks at Detroit Pistons | Pistons 121–90 Knicks | Lost; one strike and eliminated. |
| Casey | Detroit Pistons | Knicks at Detroit Pistons | Pistons 121–90 Knicks | Won; remains alive. |
| Member | Pick | Game | Final | Result |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Avery | Philadelphia 76ers | 76ers at Toronto Raptors | 76ers 115–102 Raptors | Won; remains alive. |
| Casey | Cleveland Cavaliers | Jazz at Cavaliers | Jazz 123–112 Cavaliers | Lost; one strike and eliminated. |
Settings lock. The commissioner chooses the slate and week range when creating the pool. Pool name, fee and member caps stay editable until the first game starts; Survivor rules can change until then, and team reuse locks once anyone saves a pick.
The example uses final scores from real 2025–26 games, except March Madness, which uses the real 2026 NCAA tournament.