The Sports Cast
2022 NBA Play-in Preview | The Update w/Santiago Leon & Jordan Vargas
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Download file | Play in new window | Duration: 30:46 | Recorded on April 11, 2022
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2022 NBA Playin Preview
Contributors Santiago Leon – @sleon Jordan Vargas – @JordanVargas02
Western Conference: Minnesota Timberwolves (7), Los Angeles Clippers (8), New Orleans Pelicans (9), San Antonio Spurs (10)
Eastern Conference: Brooklyn Nets (7), Cleveland Cavaliers (8), Atlanta Hawks (9), Charlotte Hornets (10)
The format goes like this: No. 7 plays No. 8 and No. 9 plays No. 10. The winner of the 7-8 game gets the No. 7 seed, while the loser plays the winner of the 9-10 game for the No. 8 seed.
Put another way, the Nos. 7 and 8 seeds get two shots to win one play-in game, while the Nos. 9 and 10 seeds have no margin for error, having to win two straight to get in. One loss, and they’re out.
NBA Standings East
Heat (53-29)
Bucks (51-31)
Celtics (51-31)
76ers (51-31)
Raptors (48-34)
Bulls (46-36)
Nets (44-38)
Cavs (44-34)
hawks (43-39)
hornets (43-39)
West
Suns (64-18)
Grizz (56-36)
GSW (53-29)
Mavs (52-30)
Jazz (49-33)
Nuggets (48-34)
Timberwolves (46-36)
Clippers (42-40)
Pelicans (36-46)
Spurs (34-48)
Tuesday, April 12East: No. 8 Cleveland Cavaliers at No. 7 Brooklyn Nets, 7 p.m. ET (TNT)
Key Matchup: Kyrie Irving vs. Darius Garlandthe battle of the point guards will be the one to watch here.
Ben Simmons out until at least the first round
West: No. 8 Los Angeles Clippers at No. 7 Minnesota Timberwolves, 9:30 p.m. ET (TNT)
Key Matchup: Paul George vs. Anthony Edwards
George returned to the Clippers lineup on March 29 and averaged 22.6 points, 5.6 rebounds, 6.8 assists, 2.8 steals and shot a blistering 52.5 percent from three in five games. With Kawhi Leonard still recovering from a torn ACL, the Clippers will have to continue to rely on George to carry the offensive load.
This doesn’t mean Edwards can’t outplay him, of course.
The second-year guard averaged 23.3 points, 4.3 rebounds and 4.0 assists on 46.3 percent shooting in his four games vs. the Clippers this season, taking over the primary scoring duties with Karl-Anthony Towns struggling mightily (15.3 points on 42.1 percent shooting) in the series.
George will likely be tasked with guarding Edwards
Clippers head coach is Ty Lue
Wednesday, April 13East: No. 10 Charlotte Hornets at No. 9 Atlanta Hawks, 7 ET p.m. (ESPN)
Key Matchup: Trae Young vs. LaMelo BallYoung shot just 37.7 percent overall in four games vs. Charlotte compared to Ball’s 35.3 percent mark in three games against Atlanta. As the offensive hubs of their respective teams, both will need to do better to pull out a win.
Young led the Hawks to the NBA’s third-ranked offense (118.4) and fifth-best net rating (plus-4.7) while going 26-14.
West: No. 10 San Antonio Spurs at No. 9 New Orleans Pelicans, 9:30 p.m. ET (ESPN)
Key Matchup: CJ McCollum vs. Dejounte Murray
McCollum helped save what was once a 1-12 start to the season for the Pelicans, gu