Play-in video games: Heat-Hornets, Magic-76ers, Suns-Blazers, Clippers-Warriors

MIAMI (AP) — The play-in match discipline is ready, and similar to that the postseason has arrived within the NBA.

First up: an elimination sport in Charlotte. The ninth-place Hornets will tackle the Tenth-place Miami Heat on Tuesday night time (7:30 p.m. Eastern) in a win-or-go-home sport to open the play-in match.

The remainder of the play-in schedule:

— West No. 7 Phoenix meets West No. 8 Portland on Tuesday (10 p.m. Eastern), with the winner shifting on to face Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in Round 1.

— East No. 7 Philadelphia performs host to East No. 8 Orlando on Wednesday (7:30 p.m. Eastern), with the winner of that sport set to fulfill the Boston Celtics in Round 1.

— The Los Angeles Clippers, No. 9 within the West, play host to No. 10 Golden State on Wednesday (10 p.m. Eastern) in an elimination sport. The winner will play the Suns-Trail Blazers loser on Friday for the precise to fulfill No. 1 Oklahoma City in Round 1.

— Also Friday, the Hornets-Heat winner will go to the 76ers-Magic loser to resolve which group advances to face No. 1 Detroit in Round 1.

“Our group understands what wins and loses for us,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra stated. “And that’s the most important thing.”

Rest of Round 1 schedule

The prime two seeds in every convention — Detroit, Boston, Oklahoma City and San Antonio — will wait till both Tuesday or Friday to seek out out their Round 1 opponents.

Some groups already know. The 3-vs.-6 and 4-vs.-5 Round 1 matchups are set.

In the East, No. 3 New York will play No. 6 Atlanta, and No. 4 Cleveland takes on No. 5 Toronto. In the West, No. 3 Denver will play No. 6 Minnesota — the third time in 4 years these groups have met within the postseason — whereas the fourth-seeded Los Angeles Lakers will face No. 5 Houston.

How Sunday went down

Inside the Heat locker room on Sunday night time, everyone’s eyes had been on a large tv set displaying the top of the Orlando-Boston sport.

With good motive. It determined a complete lot within the East.

The Celtics beat the Magic, which dropped Orlando into the No. 8 spot for the play-in. It additionally ensured the Miami-Charlotte sport could be performed Tuesday, since Philadelphia can not host basketball video games Monday or Tuesday due to area scheduling conflicts with the NHL’s Flyers.

“This one is done,” Magic coach Jamahl Mosley stated after the loss in Boston. “You’ve got to make sure you focus your time and your attention and your energy all on the Philadelphia 76ers right now.”

Portland beat Sacramento to earn the No. 8 spot within the West going into the play-in, and due to this fact may have two probabilities to win one sport and earn a playoff berth. The Clippers beat Golden State of their finale, and now these groups will play once more in Inglewood, California, on Wednesday in an elimination sport.

“Each team knows the other pretty well, just from playing against them a lot over the years,” Warriors coach Steve Kerr stated.

Denver — which ended the common season on a 12-game profitable streak — topped San Antonio to lock up the No. 3 seed. The Lakers beat Utah, and that outcome means LeBron James shall be taking over Kevin Durant of their first postseason assembly for the reason that 2018 NBA Finals.

Points report falls

More factors had been scored this season than in some other in NBA historical past, with the earlier report of 282,127 factors getting handed Sunday night — with about seven video games left to be performed on the schedule.

The last complete for the season: 284,395 factors.

It wasn’t a report for factors per sport; that mark of 118.8 factors per group, per sport, has stood since 1961-62. This season’s tempo of 115.6 factors per group was sixth-best in NBA historical past.

Jokic performs, shall be award eligible

Denver’s Nikola Jokic appeared within the Nuggets’ sport in opposition to San Antonio on Sunday night time, which pushed his complete to 65 video games for the season — and due to this fact acquired him eligibility on the NBA’s award ballots that shall be despatched out later this week.

Jokic was second in final yr’s MVP balloting behind solely Oklahoma City’s Shai Gilgeous-Alexander, That made Jokic simply the third participant in NBA historical past with a top-two end in 5 or extra consecutive seasons, becoming a member of Bill Russell and Larry Bird.

Jokic gained MVP in 2021, 2023 and 2024, plus was second in 2022 and once more final yr.

Russell and Bird, a pair of Boston Celtics greats, every had been first or second within the balloting in six consecutive seasons.

Stat notes

The league’s statistical champions have been identified for a while, however now they’re formally official.

The Lakers’ Luka Doncic (33.5 factors per sport) gained the scoring title, whereas Jokic gained each the rebounding (12.9 per sport) and help (10.7 per sport) titles to finish one other season during which he averaged a triple-double.

Other stat objects of notice:

— The league completed with 96 video games determined by 30 factors or extra, 16 greater than the earlier report (set final season).

— The common margin of victory this season was 13.3 factors, one other report (earlier was 12.7, set final season).

— This one is wild. Last season within the NBA, groups listed as favorites by BetMGM Sportsbook went 853-377. This season, they went … 853-377.

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