The Lakers and the Warriors will play within the playoff to qualify for the NBA playoffs | Basketball | Sports | EUROtoday

It's time for the reality. The NBA closed the common season this Sunday and the life or demise confrontations start. Among those that are enjoying all the things on one card are two of probably the most profitable groups within the NBA: the Los Angeles Lakers and the San Francisco Golden State Warriors. Both will probably be performed beginning this Tuesday within the repechage for the potential for qualifying for the playoffs which start on Saturday, April 20. At the top of the preliminary section of the league, the Boston Celtics have been clear dominators (with 64 wins and 18 losses). They are the primary seed within the Eastern Conference within the playoffs. In the West, a failure by the Denver Nuggets within the penultimate recreation allowed the Oklahoma City Thunder to complete first.

The league's common season has been so contested that, with two video games remaining, the one ones who knew the place they certified for the playoffs They had been the Celtics, within the Eastern Conference. The remainder of the positions within the two teams have danced till this Sunday, when the final video games have been performed.

The Lakers and the Warriors have to this point prevented a direct confrontation within the Western Conference playoff, so each might find yourself getting into the playoffs. playoffs. With their victory over the Pelicans at dwelling within the final recreation (108-124), the Lakers end the common section as eighth within the Western Conference and can face the New Orleans staff (seventh). Those who win on this new duel, scheduled for Tuesday, will play the primary spherical of the best-of-seven qualifying rounds. in opposition to final yr's champions, the Denver Nuggets, who completed second within the West.

The loser of the sport between the Lakers and the Pelicans will nonetheless have the chance to enter because the eighth seed in the event that they beat the winner of the duel between the Sacramento Kings (ninth) and the Golden State Warriors (tenth). The neighboring California groups already met final yr within the postseason, however this time they do it in a dramatic single recreation after which having to win the second recreation of the play in to realize classification. Whoever achieves that eighth place will face the Oklahoma City Thunder, stunning leaders of the Western Conference on the shut of the common season. This Sunday they sealed first place with an amazing victory (135-86) in opposition to the Dallas Mavericks, who rested their finest gamers, together with Luka Dončić.

The different two western crossings have already been outlined. The Minnesota Timberwolves, one of many revelations of the league, third within the Conference, face the Phoenix Suns, sixth within the Conference, with dwelling area benefit. For their half, the Los Angeles Clippers (4th) could have the Dallas Mavericks (fifth) as rivals.

The Celtics, intractable

Those who had been already assured of being first within the Eastern Conference and the most effective in your complete league had been the Celtics, who did their homework forward of time. The staff of Jason Tatum, Jaylen Brown, Derrick White and Al Horford has added versatile Latvian middle Kristaps Porziņģis and defensive strongman Jrue Holiday. They have functioned as a bunch. They assault and defend nicely, they’ve beginning 5 and bench depth. With their place within the common league they’ve a house area benefit till a hypothetical closing. They haven't received the title since 2008 they usually consider their time has come.

The Celtics, in fact, nonetheless don't know the trail that awaits them. As first within the East, they have to look ahead to play in of that Conference. The Philadelphia 76ers will host the Miami Heat on Tuesday to see who’s the seventh seed. The loser of these two will struggle for eighth place within the playoffs of the East in opposition to the winner of the match between the Chicago Bulls (ninth) and the Atlanta Hawks (tenth). With the return of Joel Embiid after his damage, Philadelphia is a fearsome staff. And Jimmy's Miami Heat Playoff Butler can by no means be trusted when the postseason arrives.

The New York Knicks managed to shut the season because the second finest staff within the East in additional time of their recreation this Sunday, overtaking the Milwaukee Bucks, who fell on a closing day by which they reserved their star, Giannis Antetokounmpo, considerably affected. In this manner, the Knicks will face the winner of the primary spherical play in between the 76ers and the Heat.

The Bucks, in the meantime, will face the Indiana Pacers, with recreation seven in Milwaukee if crucial. The fourth assembly within the East pits the Cavaliers in opposition to the Orlando Magic, with dwelling area benefit for the Cleveland staff.

The better of the yr

Once the common section of the league is over, bets are positioned on particular person awards, particularly finest participant (MVP) and rookie of the yr (ROTY). In which the bets agree that the award for the most effective participant will go to a foreigner. The favorites are the Serbian Nikola Jokić, the Greek Giannis Antetokounmpo, the Canadian Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Slovenian Luka Dončić.

The rookie of the yr award appears assured for Victor Wembanyama, despite the fact that his staff was second to final within the Western Conference. The Frenchman has placed on a present like few others, he has generated huge expectations and has a vivid future forward of him. He mentioned goodbye to the season with a spectacular recreation in opposition to the Denver Nuggets. The stratospheric triples that he chained collectively and the block in opposition to the backboard that he put in opposition to Jokić within the decisive section of the match ought to be the signature for the non-public award.

Wembanyama has, then again, been the most effective blocker within the league, with a median of three.6 blocks per recreation. The high scorer has been Dončić, along with his 33.9 factors per recreation, forward of Antetokounmpo (30.4) and Gilgeous-Alexander (30.3). Domantas Sabonis has prevailed on the boards with 13.7 rebounds per recreation, whereas Tyrese Haliburton (10.9), Dončić (9.8) and Jokić (9.0) have shone within the recreation. Stephen Curry expands his legend as the most effective three-point shooter in historical past with 357 extra three-pointers this season, forward of Donte DiVincenzo and Luka Dončić.

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