NBA Play-In Tournament 8th seed game
The NBA Play-in Tournament final is here on Friday, with the winner heading to the playoffs on Sunday as the 8th seed. No. 9 Charlotte takes on No. 8 Orlando, while No. 10 Golden State travels to No. 7 Phoenix. The first round of the NBA Playoffs tips off on Saturday, April 18.
9)Charlotte (45-38 SU, 50-33 ATS, 32-51 O/U) vs. 8)Orlando (45-38 SU, 37-45-1 ATS, 45-38 O/U)
Charlotte: -3.5. Total: 218.5
Kia Center, Orlando. 7:30pmET
*(stats from DunkandThrees.com and Team Rankings).
Head-to-Head: These teams met four times with the Hornets winning three SU and ATS. They last met on March 19, with the Hornets winning 130-111.
Key Stats*: Charlotte is 8th in Adjusted Net Rating, 5th in Adjusted Offensive Rating, 14th in Adjusted Defense. 27th in Pace, 2nd in Rebound Rate.
Orlando is 17th in Adjusted Net Rating, 18th in Adjusted Offense and 12th in Adjusted Defense, 14th in Pace, 10th in Rebound Rate.
Analysis: Orlando lost to Philadelphia by 12 (109-97) on Wednesday, but they have one last chance to make the playoffs. They need a little more from Wendell Carter Jr. (1-7 FG, 5pts), who did have 11 rebounds, but was outplayed by backup Andre Drummond (14pts, 11 rebs). Desmond Bane did his part with 34 points on 10-of-16 shooting, but needs more help from Franz Wagner and Paolo Banchero. All are capable of big offensive games, but their three-point shooting (27% against Philadelphia, 34.3% overall) may ultimately be their undoing. Wagner (20-.6ppg, 5.2rpg) played just 34 regular-season games due to injuries and has played in just seven games since Feb. 11.
However, the Hornets never met a three-point shot they didn’t like to attempt. They were able to get past Miami on Tuesday night 127-126 in overtime, despite nearly blowing a five-point lead with seconds left. LaMelo Ball, who contributed to the downfall, was able to win the game on a layup. Ball had 30 points and 10 assists, but shot 12 of 31 from the field and 2-of-16 from beyond the arc. Rookie Kon Kneuppel struggled with six points on 2-of-12 shooting (0-6 3pt) in his first non-regular season game. Charlotte took 56 3-pointers and made 18 (31%). The Hornets are usually a better three-point shooting team (37.8%), ranking third in the league. This is more about Charlotte’s guards (Braxton Miller, Ball, Kneuppel and Coby White) going up against Orlando’s talented frontcourt. Better shot selection might also help the Hornets, who somehow turned the ball over just six times in the overtime win.
10)Golden State (38-45 SU, 35-47 ATS, 50-33 O/U) vs. 7)Phoenix (45-38 SU, 46-34-3 ATS, 38-45 O/U)
Phoenix -2.5. Total: 218.5
Mortgage Matchup Center, Phoenix, Ariz, 10pmEt
*(stats from DunkandThrees.com and Team Rankings).
Head-to-Head: Golden State has won three of the four meetings this season. The last one took place on Feb. 5 with the Warriors winning 101-97 at home as a 6.0-point favorite.
Key Stats*: Golden State is 19th in Adjusted Net Rating, 19th in Adjusted Offensive Rating, 15th in Adjusted Defense. 18th in Pace, 21st in Rebound Rate.
Phoenix is 15th in Adjusted Net Rating, 16th in Adjusted Offense and 10th in Adjusted Defense, 23rd in Pace, 18th in Rebound Rate.
Analysis: Golden State isn’t done yet. That’s because 38-year-old Stephen Curry found another gear on Wednesday, scoring 27 of his 35 points in the second half, and 39-year-old Al Hoford hit four 3-pointers during the Warriors’ fourth-quarter comeback. Golden State was down 13 early in the fourth quarter before exploding for 43 points. One x-factor is 6-7 Gui Santos (9.2ppg) who scored 20 points on 9-of-13 shooting. The Warriors shot 57% from the field and 46% (19-of-41) from long range against a pretty good LA Clippers defense. The Clippers shot 52% from the field, but they committed 17 turnovers. Curry, who played in just 43 regular-season games, is averaging 26.6 points per game and shoots 39.3% from beyond the arc. Another wild card is the play of 7-2 Kristaps Porzingis (16.7ppg, 5.2rpg), who came over from Atlanta, but has played in just 32 games this season due to injuries (the story of his career).
Phoenix is coming off a 114-110 loss at home against Portland on Tuesday. They couldn’t stop Deni Avdija, who had 41 points and a late layup and three-point play to help seal the game. Jalen Green led the Suns with 35 points on 14-of-29 shooting. Devin Booker added 22 points, and Dillon Brooks contributed 20 points, seven rebounds, and four steals before fouling out. The problem was the bench, which contributed just 17 points combined. Booker also went 8 of 13 from the free-throw line. Booker (26.1ppg, 6apg) and Brooks (20.2ppg) are talented enough to carry this team in most instances, but they need more from their frontcourt to get this win.
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