Poll: Who Will Win Tuesday’s Play-In Games?
It has been a fiercely competitive race for the postseason in the Western Conference, where it took 50 wins to clinch a top-six seed while Sacramento and Golden State were unable to secure more than a spot in the lesser play-in game after racking up 46 victories.
[RELATED: NBA’s Play-In Field, Top-Six Playoff Seeds Set]
The Rockets’ fate this season epitomizes just how tough the path to the playoffs was in the West — at 41-41, Houston didn’t come particularly close to earning a play-in spot, ending up five games behind the No. 10 seed. But the Rockets finished comfortably ahead of the East’s bottom two play-in teams, with a full five-game cushion over the No. 10 Hawks.
This is a roundabout way of saying that while two good teams will be sent home this week, we should be in store for a terrific week of play-in games in the Western Conference, starting with a pair of matchups on Tuesday that could go either way.
In the early game, the No. 7 Pelicans will host the No. 8 Lakers for the second time in three days. The results of Sunday’s contest weren’t particularly encouraging for the Pelicans, who could have clinched the No. 6 seed in the West with a victory, but trailed all afternoon en route to a 16-point loss.
It was the third time in four games this season that New Orleans lost to Los Angeles, and none of those games were particularly close. Back in December, the Pelicans were blown out by the Lakers by 44 points in an embarrassing performance on a national stage in the in-season tournament semifinal.
Still, this is a talented Pelicans team that did beat the Lakers by 20 points in the clubs’ other game in New Orleans at the end of December. The Pelicans were above-average on both ends of the courts this season, ranking 11th in offensive rating and sixth on defense for a +4.6 overall net rating that was the No. 6 mark in the NBA. By comparison, the Lakers were just 15th in offensive rating and 17th on defense, for an overall +0.6 net rating (No. 19 in the league).
The Pelicans also have the cleaner injury report for Tuesday’s game, with all of their players available. However, Brandon Ingram has only been back from a knee injury for one game and wasn’t at his best on Sunday — New Orleans was outscored by 28 points during his 23 minutes of action.
The Lakers, meanwhile, will be missing Jarred Vanderbilt (foot) and Christian Wood (knee), while Anthony Davis (back) and LeBron James (ankle) are listed as questionable and probable, respectively. While Davis and James have been banged up in recent weeks, they’ve been very effective when they’ve played, and it’s a safe bet they’ll be suiting up on Tuesday.
One interesting wrinkle in this No. 7 vs. 8 matchup is that the winner earns a date with the defending-champion Nuggets in round one, while the loser will host a do-or-die play-in game on Friday for the right to face the upstart Thunder. While Oklahoma City would be the more favorable matchup, it seems safe to assume neither team will get too cute with Tuesday’s game — no one’s tanking in the postseason, and a victory in a second play-in game is hardly assured.
The oddsmakers at BetOnline.ag view the Pelicans/Lakers game as a toss-up, listing it as a straight pick-em. That’s not the case for the No. 9 vs. 10 game, where the visiting Warriors are 3.5-point favorites over the Kings in Sacramento.
Home underdogs aren’t especially common in the NBA playoffs, but it’s easy to understand why bettors would favor Golden State. The Warriors are an experienced, battle-tested club still headed by the core players – Stephen Curry, Klay Thompson, and Draymond Green – who have led the franchise to four championships since 2015.
The Dubs also beat the Kings in the first round of last season’s playoffs as a lower seed and have been the hotter team as of late. Golden State enters Tuesday’s play-in game having won 10 of its last 12 games, whereas Sacramento has been reeling in recent weeks. Once well positioned to push for a top-six spot, the Kings lost seven of 11 contests to wrap up their season, with three of their four victories during that stretch coming against lottery teams.
The Warriors are the healthier of the two clubs too. They’re missing Gary Payton II due to a left calf strain, but have more than enough depth to make up for Payton’s absence. The Kings, on the other hand, have had a harder time compensating for their missing wings, Malik Monk (right knee sprain) and Kevin Huerter (left shoulder surgery).
While the fans in Sacramento will create a favorable (and loud) home environment for the Kings, the Warriors have looked like one of the conference’s best teams during the latter half of the season — their 27-14 second-half record and +5.5 net rating during those games both rank third in the West.
We want to know what you think. Will it be the Lakers or Pelicans punching their ticket to the playoffs tonight? Which of the Warriors and Kings will stay alive, and which will see their season end today?
Vote in our poll, then head to the comment section to share your predictions!
Team USA Locks In 11 Of 12 Olympic Roster Spots
The Team USA men’s basketball program has determined 11 of its 12 roster spots for this year’s Paris Olympics, per Adrian Wojnarowski of ESPN.
Woj suggests that the final roster opening could remain open for a while. Sources inform Wojnarowski that Hall of Famer Grant Hill, Team USA’s managing director, is waiting for a July training camp and some Las Vegas exhibition games before finalizing that 12th spot.
10 of the 11 players were honored as All-Stars this season, while the 11th was a key two-way force on the 2021 gold medal-winning team, which is officially considered the 2020 Olympic team.
Here are Team USA’s 11 players:
- Bam Adebayo, C, Heat
- Devin Booker, G, Suns
- Stephen Curry, G, Warriors
- Anthony Davis, F/C, Lakers
- Kevin Durant, F, Suns
- Anthony Edwards, G, Timberwolves
- Joel Embiid, C, Sixers
- Tyrese Haliburton, G, Pacers
- Jrue Holiday, G, Celtics
- LeBron James, F, Lakers
- Jayson Tatum, F, Celtics
So far, three NBA teams – the Lakers, Celtics, and Suns – will feature multiple U.S. Olympians.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr, serving again as the leader of Team USA this summer, will have just one current familiar face in All-Star point guard Curry, who will be making his Olympic debut. Among the other players listed, four others will be making their debuts with the program on this stage: reigning league MVP Embiid and young All-Star guards Edwards and Haliburton.
As Woj notes, 35-year-old Durant is one of just two players to have won three gold medals in Olympic history, along with future Hall of Fame forward Carmelo Anthony. James is playing in his first Olympics since 2012. James and Anthony were also members of Team USA the last time it didn’t win gold at the tournament, in 2004.
Pacific Notes: Davis, Lee, Allen, Kawhi, Kings, Warriors
Anthony Davis missed the final six minutes of Sunday’s victory over New Orleans due to back spasms, but he’s confident he’ll be ready to go on Tuesday when the Lakers and Pelicans meet again in the play-in tournament, writes Dave McMenamin of ESPN.
“No doubt that I’m going to play,” Davis said after Sunday’s game.
Davis’ injury occurred with 5:52 remaining in the fourth quarter when he was attempting to grab a rebound and was pushed in the back by Pelicans big man Larry Nance Jr. (video link). According to McMenamin, Davis said the contract resulted in hyperextension when he landed and that his back “just locked up.”
“I was in the air,” Davis said. “Obviously it’s a dangerous play. I know he’s not a dirty player.”
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Suns wing Damion Lee admits that he went through some “dark days” during the lengthy recovery process from an October meniscus surgery that sidelined him for the entire regular season, as Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic relays. However, Lee is in a better place now as he nears the end of that recovery process — he also hasn’t given up on the idea of returning this spring. “To be determined,” Lee said. “I’ll just leave it at this. I feel like the longer we go in the postseason, the more likely there is a chance. No timetable necessarily. It’s all feel based. You saw me out here shooting, jumping. Running.”
- Grayson Allen gave up a little money to sign an extension with the Suns, according to John Gambadoro of Arizona Sports 98.7 (Twitter link), who says the veteran swingman could have secured $80-85MM on the open market. Allen has reportedly agreed to a four-year, $70MM deal with Phoenix.
- The Clippers continue to be evasive about Kawhi Leonard‘s outlook for the start of the playoffs, writes Janis Carr of The Orange County Register. Asked on Sunday whether Leonard has been doing workouts, head coach Tyronn Lue said he’s “been doing a little something,” but Lue declined to say whether or not he expects the star forward to be available in the postseason.
- It won’t be an easy path to the playoffs for the Kings or Warriors, who will each have to win two play-in games just to claim the No. 8 seed in the West. Jason Anderson of The Sacramento Bee takes a look at the challenge facing the Kings, while Marcus Thompson II of The Athletic checks in on a Golden State team in “March Madness mode.”
Warriors Convert Usman Garuba To Standard Contract
APRIL 14: The Warriors have officially converted Garbua to a standard deal, per a press statement (Twitter link).
APRIL 13: The Warriors intend to convert two-way big man Usman Garuba to a standard NBA contract for the rest of the season, according to The Athletic’s Shams Charania (Twitter link). The Warriors had an open roster spot to fill and are thus making Garuba eligible for the playoffs by promoting him.
The 23rd overall pick in the 2021 draft by the Rockets, Garuba played two seasons in Houston before being traded in the five-team deal that brought Dillon Brooks to the Rockets. He was then re-routed again from Atlanta to the Thunder, who waived him prior to the season.
Garuba, touted as a strong defender, has barely played for the Warriors this season after signing his two-way deal. In five games and just 12 minutes, he has totaled two points and three rebounds this year.
Still just 22 years old, Garuba has been more productive in the G League. This season with Santa Cruz, he averaged 12.5 points, 10.1 rebounds, 1.1 steals and 1.4 blocks in 35 regular season and Showcase Cup games.
Across his three seasons in the NBA, Garuba holds averages of 2.6 points and 3.8 rebounds in 104 games (three starts).
The Warriors will have a full 15-man roster after signing Garuba to his standard deal. Golden State also has two players, Jerome Robinson and Pat Spencer, on two-way contracts. Because the deadline to sign two-way players passed in March, the Warriors aren’t eligible to sign another two-way player this year. Players on two-way contracts aren’t eligible to suit up in the postseason.
Warriors Notes: Dunleavy, Trade Deadline, Green, Curry, Kuminga
Warriors general manager Mike Dunleavy Jr. didn’t shy away from the challenge of taking over a dynasty in decline, writes Ann Killion of The San Francisco Chronicle. When former GM Bob Myers opted to leave the organization last summer, Dunleavy inherited the job of running a team with aging veterans and a record tax bill. The results in his first year have been mixed, as Golden State — two years off its last championship — needed a late surge just to secure a play-in spot.
“It’s a different challenge, as opposed to taking a team at the bottom and building,” Dunleavy said. “This job is, ‘Hey, we want to keep it going.’ That’s a challenge, but it’s one that I’m comfortable with and that I’m up for. But, yeah, it’s a lot of work.”
Dunleavy made a big move in his first days on the job, Killion adds, getting rid of Jordan Poole‘s contract by trading him to Washington for long-time Warriors rival Chris Paul. Dunleavy also landed two rotation pieces on draft night by selecting Brandin Podziemski and Trayce Jackson-Davis.
Up next is a challenging offseason that will include a crucial decision involving Klay Thompson, who’s headed for free agency after 13 years with the team.
“It’s just evaluating and seeing where we end up,” Dunleavy said. “Then, when it’s all said and done, we’ll see what decisions we need to make. But on the whole I think we have a good idea of what this team is and what we need moving forward.”
There’s more on the Warriors:
- Dunleavy explained his decision to stand pat at the trade deadline, telling Killion that Draymond Green‘s suspension factored into it. Green had recently been reinstated by the league, and Dunleavy was reluctant to pursue a major deal without seeing the full team together. “You certainly see how much we need him on the court,” Dunleavy said. “We’re not the same team without him. We’re really committed to this roster and felt like we just needed more time to jell. I don’t know of any trade that could have made us better.”
- Dunleavy is determined to keep Stephen Curry with the Warriors for the rest of his career, Killion adds. The 36-year-old guard is under contract through the 2025/26 season. “I would say there’s nothing taxing about Steph — I’ll take that guy any day of the week, at any point in his career,” Dunleavy said. “We have to figure out how we build around him, because he’s going to be here — he’s going to be here forever. We have to take that all into account. But there’s a lot worse guys you could see the tail end of their career with.”
- Jonathan Kuminga sat out Friday’s game and is listed as questionable for Sunday with a right pelvic contusion he suffered in Thursday’s contest, per Dalton Johnson of NBC Sports Bay Area. “He fell and kind of bruised his tailbone and is in a lot of pain,” coach Steve Kerr said. Curry, Thompson, Green and Paul are also questionable, while Gary Payton II is out, tweets Anthony Slater of The Athletic.
Magic Notes: F. Wagner, Carter, Banchero, FA Targets
Magic forward Franz Wagner, who has missed the past two games with a sprained right ankle, returned to action on Friday in Philadelphia in a matchup with major playoff implications (Twitter link via the team).
Wagner is a critical piece for Orlando, having averaged 19.6 PPG, 5.3 RPG, 3.8 APG and 1.0 SPG through 70 games (32.4 MPG). Orlando has a 43-27 record with the 22-year-old in the starting lineup, but has gone just 3-7 in games he has missed.
The No. 8 overall pick of the 2021 draft, Wagner will be eligible for a rookie scale extension this summer.
Here are a few more notes on the Magic:
- While Wagner’s return was a positive development, center Wendell Carter Jr. picked up a pair of early fouls defending Joel Embiid and was wincing when he exited the court in the first quarter, tweets Tim Bontemps of ESPN. Carter is questionable to return to the game due to back spasms, according to the Magic (Twitter link).
- 2022 No. 1 overall pick Paolo Banchero achieved his preseason goal of becoming an All-Star, and he would be thrilled if he earns a spot on an All-NBA team, he told Jake Fischer of Yahoo Sports. “Honestly, this year was more … I was trying to be an All-Star,” Banchero said. “But if (All-NBA) was to happen, that would be awesome. It’s an exclusive club, you know what I mean?“
- As Fischer writes, Banchero has developed nicely in his second season, becoming a better screen-setter both on and off the ball as well as a more advanced play-maker. “That was something that really took on itself this year. Understanding that it starts with me, it starts with Franz,” Banchero said. “Just everyone understanding their role and how important their role is. We need everybody. There have been games where (Jonathan Isaac) has single-handedly shut down a guy, and it’s lifted us to get a win. There’s been times where I’ve had to score the last 18 points of the game just to keep us afloat. There’s been times where Franz took over. Where Jalen (Suggs) took over. We just need everybody. I think it’s translating into a lot of success.”
- In the same story, Fischer cites league sources who say rival teams expect Orlando to target shooters and scorers like Warriors wing Klay Thompson or Kings guard Malik Monk in free agency. Tim Kawakami of The Athletic, who covers Golden State, recently said it was “one of the worst-kept secrets in the league” that the Magic may offer Thompson “a ton of money” this offseason.
Pacific Notes: Thomas, Thompson, Kawhi, Harden, Jones
Having earned a rest-of-season commitment from the Suns, Isaiah Thomas isn’t looking to just play out this season and then call it a career. He views his comeback this spring as a “stepping stone” toward continuing his playing career beyond 2023/24, he told reporters on Tuesday (Twitter video link via Duane Rankin of The Arizona Republic).
“I want to play two to three more years,” Thomas said. “Knowing that I can still play a high level, knowing that I can still impact a locker room. That’s a positive, being able to be signed for the rest of the year and to hopefully build some momentum going into next year for myself, and into free agency.”
Thomas added that he appreciates the Suns welcoming him “with open arms” and that he likes it “a lot” in Phoenix, signaling that he’d be open to remaining with the team beyond this season if that interest is reciprocated.
Here’s more from around the Pacific:
- Asked by teammate Draymond Green on his podcast about what factors will be most important to him during his upcoming free agency, Warriors wing Klay Thompson admitted that his contract situation weighed on him earlier this season and that it took some time for him to stop stressing about it and focus on having fun. “I want to re-sign with the Dubs, but I also have to prioritize my mental health and lay out what is important to me at this point in my career,” Thompson said (Twitter video link).
- Clippers forward Kawhi Leonard will miss a fifth consecutive game due to right knee inflammation on Tuesday vs. Phoenix, tweets Ohm Youngmisuk of ESPN. Los Angeles is a single win away from clinching a top-six seed and a playoff berth, but will obviously need Leonard healthy to make a deep postseason run.
- James Harden‘s status for Tuesday’s game is up in the air, as he has been added to the Clippers‘ injury report with right foot inflammation, notes Youngmisuk (Twitter link).
- Could Colby Jones join the likes of Keon Ellis and Davion Mitchell and become the latest Kings youngster to go from out of the rotation to playing a key role? Chris Biderman of The Sacramento Bee explores that question after Jones played the final six minutes of Friday’s loss to Boston and then logged a career-high 23 minutes in Sunday’s blowout win over Brooklyn. Jones was a +34 in 29 total minutes across those two appearances.
Final Check-In On Open NBA Roster Spots
With just six days left in the NBA’s regular season, there are still a few teams around the league with open 15-man roster spots, and there’s little downside to filling those openings before the regular season ends.
For playoff teams, adding one more player would create a little extra depth in the event of postseason injuries or garbage-time minutes. For non-playoff teams, it makes sense to try to convince a young player to accept a multiyear deal that includes little or no guaranteed money beyond this season, since it gives those teams another option for next year’s roster.
Even clubs over the luxury tax line or right up against it shouldn’t have a problem paying one more player a prorated minimum salary for the last day or two of the season — the prorated minimum for a veteran on a rest-of-season deal is just $11,608 per day, which is a drop in the bucket for NBA franchises.
With all that in mind, it’s safe to assume that some – if not all – of the teams with open roster spots should fill them by next Sunday. Here are those teams:
- Golden State Warriors
- New Orleans Pelicans
- Philadelphia 76ers
- Toronto Raptors *
The Raptors technically have a full 15-man roster as of today, but one of their players – Malik Williams – is on a 10-day contract. When Williams’ deal expires on Friday night, I’d expect Toronto to look to sign either him or another player to a multiyear contract that gives the team some roster flexibility beyond this season.
As for the other three teams here, the Warriors, Pelicans, and Sixers are all poised to at least compete in a play-in game or two, if not the playoffs themselves. But that doesn’t necessarily mean each of those teams will sign a “win-now” veteran as a 15th man. They already have enough depth on their respective rosters that they may prefer to promote a player from the G League on a multiyear deal, assuming they decide to fill those openings at all.
Converting a player from a two-way contract is a real possibility for each of those three clubs, with Sixers guard Ricky Council looking like the best candidate of the bunch.
While New Orleans and Philadelphia have remained out of luxury tax territory, Golden State is far above the tax line and is therefore the team most likely to wait until the very last day of the regular season to make a move, since adding a 15th man will cost the Warriors more than just $11,608.
The Cavaliers (Marcus Morris), Pistons (Chimezie Metu), Timberwolves (Luka Garza), Celtics (Neemias Queta), and Suns (Isaiah Thomas) are among the teams who had been carrying an open 15-man roster spot but who have filled that opening within the last week or two.
Finally, it’s worth noting that there are a handful of clubs with two-way contract slots available, but the deadline for two-way signings passed in early March, so those roster spots will remain open.
Pacific Notes: Kuminga, Thompson, George, O’Neale, Harding
Some rest and a new role did Warriors forward Jonathan Kuminga a world of good on Sunday. After missing six games due to tendinitis in both knees, Kuminga had 21 points and 10 rebounds on 9-of-11 shooting in 27 minutes off the bench against the Jazz.
“I wasn’t concerned about coming off the bench,” Kuminga told The Athletic’s Anthony Slater.
Warriors head coach Steve Kerr is currently using Trayce Jackson-Davis alongside Draymond Green at the power forward and center spots.
We have more from the Pacific Division:
- Klay Thompson, who is headed to free agency, has improved his stock since the All-Star break, Tim Kawakami of The Athletic notes. The longtime Warriors shooting guard erupted for 32 points against the Jazz on Sunday and has proven durable, appearing in 74 games this season. While he has lost lateral movement defensively and isn’t as consistent offensively than he was in his prime, Thompson might end up more valuable to another team than what the Warriors want to pay him, Kawakami adds. He’s averaging 18.3 points per game and shooting 40.6% from deep since the break.
- Paul George, who holds a $48.8MM option on his contract for next season, poured in 23 of his 39 points against Cleveland during the fourth quarter as the Clippers erased a 26-point deficit on Sunday. George, who has had more than his share of physical issues in recent seasons, showed that he’s feeling good with the postseason looming by playing 44 minutes, including the entire second half, ESPN’s Ohm Youngmisuk notes. “I wanted to stay in and I just felt we were making a good push,” George said.
- Royce O’Neale doesn’t have much of an incentive to sign an extension with the Suns prior to the summer, John Gambadoro of 98.7 FM Phoenix notes (Twitter link). Right now, the Suns are limited to just a two-year, $20.5MM extension. However, Phoenix can offer him up to five years in the summer since it holds O’Neale’s Bird rights. A contract in the $13-14MM annual range for three or four years might work for both sides, Gambadoro speculates.
- Lindsey Harding was named the NBA G League’s Coach of the Year, a first for a female coach. Andscape’s Marc J. Spears spoke with Harding on how she was able to succeed in her first season with the Kings’ affiliate in Stockton.
NBA’s 20 Postseason Teams Set For 2024
The 20 teams that will compete in either the playoffs or the play-in tournament (or both) have officially been set following the Rockets‘ loss to Dallas on Sunday, per the NBA (Twitter link).
There’s still much to be decided in the season’s final week, including exactly which six teams in each conference will secure playoff spots without having to win one or two play-in games. However, with the Rockets’ elimination, we at least know which teams from both the West and East will play beyond the end of the regular season next Sunday.
The Nuggets, Timberwolves, and Thunder have already clinched playoff berths in the West, while the Clippers‘ magic number for a playoff spot is down to 1. The Mavericks are also well positioned to claim a top-six seed following their win on Sunday. They’re followed in the standings by the Suns, Pelicans, Lakers, Kings, and Warriors.
Four of those teams will compete in the play-in tournament for two playoff spots, but the exact play-in participants and matchups remain very much up in the air. Of the Western clubs in the back half of the top 10, only Golden State is a virtual lock to be a play-in team, since the Dubs are currently four games out of sixth place.
Over in the Eastern Conference, the Celtics are the lone club to secure a playoff berth so far and have also clinched the No. 1 seed. They’re followed by the Bucks, Magic, Knicks, Cavaliers, Pacers, Heat, and Sixers, with the Bulls and Hawks well out of eighth place and locked into the No. 9 vs. 10 play-in game.
The East’s playoff race remains tight, with No. 2 Milwaukee and No. 8 Philadelphia separated by only 4.5 games at the time of this writing.