After 1,230 games, the NBA heads to the business end of the season known as the playoffs. However, Commission Adam Silver delivered an ingenious plan for the 2019-20 season to institute an in-season tournament. The tournament has made games more meaningful towards the end of the season, with teams fighting for their lives to avoid the single elimination matchups. We have some intriguing matchups of veteran teams, young teams, and squads looking to catch fire after struggling to keep up with the contenders. In this article, we preview the games and make bold predictions of who will be heading to the playoffs.
(8) Atlanta Hawks at (7) Orlando Magic- 7:30 pm ET
This will be an interesting matchup of top offense vs top defense. The Hawks are ranked fifth in the league in scoring, with 118.5 points per game during the regular season. Trey Young will try to dictate the pace in the game, and Atlanta has the third-highest pace in the association at 103.4. The Hawks thrive in the paint by punishing their opponents by putting up 55.2 points per game in the regular season. On the other hand, the Magic is built on their defense, which ranks 2nd in the league with a defensive rating of 109.1. The team is anchored by Paulo Banchero, who averaged 25.9 points, and 7.5 rebounds despite dealing with injuries during the regular season. The Hawks split their season series 2-2, but the matchup on Sunday was meaningless with the reserves playing. The Magic won two of the first three matchups and closed the season by winning 10 of their last 14 games. I have the Magic winning this game and pushing Atlanta in the single-elimination game.
Magic 113-Hawks 107
(8) Memphis Grizzlies at (7) Golden State Warriors-10 pm ET
The Warriors narrowly fell short of escaping this tournament after a 124-119 overtime loss to the Los Angeles Clippers. The Warriors are looking to win their first play-in game in their franchise history after losing to the Los Angeles Lakers (2021), Memphis Grizzlies (2022) and Sacramento Kings (2024). However, the acquisition of Jimmy Butler might be the difference. Butler became the first player in NBA history to lead his team from the [lay-in to the NBA Finals in 2023. The game promises to be a stellar matchup, with Ja Morant Star playing his best basketball of the season, averaging 30.2 points and shooting 41.3 percent from three this month. Despite the form of their superstar, the Grizzlies enter the game with a 4-6 record, while the Warriors are 7-3 in the past 10 games. It’s hard to imagine the Grizzlies winning this game after firing the Head Coach and their struggles with the top teams. I have the Warriors breaking their play-in tournament duck and grabbing the win.
Warriors 108-Grizzlies 102
(10) Miami Heat at (9)Chicago Bulls-7:30 pm ET
It feels like these teams are perennially involved in the play-in tournament. It is the third consecutive playoffs that the Miami Heat will be in the tournament. Chicago won both meetings versus Miami this season by five and nine points. Chicago are 7-3 in their last 10 games, while Miami is 6-4. Both teams have slid in the standings due to trades to their stars, with Demar Derozan and Zach Levine reunited in Sacramento while the Heat moved Jimmy Butler to the Golden State Warriors for Andrew Wiggins. I love the Bulls to win this matchup after some impressive wins recently against the Lakers twice and the Denver Nuggets in the past month. It’s hard to trust the Heat to muster enough offense to keep them in the game with Tyler Herro as the main man.
Bulls 113-Heat 104
(10) Dallas Mavericks at (9) Sacramento Kings-10 pm ET
This is a matchup of teams reeling from in-season trades. The Mavericks shocked the world when they traded Luca Doncic, and the situation worsened with the ACL injury to Kyrie Irving. The Mavericks have struggled by going 4-6 in the last 10 games, and Anthony Davis will have to do a lot to drag this team over the line to prolong this season. I can’t see them pulling it off on the road against a Kings Team that has the offensive fireworks on the floor with a trio of Domantas Sabonis, DeRozan, and Lavine. The Kings are 3-0 against the Mavericks this season, and it will be 4-0 after Wednesday.
Mavericks 122-Mavericks 110