NBA match up Combinations

Question

Hello. Please List all possible NBA matchups using all 30 teams. I created a list on Excel of all the 870 ways to make a matchup. (30 x 29 = 870). This contains duplicates... Example: Celtics vs Warriors and Warriors vs Celtics. Same matchup but different order. I do not want the reverse order matchups. How do I remove the duplicated ones in the list.

Answer 1

Jeff,

Here’s a straightforward way to create these pairings, that can reuse for other lists as well:

First, on one worksheet called Teams, just list the Teams’ names, starting in A1, a2... as many as there are. In this case A1: A30.

Next, on a worksheet called Pairs, enter formulas as follows:

in A1: 31 (the number of teams plus 1)

in B1: 1

in A2: =if(b1=1,a1-1,a1)

In B2: =if(b1=1, a2-1, b1-1)

Third, copy row 2 and paste it down through row 436

Actually, (1+ #teams * (#teams-1) /2)

Fourth, to list the actual names in the pairings,

in Pairs, C2, enter =INDEX(Teams!a$1:a$30, a2,1)

in Pairs, D2, enter =INDEX(Teams!a$1:a$30, b2,1)

Select c2 and d2, copy, and paste down through 436

Columns C and D have the names for exactly the pairings you want. (( corrected from original post ))