Brooklyn qualified for the play-offs, play-offs and potential 1st round confrontations are known in the East, after Friday’s matches in the NBA, Dallas having been eliminated without a fight in the West, where the suspense remains from 5th to 9th rank.
. Appointments are made in the East
A victory was enough for the Nets to compost their ticket, or in a pinch a defeat of the Heat. But both happened, unsurprisingly.
Brooklyn, carried by Mikal Bridges (22 pts) easily disposed of Orlando (101-84) to ensure being seeded N.6. A complicated duel against the Sixers (N.3) of Joel Embiid awaits him in the 1st round.
Miami, which moved without its incumbents in Washington, which spoke volumes about its hopes of overtaking the Nets, lost there (114-108), despite 30 points from Victor Oladipo.
The Heat will therefore not escape the dams. Guaranteed to finish 7th, he will receive Atlanta which cemented its 8th place, despite its defeat in Philadelphia (136-131 after extra time). The winner will challenge Boston (N.2) in the 1st round.
Atlanta star player Trae Young during the regular season game between his team and Philadelphia on April 7, 2023 in Atlanta / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
In the meantime, facing the Sixers who had rested their incumbents, Atlanta star Trae Young struggled in vain (27 pts, 20 assists), brushing against a contrasting triple-double (9 lost balls).
The other poster of the dams will oppose Toronto (9th) to Chicago (10th). And the winner will play his qualification for the play-offs, at the loser of Miami-Atlanta, with the objective of then challenging Milwaukee (N.1).
The Raptors were no match for Boston (121-102), who was deprived of Jaylen Brown who suffered a cut on the finger of his right hand, the one with which he shoots, after a domestic accident. The full-back who had stitches in said he should be ready for the start of the play-offs in eight days.
The last poster of the 1st round, known for several days already, will oppose Cleveland (N.4) to New York (N.5).
. It settles slowly in the West
It was not really useful to watch the match, lost anyway (115-112) against the Bulls, to understand that the Dallas Mavericks had given up on the play-offs even before kick-off, since apart from Luka Doncic, who played a few minutes of the first quarter, the executives (Kyrie Irving, Christian Wood, Tim Hardaway Jr…) were exempted.
“We were going to play them until we were told to do the opposite,” breathed coach Jason Kidd, who had to follow an instruction from his leaders preferring to prioritize an 11th place synonymous with better position for the draft. , rather than trying – and succeeding, even if the odds were slim – to hang the “play-ins”.
Luka Doncic of the Dallas Mavericks against the Chicago Bulls in a regular season game on April 7, 2023 in Dallas / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
In doing so, Dallas, finalist in the Western Conference last season, recorded the resounding failure of its poker move in February, consisting in bringing Irving, from Brooklyn, to associate it with Doncic. At the time, the Texas franchise was 5th in the standings…
His setback thus benefited Oklahoma City, guaranteed to finish 10th and which is waiting to know its opponent in the play-off, which may be Minnesota (9th).
Because the Lakers and the Pelicans have maintained their 7th and 8th positions, still having a slim hope of overtaking Golden State (5th) and the Clippers (6th) this weekend, on the occasion of the last two days.
The Lakers, with LeBron James at least (16 pts), took advantage of the absence of Kevin Durant and Devin Booker at the Suns to win (121-107). New Orleans also defeated (113-105) a diminished New York team, without Jalen Brunson and Julius Randle.
Keegan Murray of the Sacramento Lings against Donte DiVincenzo of the Golden State Warriors on April 7, 2023 in Sacramento / GETTY IMAGES NORTH AMERICA/AFP
The Warriors were them in full, carried by Klay Thompson (29 pts) and Stephen Curry (25 pts) to win in Sacramento (119-97).
Kings who, as expected, will be seeded N.3 in the play-offs, since Memphis made sure to be the seeded N.2 by winning (137-114) in Milwaukee. Facing the Bucks, without Giannis Antetokounmpo and his lieutenants, Jaren Jackson Jr stood out (36 pts at 12/18 on shots, 3 blocks).