With the addition of Play-in games In the 2021 NBA playoffs, the seeding scramble is wilder – and more important – than ever, at almost every game on the track with a significant impact on the postseason.
Play-in matchups after Thursday’s games
Play-in games will take place May 18-21
• • How the play-in tournament will work
EAST
Game 1: No. 8 Charlotte at No. 7 Boston – Winner is No. 7 in the playoffs
Game 2: No. 10 Washington at No. 9 Indiana – Winner continues in play-in; Loser is eliminated
Game 3: Washington / Indiana winner at Boston / Charlotte loser – winner is number 8 in the playoffs
WEST
Game 1: No. 8 Golden State at No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers – The winner is number 7 in the playoffs
Game 2: No. 10 San Antonio at No. 9 Memphis – Winner Continues Play-In; Loser is eliminated
Game 3: Memphis / San Antonio Winner at Lakers / Golden State Loser – Winner is number 8 in the playoffs
Teams that won on Thursday
Already in
EAST
Playoff places: Philadelphia 76ers, Brooklyn networks, Milwaukee Bucks, intense heat, Atlanta Hawks, New York Knicks
Entry points (seeds 7-10): Boston Celtics, Charlotte Hornets, Indiana Pacers
WEST
Playoff places: Utah Jazz, Phoenix Suns, LA Clippers, Denver nuggets
Play-in spots: Golden State Warriors, Memphis grizzlies, San Antonio Spurs
Here’s a breakdown of Thursday’s main games and what the results mean for the sowing:
0:32
Devin Booker is fouled 2.4 seconds ahead and hits both free throws to claim the Suns victory.
The Portland Trail Blazer were four seconds away from officially securing a spot in the top 6, but two free throws past Devin Booker gave the Phoenix Suns a one-point win and kept Portland from getting a playoff spot for at least another day.
The Blazers end their season against the Nuggets on Sunday, but when the Los Angeles Lakers lose against them on Saturday Indiana PacersIt would guarantee Portland no worse than the sixth. But if the Blazers lose their final and the Lakers win their last two games, that would put Portland in the box and put the Lakers in sixth place.
The blazers were on a roll to get to that point, winning their last five and nine of their last ten.
The loss, however, makes the blazers’ advance for the 5-seed difficult. You fall one game behind that Dallas Mavericksand while holding the tiebreaker with Dallas, they need a Mavs loss to the Raptors or Timberwolves in one of their last two games. – Royce Young
0:16
Trae Young shakes his defender, walks over and fetches the high proof bucket.
In the race for fourth place in the east, victories across the board confirmed the status quo among the Atlanta Hawks, intense heat and New York Knicks Thursday night.
The Hawks took a giant step towards securing this fourth seed with an emphatic victory over the unfortunate Orlando Magic. The win leaves Atlanta with a final game on Sunday against the worst league Houston Rockets. If Atlanta wins this game and the Knicks and Heat win, the Hawks win the Southeast Division and get the fourth seed.
2 relatives
The Miami Heat has meanwhile blown them out Philadelphia 76ersKeep the heat in line to finish fifth. Miami owns the tiebreaker over the Knicks. So if all three teams tie by the end of the regular season, Miami will get the fifth seed. The Heat has two more games to go – on Saturday in Milwaukee and on Sunday in Detroit.
New York took a win too, although it was far more difficult to get as the Knicks overtook it San Antonio encourages in Madison Square Garden.
The Knicks play that Charlotte Hornets on Saturday and on Boston Celtics On Sunday.
If two of the three teams from Atlanta, New York and Miami are tied at the end of the season, the tiebreaker scenarios break out as follows:
Atlanta wins the tiebreaker with Miami
Miami wins the tiebreaker with New York
New York wins the tiebreaker with Atlanta
The losses of Charlotte and Indiana on Thursday night also officially lock the Celtics in the seventh seed in the east and they will host the 7-8 game in the NBA’s first play-in tournament next Tuesday. Charlotte and Indiana are tied with 33 wins while the Washington Wizards have 32. – Tim Bontemps
0:36
Coby White gets out in transition and throws a monster jam at Stanley Johnson.
With the Chicago Bulls beat the Toronto Raptors As of Thursday night, Chicago still has very low hopes for the play-in tournament. It would still take a lot – the wizards lose their last two games and the bulls win their last two – but that’s better than no chance at all. – Bontemps
Unlike the cops, the Sacramento Kings I have no chance at all after losing to them Memphis grizzlies on Thursday evening. The Kings had to win and the Spurs lost, but Thursday’s loss will officially extend Sacramento’s league playoff drought to 15 years. The Spurs, meanwhile, retreated to the No. 10 slot to the west.
Memphis stayed in the running for the chance to finish eighth in the Western Conference with the win. Sunday game against the Golden State Warriors will essentially be a one-game playoff for eighth playoff spot in the West, which is the difference between winning one of two games for the playoffs or winning two in a row. – Bontemps
0:19
The Clippers perform the pick and roll, with Rajon Rondo finding Kawhi Leonard with a slick pass for a layin and the foul.
Nic Batum enjoyed his return to Charlotte.
Considered expendable last season if the Charlotte Hornets Batum scored 11 points with his youth movement, hitting two 3s to help the Los Angeles Clippers beat the Hornets.
With the help of Batum, the Clippers played better than they had recently and continued to hold onto the third seed ahead of Denver with two games remaining in Houston and Oklahoma City.
For the Hornets, this was a game they needed. You stay connected to that Indiana Pacers. Charlotte, who owns the tiebreaker for seed # 8 over Indiana, has lost three straights and can use Miles Bridges back for the final two games of the season against the Knicks and Wizards. – Ohm Youngmisuk
