The NBA Play-in Tournament starts tonight, and there’s a lot up for grabs. The 7th seeded Pelicans face off against the 8th seeded Lakers. The 9th seeded Kings are playing against the 10th seeded Warriors. The winner of the Pelicans vs Lakers game will play the Nuggets first round. If either loses, they will have to battle the winner of the Kings vs. Warriors game. Then the winner of that game will lock in the 8th seed and play the Thunder first round.
Pelicans vs. Lakers | April 16 @ 7:30pm EST
Kings vs. Warriors | April 16 @ 10:00pm EST
In the East, the 7th seeded Sixers will play the 8th seeded Heat tomorrow night. The 9th seeded Bulls face off against the 10th seeded Hawks. The winner of the Sixers vs. Heat game will lock in the 7th seed and play the Knicks first round. The loser plays the winner of the Hawks vs Bulls game. Then the winner of that game will lock in the 8th seed and play the Celtics first round. Just a reminder, if either of the 9th or 10th seeds (Warriors, Kings, Hawks or Bulls) lose their first play-in game, they are eliminated from playoff contention. And if the 7th seeds (Pelicans or Sixers) win their first play-in game, they are guaranteed a playoff spot.
Heat vs Sixers | April 17 @ 7:00pm EST
Hawks vs Bulls | April 17 @ 9:30pm EST
The NBA Play-in Tournament has been slightly controversial, many people are not fans of it. Perhaps people love the traditional 1-8 seeding format. The tournament is exciting to watch because of the toughness teams have to display. It shows how bad teams want a playoff spot and a chance to win it all. The Heat were a play-in team last year and made a run to the NBA Finals. You truly never know what can happen in the postseason, but the play-in is just the beginning for the journey.
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