Twenty-two NBA groups were invited to play in the NBA bubble to finish the normal season and playoff rankings. On Friday, five of them prepare to return home, drawn from the protests. On the weekend, a sixth team will be registered. Portland Trail Blazers (35-39) and Memphis Grizzlies (34-39) will face off in a play-in series for last place in the Western Conference playoffs. The NBA raised that wrinkle to raise some intrigue to the reboot, stipulating that a ninth seed team that finished in all four eighth games would have a chance to borrow their place in the playoffs.
Despite a Furious 8-0 with the Phoenix Suns in the bubble, the Blazers and Grizzlies controlled to get the victories they needed on Thursday night and organize the game (no Eastern team qualified for an entry game).
That’s how the play-in: The Grizzlies, as the ninth seed, will have to beat the Blazers twice this weekend to qualify for the playoffs. Blazers only have to win once. If they win on Saturday, there’s no game right now on Sunday. The play-in winner will face the Los Angeles Lakers in the first playoff circular.
Game program
Game 1
Time: 2:30 p.m. Et
Television: ABC
Live streaming: WatchESPN (subscription required)
Game 2 (if necessary)
Time: 4:30 p.m. Et
Television: ESPN
Live streaming: WatchESPN (subscription required)
If the recent form is an indication, the Grizzlies are in trouble this weekend. Of course, they got an impressive (and necessary) 119-106 win over the Milwaukee Bucks on Thursday, but overall managed 2-6 in the bubble. Memphis will also play without Jaren Jackson Jr., who broke the meniscus 3 games after the resumption.
To make the Grizzlies theme worse, they emerge as opposed to the bubble player: Damian Lillard. The Portland leader has been brilliant in the last three games, scoring 51 against the 76ers, 61 against the Dallas Mavericks and 42 points against the Brooklyn Nets on Thursday. The Blazers won all three games with 3 problems or less. According to ESPN Stats – Info, no one has closed a season as Lady Time:
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