NBA Play-in Tournament

James Johnson

April 18, 2022

Now that the regular season has come to and end, the NBA play-in tournament will determine who will have the 7^th and 8^th seed in both conferences. The NBA play-in tournament was instituted a year after the 2020 bubble playoffs. Due to the Covid-19 pandemic the 20202-2021 season was reduced to 72 games instead of the normal 82 game season. Normally the 7^th and 8^th seed in both conferences are automatically eligible to compete in the NBA playoffs but now the 9^th and 10^th seeds have chance to play for the 8^th seed in their conferences. In the beginning many players were opposed to the idea because they felt as though it was unfair to the 7^th and 8^th seed teams but going forward the NBA has decided to make this a permanent competition after every regular season.

The basis of the tournament is to give the lower seeded teams a chance to earn a playoff spot. The rules are that the 7^th and 8^th seed play for the 7^th seed spot in their conference and the loser out of that game must play the winner of the 9^th and 10^th seed for the 8^th seed. Last season was the first time the NBA hosted the play-in tournament and made for a better playoff picture. Most fans assumed that it would be a one-time thing based upon the reduction of the regular season. This season the NBA would go back to the standard 82 game season. Last years play-in tournament made for great basketball games because teams were competing at the highest level for a potential playoff spot. Teams that most people couldn’t imagine falling low in their conferences competed in the play-in tournament.

In last year’s first play-in tournament you had the defending champion Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Memphis Grizzlies and San Antonio Spurs. Due to injuries the Lakers would fall all the way to the 7^th seed in the Western Conference which put them in position to play Golden State Warriors to keep the 7^th seed. The Lakers would defeat a depleted Golden State Warriors team which now put their backs against the wall. The Warriors now had to play the winner out of the Memphis Grizzles or the San Antonio Spurs. The Grizzles would take down San Antonio giving them new life against the Warriors. The Grizzlies and the Warriors would play the final game in the Western Conference play-in tournament which ultimately led to the defeat of Golden State. Memphis and Lakers would go onto to play in the first round of the 2021 NBA playoffs and both teams would get eliminated in the first round.

The Eastern Conference play-in tournament consisted of the Boston Celtics, Washington Wizards, Charlotte Hornets, and the Indiana Pacers. Going into the tournament Boston was favorited to keep their spot as the 7^th seed which they did by defeating the Washington Wizards leaving them to play the winner out of Charlotte and Indiana. The Pacers would get pass the inexperienced Hornets team giving them a chance to fight for that 8^th spot in the East. The Wizards would take out Charlotte giving them the 8^th seed in last year’s playoffs. Both Boston and Washington couldn’t outlast Brooklyn Nets or Philadelphia 76ers making them one & done after the first round of the playoffs.

This years play-in tournament is like last year’s tournament because of some of the teams eligible to compete but now we have some new faces competing for those 7^th and 8^th seeds in their conferences. The Brooklyn Nets finished the season with the 8^th seed due to injuries and Kyrie Irving’s absences. The Cleveland Cavaliers have gained some notoriety since the departure of Lebron James claiming the 7^th seed in the East. Atlanta Hawks and the Charlotte Hornets will duke it out for the chance to play the loser between Cleveland and Brooklyn for the 8^th seed. In the Western Conference you have the 7^th seeded Los Angeles Clippers who got hot later in the season. The Minnesota Timberwolves claimed the 8^th seed and hope to keep their playoff hopes alive. Those two teams will face each other for the 7^th seed. The loser of that game will play the winner of the game between the New Orleans Pelicans and San Antonio Spurs. Some of the same teams that were in the play-in tournament last year would find themselves in the tournament this year. Hopefully things will turn around for some of these future talents.

With NBA play-in tournament underway other teams in the playoff bracket get ready for the chance to compete for an NBA title!

Jerseycolumn

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NBA play-in tournament 2022: Rules, standings, dates, and schedule – SBNation.com