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CLEVELAND — It took 82 video games and 5 further minutes to resolve the second-best workforce within the Japanese Convention, and a playoff workforce with nothing to realize Sunday laying down utterly so {that a} first-place workforce out West might emerge.
On an unprecedented final day of the regular season for the NBA, with extra up for grabs in each conferences at recreation No. 82 than at any level within the league’s 77-year historical past, the New York Knicks defeated the Chicago Bulls in time beyond regulation 120-119 to assert second within the East.
And within the West, with the Oklahoma City Thunder beating the solely depleted Dallas Mavericks 135-86, the Thunder emerged from a three-way tie with the Denver Nuggets and Minnesota Timberwolves to assert the No. 1 seed. With a median age of slightly below 24 years previous, OKC is the youngest workforce to earn a No. 1 seed in league historical past.
The Nuggets, 2023 NBA champs, additionally gained Sunday and completed because the No. 2 seed; the Timberwolves misplaced to the Phoenix Suns and fell to 3rd. The Suns, with their win and a New Orleans Pelicans loss to the Los Angeles Lakers, claimed sixth within the West.
Whereas the Thunder (the league’s second-youngest workforce, 5 years faraway from a franchise reset) and Nuggets await first-round opponents from the Play-In spherical, No. 3 Minnesota hosts No. 6 Phoenix subsequent weekend, and No. 4 LA Clippers hosts No. 5 Dallas.
The Pelicans and Suns each entered Sunday with a shot at sixth, and just one recreation separated No. 8 (Lakers) from No. 10 (Golden State Warriors).
The West Play-In will characteristic a rematch of Sunday’s Pelicans-Lakers recreation within the 7-8 recreation, with the winner advancing to play the Nuggets. The Sacramento Kings will host the Warriors within the Nos. 9-10 Play-In.
Within the East, the Orlando Magic, Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers additionally gained on Sunday, whereas the Cleveland Cavaliers and Milwaukee Bucks misplaced in embarrassing trend.
Consequently, the sure East first-round matchups are: No. 5 Orlando at No. 4 Cleveland, and No. 6 Indiana at No. 3 Milwaukee.
The No. 7 Sixers will host No. 8 Miami in a single Play-In Match recreation, with the winner advancing to play No. 2 New York in a first-round collection. The Boston Celtics, who completed with a 14-game lead within the East, the biggest lead over a second-place workforce for the reason that NBA-ABA merger in 1976, await the winner of the Play-In finale (loser of Miami-Philly versus winner of No. 10 Atlanta-No. 9 Chicago).
The Lakers-Pelicans and Kings-Warriors matchups are set for Tuesday; the 76ers-Warmth and Bulls-Hawks video games will probably be Wednesday.
If The Masters is a event not like another, properly, the identical could possibly be stated for this explicit season-ending day within the NBA.
This was the primary time in league historical past that, by means of 81 video games, three groups had the identical file with an opportunity to complete first within the convention. Additionally on that aspect of the bracket, solely the Clippers (No. 4) and Mavericks (No. 5) have been assured to remain within the spot they held by means of 81 contests — which is why Dallas sat Luka Dončić, Kyrie Irving, Maxi Kleber, Dereck Lively II and others within the blowout loss to the Thunder.
All of the 30 groups performed Sunday. By day’s finish, there have been be 18 groups with not less than a .500 mark — one other league file.
Sunday started with the Bucks, Knicks and Cavs all with a shot on the No. 2 seed. Milwaukee has pale down the stretch (14-12 for the reason that All-Star break) and struggled beneath new coach Doc Rivers, and pulled its starters within the fourth quarter of an eventual 113-88 beatdown by the hands of the Magic — who would have fallen to the Play-In with a loss. A win and the Bucks would have captured second. Giannis Antetokounmpo didn’t play due to the calf injury he suffered last week.
“Indiana has had our quantity all yr, so excellent opponent,” Bucks coach Doc Rivers stated. “Hear, we gotta play anyone, and so they’re robust. They’ve performed nice in opposition to us. They in all probability have nice confidence in opposition to us. We’ll have nice focus as a result of we’re going to must.”
In Cleveland, the place the Cavs have been in second within the East on the All-Star break, solely to go 12-17 after, Donovan Mitchell, Caris LeVert and Darius Garland have been all held out in opposition to the Charlotte Hornets, who solely dressed 9 gamers and one rotation participant. However early within the first quarter, the Cavs’ lone ballhandler in uniform, Craig Porter Jr., sprained his ankle and couldn’t return. The Cavs led by 13 early within the fourth, when coach J.B. Bickerstaff pulled most of his remaining rotation gamers, and Cleveland closed with a lineup during which its solely offense gave the impression to be Tristan Thompson — sure, Tristan Thompson — making an attempt to place the ball on the ground to make one thing occur.
Not even in opposition to a lineup of end-of-benchers and G Leaguers, just like the one the Hornets had on the ground on the finish, would such a foolish thought work. The Cavs misplaced 120-110 in Hornets coach Steve Clifford’s final recreation and have been roundly booed by dwelling followers within the closing moments.
“It was tough (to look at), however we had our plan in place with what we have been gonna do with our guys,” Bickerstaff stated afterward. “(Our starters) have been gonna play these three quarters, after which Craig not being on the market made it a little bit tough to prepare and rating within the fourth quarter, however we needed to stay to our plan, and it doesn’t matter what was going to occur we have been going to offer our guys a chance to play.””
With a win, the Cavs would have leaped over the Bucks for third and would have prevented the Celtics till a possible convention finals match. The Knicks, in the meantime, acquired 40 factors from All-Star Jalen Brunson and 25 factors from Donte DiVincenzo, who performed all 53 minutes of the sport. Clearly, second place meant extra to some groups than others.
NBA commissioner Adam Silver sought to make this common season imply extra, and say what you’ll about every explicit technique he selected, however he acquired the specified finish end result. Silver created a brand new event, demanded gamers sit out fewer video games and, with the gamers’ OK, modified the foundations to encourage better participation. He additionally requested the gamers to strive tougher in the course of the All-Star Recreation.
“I don’t know if that is due to all of the in-season modifications or no matter it might be, or if it’s as a result of I feel the league is in a extremely good place so far as the depth of expertise,” Bickerstaff stated. “I feel the extent of competitors from prime to backside by means of the league is so good now and so properly balanced that the video games are extra participating.”
The In-Season Match was a hit by any measure. The championship featured LeBron James and the Lakers, and given Los Angeles’ proximity to Las Vegas, the place the event’s semifinals and ultimate have been held, attendance was certain to be plentiful. The title recreation, gained by L.A. over the Pacers, was the most-watched non-Christmas NBA regular-season recreation since 2018.
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New league guidelines to restrict load administration and enhance the variety of stars enjoying in nationwide TV video games stirred controversy, largely as a result of one rule tied honors corresponding to MVP to variety of video games performed, however by and huge, extra of the NBA’s finest gamers have been on the court docket extra usually.
For example, of all of the league’s perennial MVP candidates, solely the reigning MVP, Embiid, failed to succeed in the minimal 65 video games to qualify, and the remainder are over by a cushty margin. Way more of the league’s prime 50 scorers performed in not less than 80 % of the video games this season than final. Additionally, of the highest 10 vote getters for MVP final season, solely two gamers appeared in additional than 70 video games.
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The All-Star Recreation, properly, each groups paid so little consideration that an All-Star file for whole factors in a recreation was shattered.
However Silver’s different two initiatives labored, and right here he’s on the finish of his tenth season in cost, presiding over a ultimate day of an everyday season during which extra was up for grabs than on any earlier final day in league historical past.
(Prime picture of Donte DiVincenzo: Elsa / Getty Photos)
