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The NBA seeding games are coming to an end, with all teams now having less than five games left to play. As a result, the NBA games today have major implications on the playoff scenarios.
Yesterday’s games were full of surprises, with the Milwaukee Bucks making an impressive comeback against the Miami Heat to lock in the No. 1 seed in the Eastern Conference, and the LA Lakers sans LeBron James looking lifeless against the Houston Rockets.
Several noteworthy individual performances were put up as well, such as Michael Porter Jr.’s double-double (27 points and 12 rebounds) against the Portland Trail Blazers and Devin Booker’s double-double (20 points and 10 assists) against the Indiana Pacers.
With the NBA games today having playoff seeding implications, we hope that it will be an entertaining day.
NBA Games Today - All you need to know
San Antonio Spurs vs Utah Jazz
The Western Conference is tightly packed, with the Utah Jazz only two games behind the No. 3 seed (the Denver Nuggets). The San Antonio Spurs need to win the remainder of their seeding games in order to have a shot at the play-in tournament.
The San Antonio Spurs have come across good fortune as they are set up to face a depleted Utah Jazz squad who will be missing Mike Conley, Rudy Gobert and Royce O’Neale.
The San Antonio Spurs have been competitive in every game they have played in the NBA bubble and have a 2-2 record. The Utah Jazz, who also have a 2-2 record, will be praying for some production from their lone non-injured starter, Joe Ingles, and bench players such as Jordan Clarkson, in order to vault them ahead of the Houston Rockets.
Memphis Grizzlies vs Oklahoma City Thunder
The Memphis Grizzlies are currently holding on to the 8th seed of the Western Conference by a thread, having gone 0-4 since the NBA restart. The Oklahoma City Thunder are fresh off a convincing 105-86 victory over the LA Lakers and are looking to repeat that against the Memphis Grizzlies.
The Oklahoma City Thunder have a manageable schedule that could possibly see them finish at the No. 2 seed in the Western Conference. The Memphis Grizzlies are desperate for a win and need to pull one off without Jaren Jackson Jr., who was pivotal to their success prior to the NBA restart.
The Oklahoma City Thunder, led by veteran Chris Paul, should have an easy time against the Memphis Grizzlies.
Brooklyn Nets vs Sacramento Kings
The Brooklyn Nets and the Sacramento Kings have both had some impressive performances in the NBA bubble. The Brooklyn Nets currently have a 2-1 record in the NBA bubble and are looking to win this matchup in order to pull away from the Orlando Magic, who are only a game behind.
The Sacramento Kings are currently 1-2 in the NBA bubble and need to win this matchup in order to move ahead of the San Antonio Spurs. The Brooklyn Nets are coming off an expected loss against the Boston Celtics and wish to get back into shape against an inconsistent Sacramento Kings.
Despite coming off an impressive victory over the New Orleans Pelicans, the Sacramento Kings struggled defensively against the Pelicans front court and allowed Brandon Ingram and Zion Williamson to score nearly fifty points combined.
Also read: "It's a reminder of home" - Looking into the NBA bubble's unofficial wine connoisseurs
Philadelphia 76ers vs Orlando Magic
The Philadelphia 76ers were poised to make a deep playoff run prior to Ben Simmons’ potential season ending injury against the Washington Wizards on Wednesday. The Philadelphia 76ers are trying to remain positive amid the crisis and are looking to notch their third straight victory over the Orlando Magic today.
The Orlando Magic are dealing with injury concerns of their own as Aaron Gordon is unlikely to make an appearance against the Philadelphia 76ers. This is relatively good news for the Philadelphia 76ers, who have struggled to close out games in the NBA bubble and have allowed more than 40 points in the fourth quarter in their last two matchups.
Washington Wizards vs New Orleans Pelicans
The New Orleans Pelicans cannot afford to lose today’s matchup against the Washington Wizards after a disappointing outing against the Sacramento Kings. The Washington Wizards currently do not have anything to play for as they are currently mathematically eliminated from the play-in tournament due to a dismal 0-3 record in the bubble.
The silver lining for the New Orleans Pelicans is that Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram have looked unstoppable in the NBA bubble. This matchup will serve to be a perfect bounce-back game for the New Orleans Pelicans, who are likely to notch a convincing victory over the Washington Wizards.
Toronto Raptors vs Boston Celtics
This matchup is likely to be the most entertaining of the day as the No. 2 seed and the No. 3 seed of the Eastern Conference take each other on.
The Toronto Raptors and the Boston Celtics could potentially meet again in the Eastern Conference finals and this game will serve to be an ideal preview. With the No. 1 seed already locked up by the Milwaukee Bucks, the Toronto Raptors are looking to lock in the No. 2 seed in order to cruise through the playoffs.
The Boston Celtics must win this game in order to preserve any hope of attaining the No. 2 seed. This matchup will resemble an immovable object going up against an unstoppable force. Only time will tell whether the dominant defense of the Toronto Raptors can subdue the explosive offense of the Boston Celtics.
Guess the Lakers players!
