NBA, NHL are proceeding with season restart plans

Disney plans safety of bubble staff. Column: NHL camps loom. at nhl. usatoday. com

The NBA’s restart tips off just right, featuring Zion Williamson and the Pelicans against the Jazz in the first game and the Clippers against the Lakers in the second game on July 30.

Williamson and the Pelicans are on the outside of the playoffs looking in right now but have a chance to get into the postseason. Lakers vs. Clippers is a potential Western Conference finals matchup.

The NBA will finish its regular season – called seeding games – with 88 games at Disney’s ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex near Orlando, Florida, including at least 52 televised on TNT, ESPN, ABC and NBATV.

The seeding games will continue through Aug. 14. There will be no more than seven games in a day, with some starting as early as 12: 30 p. m. ET. It will be nonstop NBA from early afternoon through the evening, and games will be played on three courts in the complex. Each team has one back- to- back days.

Don’t forget, the NBA added the potential for play- in games to determine the eighth seed. So a team that finishes in ninth place and is within four games of the eighth seed will force a play- in game scenario. But the ninth seed has to win twice and the eighth seed just once to make the playoffs. Potential play- in games are scheduled for Aug. 15 and 16. The playoffs will begin Aug. 17.

Here are 13 must- see games when the NBA resumes:

Lakers vs. Clippers, July 30: A potential conference finals matchup.

Bucks vs. Celtics, July 31: Can the Celtics challenge the Bucks in the Eastern Conference?

Grizzlies vs. Trail Blazers, July 31: A big early game in the race for the West’s eighth seed.

Thunder vs. Jazz, Aug. 1: This one has big seeding implications in the Western Conference.

Pacers vs. 76ers, Aug. 1: Another game that has an impact on seeding between East contenders.

Pelicans vs. Grizzlies, Aug. 3: Memphis has a tough schedule to finish.

Heat vs. Celtics, Aug. 4: Will the Heat make a run in the East?

Rockets vs. Lakers, Aug. 6: Can the Rockets make a deep run?

Nuggets vs. Jazz, Aug. 8: This one could determine the third seed in the West.

Raptors vs. Bucks, Aug. 10: Looking at a potential Eastern Conference finals rematch?

Pelicans vs. Kings, Aug. 11: Don’t forget the Kings in the race for the eighth seed.

76ers vs. Raptors, Aug. 12: The Sixers are an intriguing team headed into this restart.

Clippers vs. Nuggets, Aug. 12: Can the Nuggets make a run at the No. 2 seed?