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The regular season of the NBA League has come to a thrilling end, and the pairs for the playoffs have finally been determined. The playoffs will consist of play-offs and play-ins, with the top six teams from each conference directly qualifying for the playoffs, while the remaining four teams will be named through the play-ins.
The Western Conference Finals: A Battle for Playoff Placement
Last night, the Western Conference Finals were particularly intense, with four teams fighting for the coveted fifth and sixth place. In the end, Golden State emerged victorious, defeating Portland with a score of 157-101, and the Los Angeles Clippers triumphed over Phoenix with a score of 119-114.
However, the New Orleans Pelicans suffered a loss to Minnesota with a score of 113-108, eliminating their chances of advancing. Despite their victory over Utah with a score of 128-117, the Los Angeles Lakers will also be participating in the play-ins.
The 2023 Play-In Tournament: Adding Excitement to the Regular Season
The NBA's play-in tournament has added an extra layer of excitement to the end of the 2022-23 regular season and the start of the playoffs. Previously, teams were less motivated to tank games during the latter part of the season due to the flattened lottery odds that were instituted in 2019.
Now that the top ten teams in the standings will have a chance to make the playoffs, more franchises will remain in the mix for a longer period of time. While some players, such as LeBron James of the Los Angeles Lakers, were not thrilled about the play-in tournament, it promises to be a heated competition as teams fight for the final playoff seeds in each conference.
Everything You Need to Know About the 2023 Play-In Tournament Here's a comprehensive overview of the 2023 play-in tournament, including the matchups, dates and times, and how it works.
Matchups:
Eastern Conference
- No.
10 Chicago Bulls vs. No. 9 Toronto Raptors (Wednesday, 7 p.m. ET on ESPN)
- No. 8 Atlanta Hawks vs. No. 7 Miami Heat (Tuesday, 7:30 p.m. ET on TNT)
- Game 3: Winner 9/10 vs. Loser 7/8 (Friday, 7 or 7:30 p.m. ET)
Western Conference
- No. 10 Oklahoma City Thunder vs.
No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans (Wednesday, 9:30 p.m. ET on ESPN)
- No. 8 Minnesota Timberwolves vs. No. 7 Los Angeles Lakers (Tuesday, 10 p.m. ET on TNT)
- Game 3: Winner 9/10 vs. Loser 7/8 (Friday, 9:30 or 10 p.m. ET)
