The 2020/21 NBA regular season is in the books, and the teams and seeds for the league’s first full-fledged play-in tournament have been set. Here are the matchups:
Eastern Conference
Tuesday, May 18
- Game 1: Charlotte Hornets (10) at Indiana Pacers (9), 6:30pm ET
- Winner plays Thursday; loser is eliminated.
- Game 2: Washington Wizards (8) at Boston Celtics (7), 9:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays Thursday.
Thursday, May 20
- Winner of Game 1 at Loser of Game 2, 8:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
Western Conference
Wednesday, May 19
- Game 3: San Antonio Spurs (10) at Memphis Grizzlies (9), 7:30pm ET
- Winner plays Friday; loser is eliminated.
- Game 4: Golden State Warriors (8) at Los Angeles Lakers (7), 10:00pm ET
- Winner secures No. 7 seed; loser plays Friday.
Friday, May 21
- Winner of Game 3 at Loser of Game 4, TBD
- Winner secures No. 8 seed; loser is eliminated.
This will technically be the NBA’s second play-in tournament, since the Trail Blazers had to beat the Grizzlies in a play-in game last summer to earn the No. 8 seed in the West.
However, the league revamped the format prior to the 2020/21 season to ensure that it includes both conferences and puts both the seventh and eighth seeds up for grabs. This will be the first play-in tournament using that new format.
Once the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds in each conference are set, the eight first-round matchups will be finalized. Here’s what those matchups look like so far:
Eastern Conference
- Philadelphia 76ers (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in)
- Brooklyn Nets (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in)
- Milwaukee Bucks (3) vs. Miami Heat (6)
- New York Knicks (4) vs. Atlanta Hawks (5)
Western Conference
- Utah Jazz (1) vs. No. 8 seed (play-in)
- Phoenix Suns (2) vs. No. 7 seed (play-in)
- Denver Nuggets (3) vs. Portland Trail Blazers (6)
- Los Angeles Clippers (4) vs. Dallas Mavericks (5)
Wooo, Knicks, baby!! I mean, probably won’t go too far, but so nice to have them back in the playoffs.
Their series against Atlanta should be one of the better matchups in round 1.
Definitely. Two teams on the rise for sure. Possibly could foreshadow future ECF matchups.
I think I have figured out why I don’t like this new format. It gives an advantage to teams that really don’t need more of an advantage. The 1 and 2 seeds have very rarely lost a first round series. But now they get to rest for a week and play a lower seed that didn’t.
I understand there should be perks for doing better in the regular season, but that is what home court advantage is supposed to be. Now they get home court, extra rest, and a chance at playing a worse team than they should have just based on the outcome of a single game.
As I have said, it’s not the worst thing ever, but it just seems like a change that was 100% unnecessary. In my opinion, change for the sake of change is never good.
I take your point, but consider this: Only 5 teams tanked this season. The rest tried to squeak into the playoffs. That’s massive when you look at previous years, where as many as 10 teams have tanked.
I like the change for that reason.
That is a fair point as well. I just think there has to be a better solution to tanking than just letting two thirds of the league into the playoffs. I’m not saying I have that solution, but if the NBA wants to pay me I think I could come up with one.
I have an easy solution to stop tanking.
– First 16 teams go straight into the playoffs. Their regular season record determines their draft position (as it is currently).
– Bottom 14 teams all have an EQUAL chance to get either pick in a 1-14 range.
I don’t think that would actually help.
Imagine you are a team like Washington, Charlotte, San Antonio.
The last game of the season is here and if you win, you get the 8th seed and face the 1st seed in a likely loss.
Now the last game of the season is here and if you lose, you don’t get in the playoffs but now you a 35% to get a top 5 pick in the draft.
If I was a fringe team, I’d rather have the chance at the pick
Not bad, but suggestion would be to invert the chances for the bottom 14. Meaning the team in the #17 slot would have the best lottery chance and the team with the worst record would get the least chance at #1. It would make every win like gold. And I guarantee you there would be a lot less things happening like sending Al Horford home.
Besides, whoever decided that teams should be rewarded for being bad anyway. Teams should earn the #1 pick.
@hiflew: That is the exact way I feel like it should go. Team with the worst record picks 14th, and a team who just misses the playoffs picks near the top. You could even have a mini-lottery of the top four picks so you wouldn’t have a team tank to avoid the 8 seed to get the #1 overall (if any teams would do that; if a generational player is projected to go #1 overall, I could see a team maybe trading an 8 seed for that).
So the draft order could be:
#14: worst team in the league
#13: 2nd worst team in the league
etc.
#4-1: lottery between the four best teams who missed the playoffs
Sadly, it’s change for the sake of money. Owners looking to make up lost ground….
The format might make traditionally strong teams not take off games and rest players. Those random January back to backs might become more important in the future. Teams like Lakers and Clippers that would usually not care about being a one seed should rethink that strategy.
Ironically though, this year will be one of the few in recent memory where a lot of people will be picking a 7 seed over a 2, assuming LAL locks the 7.
Even in the East, while I wouldn’t pick then to win, Washington and Charlotte are teams that I could at least imagine making a series competitive.
In previous seasons both Charlotte, when LaMelo went down, and Washington, after a terrible start, probably would have mailed it in, yet with the expanded format both teams managed to stay alive.
So I think in some ways the play-in could make the 7/8 more competitive in certain years, where a talented team that could never have made 8th would have thrown in the towel in March. Now they’re staying competitive and actually have a chance to cause a little trouble for a 1/2 seed.
Poor Phoenix, wins the #2 seed and probably gets the Lakers in the first round.
Meh, gotta win every round to get the title. If they cannot beat the Lakers in the first round, then they would have just been fodder in a different round.
Plus, the Lakers don’t exactly have a cake walk. A single game against a Steph Curry led Warriors team is no automatic win. And if they lose, they’d either matchup with an upstart Grizzlies team or a Spurs team possibly playing the last time for Pops. It’s not going to be easy for them.
I think I rather play the Lakers now that they’ve only played 2 games at full strength, than in the 2nd round.
Besides, there’s no easy match ups in the West. Golden State is no push over, then you have Portland, Denver, Clippers… the Mavs might be the least concerning team, and they’re still better than any of the Eastern teams not in the top 3.
Playoffs are about match ups more than who has the best players. I have noticed Laker fans look past all other teams like they are entitled to a championship instead of winning it on the court. If you had to pick the 2 best teams in the west I would say Utah and Clippers for WCF as of this time.
I’m guessing the only guy who can actually take out GSW is Kawhi, who did it before.
I have LAC/GSW WCF.
I have Utah because they are going to be healthy soon. Most balance team in the NBA
Utah has no chance. They rely too much on one guy. Same thing with the Dallas Mavericks. No chance because they rely too much on one guy.
Even if Jordan Clarkson goes nuts for 50 in several games, the Jazz are not going to make it to the Western Conference Finals.
If Conley and Mitchel are healthy they will win. I have no doubt they are the best team if healthy. Mitchel is the key if he comes back they will win. I am not even a Utah fan so its no bias on me.
Clippers disagree with ARC thats for sure–
They chose Lakers as the answer
This series would be a great time for Devin Booker to make a leap into a top 10 player
Lakers will be the heaviest favored 7 or 8 seed in history. Most likely 7.
I hope Steph drops 80 on the Lakers.
He could be MVP if he does like that.
Playoffs don’t count for MVP. Jokic will win it.
Not sure play-ins count as playoffs. Might be the last thing voters see! But I’m for Jokic.
Steph > Jokic MVP all day. Steph had zero help, Jokic was on a stacked team all year. Curry led G-leaguers to the playoffs and without the tailbone injury, GSW finish 4th. Denver finish top 6 without Jokic, easily.
@Marty: How is Denver ‘stacked’? Take Jokic off the team and they’re a 25-30 win team. Especially when you consider Murray’s injury.
I feel like pretty much every single first round matchup could go either way. 5 star matches all around. Awesome.
Dont know what to think about what the Clippers just did-
They certainly made their path easier, but it feels like their looking at the neighbors lawn more than taking care of their own. Rondo and Ibaka have not been incorporated yet…They get an Angel Soft Rd 1 tho to figure it out
Dallas might feel the same way about the legend and legacy of “Playoff P.” Talk about Angel Soft. I could see Luka being the next to wave bye-bye to Paul George.
Well now they won’t have to see LeBron until the WCF.
But I think I would have rather played Portland than Dallas if I were them. All of these West matchups are going to be very interesting tho
I disagree on Por/Dallas ……. Idk, if your a Clipper fan are you cool with this route or No?? I cant really decide in all honesty…on paper it makes a ton of sense but they lost some valuable time to get Ibaka and Rondo some playing time with Claw and PG ….not to mention it looks soft AF to big brother next door…I dont think they will have a problem with Dallas tho and can work out all the wrinkles that series….that was their thought Im assuming
So if LeBron wins the title as a 7 seed, will all the haters admit he won the most difficult ring in history and shut up? I dont think they will))
Only if is an 8th seed !
No, no they won’t.
If LeBron loses in the first round to Phoenix or Utah will people stop with the GOAT talk? I don’t think they will either.
Thats different. Comparing a ring to a playoff loss is wierd. MJ lost in the playoffs too
Steph Curry > any Laker, ever. Period.
Not as much as LeBron. Just saying.
Hypothetically, they could win a title by beating only a 2 seed, a team that hasn’t been in the playoffs in forever. They could then play Portland and another low seed to win the west and if say the Knicks come out of the East. Would you say that’s the most difficult ring ever won? I sure wouldn’t, and I am no lebron hater
I see what you mean, but realistically they will have to beat PHX and two out of UTA/LAC/DAL/DEN just to get to the finals. East is decided i think – Durant doesn’t need any help (if he is 100% healthy) to crush everyone in the East.
Who says lakers get out of the bubble? 1 game series can go either way because of match ups.
The lakers are where they are in the standings because of injuries, not talent. The lakers will be favored in all of those matchups, so no I still wouldn’t say it’s the most difficult ring ever won. The lakers are favored to win the west. If you are the favorite to win the conference, how difficult could the road be to a title from a historical perspective?
So if Curry wins the title as a 8 seed, will all the haters admit he won the most difficult ring in history and shut up? I dont think they will))
If Steph wins the ring with this group, he should be the GOAT.
Fair and unbiased commentary (for once), I love it!
LeBron will have something to prove I too hope Steph wins it.