J-Speaks: No. 8 Seed Play-In Game Previews

 

The 2024 NBA Playoff field is nearly set with 14 squads having already punched their respective tickets. On Friday, four teams will compete for the final two spots in their respective conferences. The reigning Eastern Conference champions from “South Beach” will be looking to punch their Playoff ticket against the boys from the “Windy City,” who take took down in this same game a season ago. In the nightcap of the 2024 NBA Play-In Tournament will have the boys from California’s “Capital City” seeking back-to-back postseason appearances for the first time nearly two decades at the boys from “The Big Easy,” who are looking to make the postseason for just the second time in the last six seasons.

Eastern Conference No. 8 Seed Play-In Game (Friday Apr. 16, 2024 7 P.M. ESPN, Presented By SoFi)

(9) Chicago Bulls versus (8) Miami Heat 
           (39-43)                             (46-36)

Season Series: Tied 2-2.

Last season, the boys from “South Beach” were on the ropes of not making the Playoffs. They responded with a furious finish overtaking the boys from the “Windy City” to punch their postseason ticket and road that momentum to the NBA Finals, where they fell to the boys from the “Colorado Rockies.” The same two teams will lock horns once again in the “305” on Friday night. The contest will have a different feel where the home squad’s clutch player and leader will be on the shelf.

The defending Eastern Conference champion Miami Heat’s journey to last season’s NBA Finals began in the Play-In Tournament a season ago where they bounced back from a disappointing loss (116-105) in their first Play-In Game versus the Atlanta Hawks with a 102-91 win versus the Chicago Bulls, outscoring the visitors 15-1 to close matters.

The same two squads meet again with the final Playoff spot in the Eastern Conference and a date with the No. 1 Seeded Boston Celtics (64-18) as the reward.

But this time for Heat Head Coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad, they will be without their emotional leader and top scorer Jimmy Butler due to a sprained MCL in his left knee sustained in the Heat’s 105-104 setback on Wednesday night at the Philadelphia 76ers (ESPN), who clinched the No. 7 Seed in Eastern Conference and will face the No. 2 Seeded New York Knicks (50-32) in the First Round of the 2023 NBA Playoffs.

Butler, who had 19 points and five steals in the loss at the 76ers sustained the injury in the opening quarter when attempting go up for a layup, 76ers forward Kelly Oubre, Jr. went up and came down on four-time All-NBA Third Team selection’s knee. 

Butler underwent an MRI exam on Thursday which determined the severity of the injury, which he played through on Wednesday.  But the five-time NBA All-Defensive Second Team selection was not effective over the final three quarters and shot just 5/18 for the game,

He scored 10 points in the first half, going just 2/8 from the floor and 6/7 at the foul line. Butler scored seven points in the third quarter, making two of his four triple tries but shot just 28/8 overall in the period. He followed that up scoring just two points in the fourth period, where the Heat were outscored 36-30 in the fourth quarter.

“We had a little knee tweak and we’ll see what these tests got tomorrow. I felt like I couldn’t do too much, which sucks with the timing of the game and everything,” Butler, who had just two points, getting just two field goal attempts in the fourth period at 76ers said after the loss. “When I fell, he [Oubre, Jr.] landed and my knee just didn’t do well, I guess? I don’t know but it’s not a good felling I can tell you that.”

“I mean, I don’t want to jinx it. But I hope that I’m fine. I hope I wake up tomorrow and I can still stick and move. But right now, I can’t say that’s the case.

Along with not having Butler in the lineup, the Heat will not have guard Terry Rozier, who the team acquired in late January from the Charlotte Hornets, who will miss his sixth straight game due to a neck injury. That is 19.8 points and 5.6 assists on 36.3 percent three not in the lineup

Dealing with injuries this season is nothing new for head coach Erik Spoelstra’s squad. Their 275 total games lost by their roster due to injury or illness during the regular season was the fifth most in “The Association.” Butler missed 22 of those games and the Heat went 13-9 in those games.

Without Butler, the burden at least offensively shifts will fall on the shoulders of Tyler Herro, who did not play in the season series versus the Bulls due to injury led the Heat with 25 points, with 16 of those points on 5/10 shooting, including 3/6 from three-point range and a perfect 3/3 at the charity stripe in the fourth quarter. For the game, Herro shot just 9/27 from the field and 4/14 on his triple tries.  

Rookie Jaime Jaquez, Jr. scored 15 with five boards. Fellow perennial All-Star Bam Adebayo had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds with two block shots.

If the Heat are going to get back to the postseason and try to defend their reign as Eastern Conference champions, they will need Adebayo and Herro to lead them on both ends of the hardwood.

In playing two of the four games of the season series against the Bulls, Adebayo averaged 23.5 points, 10.5 rebounds, and 5.5 assists on 61.5 percent from the field.

They will also need the likes of Ducan Robinson, Caleb Martin, Nikola Jovic, Haywood Highsmith, Patty Mills possibly to bring it, especially offensively.

It seems like every time the Heat’s backs are against the wall and people cast their doubts on the Heat, they show up in grant fashion and give an utter worldly performance.

That is the result of the grit and determination the Heat have displayed over the past few seasons. They will need all of it and then some to take down the Bulls once again and punch their aforementioned ticket for the final Playoff spot in the Eastern Conference.

“These type of games, you just treasure the opportunity to compete in these kind of games. It’s disappointing. It’s frustrating. It’s all the emotions, you know when you come up short,” Coach Spoelstra said after the loss at the 76ers on Wednesday night.

When it comes to having to win versus the Bulls on Friday night to make the Playoffs and try to defend their East title, Coach Spoelstra, “We will do this the hard way. That has to be the path, you know, right now. We’re going to rest up. Treat up. Rally around each other, up. Get ready for Friday. And again, embrace these competitive games.”

For the Bulls, who have just one postseason appearance in the past six seasons moved one step closer to punching their postseason ticket for the first time since 2021 thanks to their dominant 131-116 win versus the No. 10 Seeded Atlanta Hawks on Wednesday.

Head Coach Billy Donovan’s squad in their victory versus the Hawks were led by rising star lead guard Coby White’s career-high of 42 points with six assists, nine rebounds, and two steals on 15/21 from the field, and 3/7 from three-point range. White’s 42 points are the second most by a player in Play-In Tournament, trailing on the 50-point performance by Celtics’ Jayson Tatum in 2021 Play-In Tournament versus the Washington Wizards. 

Veteran center Nikola Vucevic had a double-double of 24 points and 12 rebounds, while swingman DeMar DeRozen added 22 points with nine assists and six rebounds. Fellow youngster guard Ayon Dosunmu added 19 points with two blocks and Javonte Green scored 10 with six boards.

What also fueled White’s performance versus the Hawks is how last season concluded at the Heat and felt this past regular season’s four-game set was a high contested battle each time.

“It’s going to be a junkyard fight, a dogfight,” White said after the win versus Hawks to ESPN’s Cassidy Hubbarth about their rematch with the Heat. “We know Miami, they know us. They’ve got a little different team. A little different personnel. They’ve added Delon Wright and Patty Mills. So, they’ve added some really good players. So, for us, we’ve just got to come in ready to compete and, you know, leave it all out on the floor.”

DeRozan, who averaged a team-leading 22 points in the four-game season-series versus the Heat remembers vividly the 15-1 run the Heat to close last season’s Play-In tilt to end their season added by saying if they could win at the Heat on Friday night, “It would mean a lot.”

“I remember that plane ride home vividly. Everybody was just frustrated. That feeling sucked. I know for me, that’s one thing that’s on my mind once I realized we was going back to Miami-to not have that same feeling.”

The Heat and Bulls split their four regular season meetings with each team earning a win on the opposing team’s homecourt. Three of the four games were decided by single digits.

One key player the Bulls could possibly be without against the Heat is a top candidate for the either the first or second NBA All-Defensive team in Alex Caruso, who suffered a serious left ankle sprain after reserve center Andre Drummond stepped on his teammate’s ankle as they were going down the Hardwood.

Without Caruso, who was going to be very busy on the defensive end in particular chasing Herro, this gives an opportunity to Dosunmu, Green, White, and Drummond to play big at the Heat.

“We’ve got guys on the team when the lights come on and they are bright, they step up to the challenge,” Caruso said. “I’ve had moments like that in my career. DeMar countless numbers. (Nikola Vucevic) has played Playoff basketball.”

“I think that’s one of the great strengths that we do have guys who can go off any given night. Coby’s put in the work. It’s not surprising for use because we know how good he can be and that’s how confident we want him to play all the time.”

Western Conference No. 8 Seed Play-In Game (Friday Apr. 16, 2024 9:30 P.M. TNT, Presented By SoFi)

(9) Sacramento Kings versus (7) New Orleans Pelicans
             (46-36)                                        (49-33)

Season Series: Pelicans Won 5-0 (1-0 In Season Tournament)

For the visitors from California’s “Capital City,” they are trying to clinch a Playoff berth in consecutive seasons for the first time in 18 years. The homestanding team from “The Big Easy” hopes to get a victory that would not only end their current home losing streak but punch their postseason ticket for the first time in the last four seasons.

The Sacramento Kings began this week by taking down the Warriors (118-94) on Tuesday night (TNT) at home in front of their fans at Golden 1 Center. It was the Kings’ largest margin of victory over the Golden State Warriors since a 29-point win over them since February 2006.

Head Coach Mike Brown’s team got a measure of revenge as they lost to the Warriors 4-3 in the opening round of 2023 Playoffs and two-time Kia MVP Stephen Curry had an NBA record of 50 points in Game 7 win.

The Kings, who closed the regular season with a 4-7 mark are now one victory away from consecutive postseason appearances for the first time since 2005-06.

While the Kings’ All-Star duo of De’Aaron Fox and Domantas Sabonis were magnificent on Tuesday night. It was second year forward Keegan Murray to put the Kings over the top with 32 points and nine rebounds on 10/20 shooting, including 8/13 from three-point range.

Second-year guard Keon Ellis, who began this season on a two-way contract and had 15 points with five assists, three steals, and three blocks, going 3/4 on his threes.

Fox scored 24 with six assists and two steals on 11/25 from the field. Harrison Barnes scored 14 going 3/4 from three-point range. Sabonis had a double-double of 16 points, 12 rebounds, 7 assists, two steals on 9/14 from the field.

The scoring outputs from Murray, Ellis, and Barnes was so important because the Kings were without starting guard Kevin Huerter, who was injured in the 121-111 overtime win Mar. 18, 2024 versus Memphis Grizzlies and leading candidate for Kia Sixth Man of the Year Malik Monk, who suffered a right knee sprain in the Mar. 29, 2024 loss, 107-103 versus Dallas Mavericks.

The Kings on the evening shot only 43.9 percent from the floor (43/98 FGs) but were 18/39 from three-point range with 28 assists and just eight turnovers. They outscored the Warriors 25-9 in second chance points, outrebounding the Warriors 15-8 on the glass.

As impressive as the Kings were offensively, they were exceptional defensively last night versus the Warriors.   

The Kings held the Warriors to 41.2 percent from the field (33/86 FGs), including 10/32 from three. Forcing 16 turnovers that they turned into 20 Kings points.

Having gotten over one hurdle on Tuesday night, the Kings will try to do the same at the Pelicans, who have beaten them all five time on the season to them by an average of 19.2 points. They lost four of the five contests by double digits.

The Kings suffered a 129-93 setback on Nov. 20, 2023 at the Pelicans and followed that up with a 117-112 defeat 48 hours later at the Pelicans. Then came the 10-point victory (127-117) Dec. 4, 2024 versus the Pelicans (TNT). That was followed by a 133-100 thrashing versus the Pelicans on Jan. 7, 2023. Then there was the 135-123 defeat versus the Pelicans Apr. 11, 2024 (TNT). 

To put into context how rare it is to be dominated by an opponent to the tune the Kings have been during this past regular season, the then New Jersey (now Brooklyn) Nets were the last team to win all five meetings versus another opponent, when they won all five tilts against the Heat.

“We’re 0-5 against that team, and at some point, you have to let it hang and you got to beat a team that’s beaten you,” Fox, who averaged just 21.2 points in season series against the Pelicans said to TNT’s Chris Haynes following the win over the Wizards. “It’s hard to beat a team six times in a row.”

Fox added, “We have to go out there and we have to earn it. So, against a team that we have not beaten this year, you go out there one to prove it to yourself that you can. So, this is how the chips were laid. Obviously, they [Pelicans] lost to the Lakers two times in a row. Obviously, we have to be able to win this game if we want to be able to get where we want to get to.”

Along with Fox, who averaged four turnovers per game in the season series versus the Pelicans as well as 24.2 percent shooting from three-point range stepping up unlike he did during the regular season against the Pelicans, Sabonis needs to play to the level like he did during a historic regular season where he led the NBA in double-doubles (77) and triple-doubles (26). In the five-game season series versus the Pelicans, Sabonis averaged 18.8 points, 10.4 rebounds, and 6.8 assists.

The Kings will also need Murray, Ellis, and Barnes to play to the level they did at home at the Smoothie King Center.

“You want to talk about a monkey on our back, New Orleans has had our number the whole year,” Murray said. "We have to figure out how to contain them and contains their main guys.”

“It’s a big matchup for us to try to get into the Playoffs against a team that has beaten us five times.”

The one thing that the Kings have in their favor entering this do or die tilt at the Pelicans is they have played solidly on the road this season, going 22-19. But as mentioned earlier they dropped both their visits to “The Big Easy.” If the Kings want to make it to the postseason for just the second time in the past 18 seasons, they will have to win on Friday night at the Pelicans.

“I don’t care if it’s Golden State. I don’t care if it’s New Orleans tonight. Whoever is in front of us. We have to win,” Coach Brown said. “And whatever motivation we need to generate to win, I’m all for it. But we’ve got to win in order to continue our journey for this year.”  

The Pelicans not only lost versus the Los Angeles Lakers (110-106) on Tuesday night (TNT), missing out on claiming the No. 7 spot and a shot at the defending NBA champion Denver Nuggets in the opening round, they lost their star headliner Zion Williamson, whose floater tied the score tied it 95-95 all. But he exited the contest to what was at first leg soreness at the 3:13 mark of the fourth quarter.

It was a miserable end to a stellar performance of 40 points, 11 rebounds, and five assists on 17/27 shooting and 6/9 at the foul line by the 23-year-old Williamson, the No. 1 overall pick in 2019 NBA Draft by the Pelicans.

Williamson, who had his first 40/10 (points/rebounds) game of his career underwent an MRI on Wednesday, and it was revealed that he has a strained hamstring and is not just out Friday night versus Kings but even if the Pelicans were to win and face the Top Seeded Thunder in the opening round of the 2024 Playoffs, Williamson is likely out the rest of this season. He played in a career-high 70 games after totaling 114 games played over his first four NBA seasons.

“It was tough news for sure,” Head Coach Willie Green said on the loss of Williamson. “We all were disappointed and just kind of being there for “Z.”

“The message to the team is that we’ve faced adversity before and here it is again staring us right in the eyes and this is an opportunity that we can take advantage of.”

Without Williamson, who averaged 23 points, 5.8 assists and 4.5 rebounds on 65.6 percent shooting in playing in four of the five meetings against the Kings in the regular season, it will be up to fellow All-Star Brandon Ingram and CJ McCollum, who was the Pelicans’ leading scorer in the season series against the Kings.

Both Ingram and McCollum had performances versus the Lakers that they want to put at the bottom of the trash can.   

McCollum, who averaged 26 points versus the Kings scored just nine points on 4/15 from the field, including 1/9 on his triple-tries. Ingram, in his second game back from 12-game absence had just 11 points on 4/12 from the floor and sat the final 7:38 of the games.

Starting center Jonas Valanciunas will also have to make an impact on who also was abysmal versus the Lakers on Tuesday night scoring just seven points with 10 boards on 1/7 shooting.

The Pelicans will also need assistance from Larry Nance, Jr., Trey Murphy III, Herbert Jones, and Jose Alvarado to perform like they did off the bench on Tuesday versus the Lakers. Murphy III 12 points on 5/10 shooting versus the Lakers. Nance, Jr. had a double-double of 10 points and 12 rebounds with five assists. Alvarado also chipped in with 10 points and seven assists and Jones also scored 10 with two steals.  

“It’s next man up. That is how we’ve been all year,” Nance, Jr. who had a double-double of 10 points, 12 rebounds, five assists off the bench versus Lakers. “Different guys have missed different games for various reasons. Such is the NBA. Nobody is going to feel sorry for us.”

“We’re going to go into it confident, because we deserve to and we’ve earned the right to go in feeling confident. But we ain’t going in cocky. We recognize where we’re at. We’ve just lost to the Lakers on our homecourt and beating a team—I don’t know if it’s ever been done six times outside of the Playoffs. So, we’re confident, not cocky.” 

Information, statistics, and quotations are courtesy of 4/16/2024 10 p.m. “Warriors vs. Kings” No. 10 versus No. 9 West Play-In Game TNT, presented by SoFi With Brian Anderson, Stan Van Gundy, Chris Haynes; 4/19/2024 1 a.m. NBATV’s “Gametime” With Nabil Karim and Dennis Scott; 4/19/2024 www.nba.com story “2024 SoFi NBA Play-In Tournament: Your Guide To Friday’s Matchups,” By Michael C. Wright; https://www.espn.com/nba/player/splits/_/id/4066261/bam-adebayo; and https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jimmy_Butler.