{"id":581789,"date":"2026-04-13T14:57:13","date_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:57:13","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/581789\/"},"modified":"2026-04-13T14:57:13","modified_gmt":"2026-04-13T14:57:13","slug":"the-bounce-previewing-the-actually-fun-play-in-tournament-games","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/581789\/","title":{"rendered":"The Bounce: Previewing the (actually fun!) Play-In Tournament games"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Bounce Newsletter\u00a0\":basketball:\"\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here<\/a>\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your inbox.<\/p>\n

We have a massive week ahead of us. We have the end-of-season Bouncies to give out as awards. We\u2019ll go over our preseason predictions (I\u2019d actually love to skip that). The Play-In Tournament arrives tomorrow. Taxes are due on Wednesday. And the playoffs start Saturday.<\/p>\n

Season is over<\/p>\n

All you need to know from final weekend<\/p>\n

We made it through the 2025-26 regular season! They claimed it couldn\u2019t be done, and we proved them wrong. This NBA season was full of drama, some of which has yet to be resolved (the Clippers\u2019 salary-cap circumvention investigation and gambling scandals from the second day of the season). Tanking was a massive issue that is getting solved next month, we think. The 65-game rule was a big bag of drama, and we think the NBA is sticking with it. Giannis Antetokounmpo might be on the move around draft night in late June.<\/p>\n

Oh, and there was also some really good basketball \u2014 and absurd individual performances. Here\u2019s where we stand after the final weekend of action<\/a>, along with a quick introduction to our playoff series (emoji meter out of five):<\/p>\n

Nikola Joki\u0107 and Victor Wembanyama both qualified for postseason awards. Luka Don\u010di\u0107 is expected to appeal his status. Cade Cunningham should join him.
\nCooper Flagg had 33 points in a showdown with Wemby (40-13-15 in 26 minutes) on Friday. Then he only played 10 minutes on Sunday because of a sprained ankle.
\nLuka (33.5) is your scoring champ (total points and average).
\nJoki\u0107 (12.9) is your rebounding champ (average). Donovan Clingan had the most total boards.
\nJoki\u0107 (10.7) is your assists champ (average and total assists).
\nJoki\u0107 is the first player in history to lead the league in rebounding and assist average.
\nKon Knueppel (273) and LaMelo Ball (272) were first and second in made 3-pointers.
\nThe Wizards secured the worst record (17-65). The Pacers (19-63) and Nets (20-62) join them with the best lottery odds<\/a> (14 percent for the top pick). Washington set the record for most 20-point losses with 28.
\nThe Jazz and Kings will have a coin flip for the fourth-best lottery odds. New Orleans and Dallas will have a coin flip for the seventh-best lottery odds.
\nDoc Rivers agreed to step down as the Bucks coach<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Eastern Conference series<\/p>\n

(8) 76ers\/Magic\/Hornets\/Heat versus (1) Pistons: A healthy Sixers team or an inspired Hornets squad could test the top-seeded Pistons. Detroit should take care of business<\/a>, but we could see some interesting matchups.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

(7) 76ers\/Magic\/Hornets\/Heat versus (2) Celtics: I might consider a stylistic issue for the Celtics if Joel Embiid were healthy, but nobody is expecting Boston to be in trouble here. Charlotte would be a fun matchup, though.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

(6) Hawks versus (3) Knicks: The new-look Hawks are hoping their defense can stop New York\u2019s quest<\/a> for its first finals appearance since we were worried about Y2K.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

(5) Raptors versus (4) Cavaliers: I honestly have no idea what to make of these two teams<\/a> and their playoff competency. But the Cavs might have the two best players in this series.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

Western Conference series<\/p>\n

(8) Suns\/Blazers\/Clippers\/Warriors versus (1) Thunder: Maybe if you combined these four teams, we could see them threatening the Thunder in a first-round series.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83e\uddf9<\/p>\n

(7) Suns\/Blazers\/Clippers\/Warriors versus (2) Spurs: The Suns could provide an intriguing style of play against the Spurs. But this young San Antonio team should be safe.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

(6) Wolves versus (3) Nuggets: We saw an epic battle between these two in 2024. The Wolves are different now, and the Nuggets are deeper. This could be a bloody first-round series<\/a> if Ant is healthy. But a healthy Nuggets team is title-capable.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

(5) Rockets versus (4) Lakers: We don\u2019t know if Luka or Austin Reaves will appear in this series. So not even the Rockets can find a possibility to give this one away<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Upset threat level: \ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8\ud83d\udea8<\/p>\n

The last 24<\/p>\n

\ud83e\udd8c Bucks stop here. It was an aimless, drama-filled year for Giannis and Milwaukee. Our Eric Nehm goes inside the Bucks\u2019 season from hell<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc6 Survey says! Who will win it all? We asked 161 players in our annual anonymous poll to give their pick to take the title<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Decade after dominance. Today marks the 10th anniversary of the Warriors securing their record-breaking 73rd win. Our Nick Friedell has a look back on that team<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc02 Let\u2019s talk. The Bulls are adamant about Billy Donovan remaining their coach. We don\u2019t know if it\u2019s mutual<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83d\udc51 You\u2019re safe. The Sacramento Kings have had 13 coaches in the last 20 years. Doug Christie is coming back, though<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\ud83c\udfc0 Mock-ery. The WNBA Draft is tonight. Our Sabreena Merchant has the latest intel on who might go where in her new mock draft<\/a>.<\/p>\n

Stream the NBA on Fubo (try it for free!<\/a>)\u00a0and catch out-of-market games on\u00a0League Pass<\/a>.<\/p>\n

East Play-In preview<\/p>\n

Redemption for Magic? Can Hornets buzz?<\/p>\n

Because of a Philadelphia Flyers NHL home game, the East 7-8 matchup is happening on Wednesday instead of tomorrow. That\u2019s because the Magic lost to Luka Garza and the Celtics on the final day of the season. Let\u2019s preview all the Play-In games!<\/p>\n

(8) Magic at (7) 76ers, Wednesday at 7:30 p.m. ET on Amazon Prime<\/p>\n

Play-In experience for the 76ers: They\u2019re 1-0 with a one-point win over Miami to grab the No. 7 seed back in 2024.
\nPlay-In experience for the Magic: They\u2019re 1-0, with their first appearance resulting in a 25-point win over Atlanta for the No. 7 seed last year.
\nBest storyline for the game: Will the Magic\u2019s incredibly disappointing season end this week?
\nHow\u2019d the season series go? How relevant was it? The 76ers won the series 2-1, but these teams haven\u2019t played since Jan. 9.
\nKey matchup: Jalen Suggs guarding Tyrese Maxey. The Magic need to connect to their old defensive ways, and Suggs being able to slow down Maxey without Embiid out there is the key.
\nKey stat: Free throws. These are two of the best at getting to the charity stripe, and they\u2019re both really good at keeping opponents off the line. These teams will need cheap, easy points.
\nWho should the Celtics want to win? Probably Orlando. I doubt they\u2019re sweating either, but the Magic can\u2019t shoot with them.
\nPrediction: 76ers by six.<\/p>\n

(10) Heat at (9) Hornets, tomorrow, 7:30 p.m., Amazon Prime<\/p>\n

Play-In experience for the Hornets: 0-2 in their history, with two blowout losses to Indiana in 2021 and Atlanta in 2022.
\nPlay-In experience for the Heat: They\u2019re 4-2 and have secured the No. 8 seed in each of the last three seasons. Last year, they did it against Atlanta and Chicago as the 10th team in the East.
\nBest storyline for the game: Can the Hornets\u2019 incredible turnaround continue into their first playoff appearance since 2016?
\nHow\u2019d the season series go? How relevant was it? The Heat won the series 3-1, with the last two of those games coming in March.
\nKey matchup: Moussa Diabate against Bam Adebayo. We\u2019re not expecting 83 from Bam, but Diabate being able to slow down Adebayo\u2019s offensive impact would be massive for Charlotte.
\nKey stat: Offensive boards. The Hornets grab the fourth-highest percentage of offensive boards, and the Heat are eighth in defensive rebounding. Limiting Charlotte\u2019s possessions is huge.
\nWho should the Pistons want to win? They probably want to face Orlando or Miami because of their offensive issues. Charlotte might be a little too scrappy.
\nPrediction: Hornets by nine.
\nWest Play-In preview<\/p>\n

Either Kawhi or Steph will be going home<\/p>\n

Now let\u2019s turn our gaze to the West Play-In matchups:<\/p>\n

(8) Blazers at (7) Suns, tomorrow, 10 p.m., on Amazon Prime<\/p>\n

Play-In experience for the Suns: None.
\nPlay-In experience for the Blazers: 1-0. They won the very first Play-In matchup against Memphis in 2020 in the bubble.
\nBest storyline for the game: Both Portland and Phoenix were expected to come up short this season, and now they have a chance at the seventh seed.
\nHow\u2019d the season series go? How relevant was it?Phoenix won the series 2-1, with only one of those games since the All-Star break.
\nKey matchup: Toumani Camara guarding Devin Booker. Camara is one of the best defenders in the league, and Booker is one of the best scorers. Whoever gets the better of this matchup will probably help his team win.
\nKey stat: 3-point shooting. The Suns are seventh in volume and 12th in 3-point percentage. Portland is third in volume and 27th in percentage. The Blazers have to shoot better to keep up.
\nWho should the Spurs want to win? They probably want to deal with Portland, considering the Blazers are so bad at 3-point shooting.
\nPrediction: Suns by three.<\/p>\n

(10) Warriors at (9) Clippers, Wednesday, 10 p.m., Amazon Prime<\/p>\n

Play-In experience for the Clippers: 0-2. They lost both Play-In games in 2022 to Minnesota and New Orleans.
\nPlay-In experience for the Warriors: 1-3. They won the seventh seed last year against Memphis. They lost to Sacramento to get ousted in 2024 and lost to the Lakers and Grizzlies in 2021.
\nBest storyline for the game: Either Kawhi Leonard or Steph Curry will be eliminated from a chance at a postseason spot with a loss here. Kawhi is 34, and Steph is 38.
\nHow\u2019d the season series go? How relevant was it? The Clippers won the series 3-1, with the final game on the final day of the season. Only one game happened before the Clippers\u2019 turnaround.
\nKey matchup: Curry against Darius Garland. Curry is still coming off a knee injury, and Garland is giving the Clippers a lot on offense. If he can match Curry, the Clippers will be in a great position to win.
\nKey stat: Turnovers. Both of these teams are in the bottom 10 in turnover rate, but the Warriors are fifth-best at forcing turnovers. The Clippers are middle-of-the-road. Who will give the game away, and who will take it?
\nWho should the Thunder want to win? I\u2019m not sure they\u2019ll even know these teams are here. It\u2019s going to be a sweep regardless.
\nPrediction: Clippers by seven.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Bounce Newsletter\u00a0\u00a0| This is The Athletic\u2019s daily NBA newsletter.\u00a0Sign up here\u00a0to receive The Bounce directly in your…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":581790,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[6417,2242,671,11949,7329,8174,760,1753,4576,2243,5050,3441,11952,1055,8173,360,11951,355,361,6402,11950,2113,6415,6406,6404,2116,99,2970,4219,11948],"class_list":{"0":"post-581789","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-nba","8":"tag-atlanta-hawks","9":"tag-boston-celtics","10":"tag-brooklyn-nets","11":"tag-charlotte-hornets","12":"tag-chicago-bulls","13":"tag-cleveland-cavaliers","14":"tag-dallas-mavericks","15":"tag-denver-nuggets","16":"tag-detroit-pistons","17":"tag-golden-state-warriors","18":"tag-houston-rockets","19":"tag-indiana-pacers","20":"tag-los-angeles-clippers","21":"tag-los-angeles-lakers","22":"tag-miami-heat","23":"tag-milwaukee-bucks","24":"tag-minnesota-timberwolves","25":"tag-nba","26":"tag-new-york-knicks","27":"tag-oklahoma-city-thunder","28":"tag-orlando-magic","29":"tag-philadelphia-76ers","30":"tag-phoenix-suns","31":"tag-portland-trail-blazers","32":"tag-sacramento-kings","33":"tag-san-antonio-spurs","34":"tag-sports","35":"tag-toronto-raptors","36":"tag-utah-jazz","37":"tag-washington-wizards"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581789","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=581789"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/581789\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/581790"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=581789"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=581789"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=581789"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}