A MATTER OF PERSPECTIVE
What’s the value of the play-in? Depends on which team you’re going to ask as the NBA nears its postseason phase
The issue of the NBA’s playin can divide a room. And on the floor, too, where some teams will heave a sigh of relief at avoiding having to go through the play-in while others would only be too happy to qualify for it.
It’s all a matter of perspective.
Take the Dallas Mavericks, for example.
On the heels of Luka Doncic’s 11th triple-double of the season, the Mavs carved out a 114-110 victory over the Toronto Raptors on Friday.
And coach Rick Carlisle didn’t skip a beat in expressing the importance of the victory.
“Avoiding the play-in is significant,” Carlisle said. “It’s important. There [are] too many advantages to not being in the play-in situation.”
Yes, there are many advantages indeed, unless you are the Washington Wizards.
Russell Westbrook continued to make the record for most triple-doubles a seemingly unbreakable mark as he posted 21 points, 12 rebounds and 17 assists to lead the Wizards to a 120-105 victory over the Cleveland Cavaliers.
After the game, Westbrook wasn’t exactly crowing about triple-double No. 183—he was celebrating another achievement.
“We’re thankful to have the opportunity to make the play- offs,” Westbrook said. “Our job now is to take care of business for one more game and move up in the standings.”
Washington’s victory eliminated Chicago from the playoff race.
Doncic scored 20 points, grabbed 10 rebounds and handed out 11 assists and the Mavs held off a late challenge from the short-handed Raptors, whose seven absentees included stars Kyle Lowry, Pascal Siakam and Fred VanVleet, to clinch an outright playoff berth.
The Mavericks avoided the NBA’s play-in tournament, in which the seventh-through 10th placed teams in each conference battle for the final two postseason berths.
Elsewhere, the pieces of the playoff puzzle continued to fall into place.
The Philadelphia 76ers secured the top seed in the Eastern Conference playoffs with a dominant 122-97 victory over the Orlando Magic.
Seth Curry scored 20 points and stars Joel Embiid and Ben Simmons added 13 apiece for the 76ers, who outscored the Magic 39-19 in the second quarter to take control of the contest.
Cameroonian big man Embiid, a Most Valuable Player candidate, added 11 rebounds while Australia’s Simmons handed out nine assists.
The Sixers’ victory ensured that neither the second-placed Brooklyn Nets nor third-ranked Milwaukee Bucks can overtake them for top spot in the East.
Home court advantage could prove especially valuable to the 76ers, who are 28-7 at home.
“We barely lose here, so it means a lot,” Embiid said, but added the Sixers have “still got to go out and prove why you’re the No. 1 seed.”
While things aren’t clearcut in the West, the Utah Jazz consolidated their position atop the conference with a 10993 victory over the Oklahoma City Thunder.
The Jazz improved their league-leading record to 51-20 with one game remaining before the regular season ends on Sunday.
Bojan Bogdanovic led Utah with 22 points. Jordan Clarkson added 18 off the bench and center Rudy Gobert scored 16 points and pulled down 18 rebounds for a Jazz team that had lost two straight.
The Jazz can clinch top seed in the West with a victory against the Sacramento Kings on Sunday or a loss by second-placed Phoenix in either of the Suns’ two weekend games against San Antonio.
The Denver Nuggets, meanwhile, beat the Detroit Pistons, 104-91, to pull into a tie for third place in the West with the Los Angeles Clippers, who rested stars Kawhi Leonard, Paul George and Patrick Beverly on the second night of a back-to-back and fell, 122115, to the last-placed Houston Rockets.
Nikola Jokic led the Nuggets with his 16th triple-double of the season, scoring 20 points with 15 rebounds and 11 assists despite sitting out the fourth quarter.
There [are] too many advantages to not being in the play-in situation
RICK CARLISLE Mavericks coach