The NBA play-in tournament starts Tuesday, April 14, and will determine the No. 7 and No. 8 playoff seeds in each conference. That leaves the top-seeded Detroit Pistons (60-22) waiting to find out who they’ll host in Game 1 of the NBA playoffs on Sunday (6:30 p.m., NBC).
Here’s a prediction of all three rounds of the play-in tournament and which teams will advance to face the Pistons and the Oklahoma City Thunder in the opening round.
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Tuesday, April 14
East: No. 9 Charlotte Hornets vs No. 10 Miami Heat (7:30 p.m.)
Winner: Hornets.
The buzz: The Heat ended the regular season on a slide, losing 10 of their final 15 with the NBA’s worst defense in that stretch. A high-powered Hornets offense should be too much for Miami to handle.
West: No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs. No. 8 Portland Trail Blazers (10 p.m.)
Winner: Blazers.
The buzz: Winners of 10 of their final 14 games, the Blazers have hit their stride defensively and are peaking at the right time. But Phoenix has been steady all season with a top-10 defense. This one feels like a coin flip.
Wednesday, April 15
East: No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs. No. 8 Orlando Magic (7:30 p.m.)
Winner: Magic.
The buzz: With Joel Embiid ruled out of the play-in tournament while recovering from appendix surgery, Philadelphia’s hopes ride on Tyrese Maxey delivering a big performance. Neither teams foresaw the play-in tournament in their futures at the beginning of the season, but Michigan alumnus Franz Wagner – who returned recently after missing 48 games with an ankle sprain – should be able to lift Orlando over the top.
West: No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers vs. No. 10 Golden State Warriors (10 p.m.)
Winner: Clippers.
The buzz: The Warriors have limped to the finish line and are the lone play-in team with a losing record (37-45 overall). The Clippers, on the other hand, won eight of 12 to end the season and are led by Kawhi Leonard, who delivered another vintage season at age 34.
Friday, April 17
East: No. 7 Philadelphia 76ers vs No. 9 Charlotte Hornets (7:30 p.m.)
Winner: Hornets.
The buzz: Without Embiid, the Sixers likely lack the firepower to keep pace with a Hornets offense that takes and makes 3-pointers at top-three rates. Charlotte has been one of the top teams in the East since Jan. 1 and should capture the No. 8 seed.
West: No. 7 Phoenix Suns vs No. 9 Los Angeles Clippers (10 p.m.)
Winner: Clippers.
The buzz: The Suns have punched above their weight class this season, but they won’t be able to solve Leonard.
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Contact Omari Sankofa II at osankofa@freepress.com. Follow him on Bluesky and/or X @omarisankofa.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Predicting NBA play in tournament, Detroit Pistons’ first round playoff opponent
Reporting by Omari Sankofa II, Detroit Free Press / Detroit Free Press
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