82 games are in the books! However, before the NBA playoffs officially begin, we must first settle the final two spots by means of the Play-In Tournament. This new format was a success last season, knocking teams like the Warriors out of contention. Now, in its second year, we have some great matchups ahead of us with powerhouse teams such as the Nets and the Clippers vying for playoff positions.
So who do we like to advance in the first set of game? Here are our picks:
Nets -8 over Cavaliers
Cleveland has been a nice story this season. In their first winning season since LeBron took his talents to Los Angeles, the Cavaliers have been bolstered by their young core of Darius Garland, Evan Mobley, and the injured Jarrett Allen to propel them into the playoffs. Add the veteran experience with Kevin Love and Lauri Markkanen, and Cleveland finished the season with an impressive 44-38 record and 8th in the Eastern Conference. However, this young Cleveland squad struggled in the second half of the season once Allen went down with a finger injury. They also lost young star PG Collin Sexton to a season-ending injury only 11 games into the season.
The Nets, meanwhile, have been peaking as of late, now that Kyrie Irving is clear to play in Brooklyn’s home games. The Nets also have surged since trading disgruntled shooting guard James Harden to the 76ers in a blockbuster deal that brought them Ben Simmons. Though Simmons has yet to play this season, the Nets are an underrated squad that could be dangerous following the play-in tournament.
Though the Cavaliers turned in an excellent season, they will fall short to the Nets in this matchup. The Nets are simply too talented, and with perennial All-Star Kevin Durant leading the team, the Cavaliers won’t have enough to keep up with Brooklyn’s scoring ability. Durant and Irving should have no trouble silencing a young Cavaliers squad and cover the 8-point spread.
Timberwolves -2.5 over LA Clippers
The Clippers have been ravaged by injuries this entire season. Not only has LA been without star Kawhi Leonard all year, but the Clippers have seen Paul George limited to only 31 games due to consistent injuries. Still, LA has managed to lock up a play-in spot with a 42-40 record on the year despite their health.
It’s taken the Timberwolves a few seasons, but now the trio of Karl Anthony-Towns, Anthony Edwards, and D’Angelo Russell have combined to make Minnesota a contender. The T-Wolves have shown the most improvement on defense thanks to the offseason acquisition of Patrick Beverley, the former Clipper. LA fans remember Beverley from last postseason, especially for his stout defense of Phoenix Suns’ guard Chris Paul. Throughout his career, Beverley has been known for his defense and should do a solid job of playing disrupter to George and Reggie Jackson.
The Clippers are limping into the playoffs, which will affect their offensive output and chemistry on the court. There’s no denying the chemistry of KAT, Russell, and Edwards combined with the defensive prowess of Beverley. Take Minnesota to cover and win.
Hornets +4.5 over Hawks
Only one year ago, the Hawks proved they were no fluke by winning Game 1 in the Eastern Conference Finals against the eventual NBA Champion Bucks. However, the Hawks did not even resemble the team that gave the Bucks a scare last postseason. The Hawks were teetering on potentially missing the playoffs with a 28-30 record at the All-Star break. Since then, Atlanta has turned their season around with a 15-9 mark to end the year. Trae Young has been playing some of his best ball, and combined with Kevin Huerter, John Collins, and Bogdan Bogdanovic, they are peaking at the right time.
The Hornets, too, have turned their season around since the All-Star break. LaMelo Ball, Miles Bridges, and Terry Rozier have led the team on offense to propel Charlotte to a Top 5 team in scoring this season. If there is a team that can go toe-to-toe with Atlanta, it is this young squad.
However, the Hornets will be missing veteran forward Gordon Hayward for this matchup which is a significant loss. Still, if Charlotte can come out shooting hot, they should be able to bring this game down to the wire. Young vs. Ball will make an entertaining matchup with the two young guards compiling their highlight reels throughout the contest. This game figures to be a toss-up as both teams are evenly matched. With that said, take the points with the Hornets.
Spurs +5 over Pelicans
The Spurs are a relatively unknown roster to anyone outside of San Antonio. Compared to a stacked team of superstars like the LA Lakers, who the Spurs beat out for the final spot in the Play-In games, San Antonio is composed of a team of emerging talent such as Dejounte Murray and Keldon Johnson. Though they finished with a 34-48 record, they improved in the second half of the season, managing to surpass the Lakers in the final week to clinch a berth in the play-in tournament. Head Coach Greg Popovich is finally back in the postseason, and he has more experience than any other coach in the field. He will be sure to have his team ready for this contest.
The Pelicans have shown promise year after year since trading Anthony Davis to the Lakers and finally have secured a Play-In berth following several underwhelming seasons. The Pelicans struggled to start the year as the team dealt with injuries to star Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson, who has yet to play a game this season. However, after trading for Blazers guard CJ McCollum, the Pelicans went 13-10 after the All-Star break to finish 7th overall in the Western Conference.
Whichever team wins this matchup, it will have a tough time against the loser of the Clippers-Timberwolves play-in game. However, even though the Pelicans have the best player in McCollum, the Spurs have the coaching edge behind Popovich. New Orleans should be able to pull out the win, but it will be a close back-and-forth contest between these two young teams. Take the points.
