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CHICAGO – Only in the NBA can two teams assured of finishing with losing records have an early-April game with significant postseason implications.
So here stand the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls poised for a Wednesday night showdown at the United Center.
At stake? Potentially the massive difference between entering next week’s Play-In Tournament as a No. 9 or No. 10 said.
Wait, a showdown for ninth place?
When it comes to the NBA’s play-in round, yes.
In the previous four years under the current play-in format, a No. 10 seed has never advanced to the playoffs, but a No. 9 seed has done it three times.
While there are other potential permutations in place for the Heat, including passing the Atlanta Hawks for No. 8 in the East, a week out it appears the Bulls and Heat will meet in a rematch next Wednesday with the No. 9 seed as host.
“I think it’s a lot of fun,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Nobody in our locker room is cynical enough to think otherwise.
“This is what the league is right now. So you’re not above it. Just embrace it and enjoy it. This is going to be a great night. It’s all about competition and it’s going to feel like a playoff game and that’s fun.”
As recently as 2022, a No. 9 seed has advanced to the best-of-seven first-round of the playoffs, when the Hawks did it. A No. 9 seed has advanced to the playoffs twice in the Western Conference over those same four years.
So why is No. 9 significant? Mostly because of homecourt advantage in the play-in opener and a week of reduced travel. To be seeded higher than the Bulls, the Heat have to finish ahead in the standings, with the Bulls already owning the tiebreaker by virtue of a 2-0 lead in the three-game season series.
“We know what’s at stake,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said, with the Heat coming off Monday night’s 117-105 home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers . “And you never know with these last couple of games where we can end up in the standings. And I think it would be much harder to win two games in the play-in on the road, as opposed to trying to get one at home will help us.”
Which makes it one with meaning, even if it comes at the bottom of the standings.
“To get that home game for the first one, it’ll help the whole team just with more confidence going into the next game,” said rookie center Kel’el Ware, who is coming off a 19-point, 17-rebound performance against the 76ers.
So, yes, one with meaning, which would give meaning to the remaining two games after with meaning as well.
“Obviously Spo talks about it. I’m dialed in when he talks about it,” forward Kyle Anderson said. “But you never know until the last game what’s going to happen. So it’s like we’ve got a big game against Chicago, let’s go out there and prepare, try to play well, try to play hard.”
The format:
– Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winner secures the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and faces the No. 2 seed in the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs.
– Each conference’s No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winner advances to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The loser is eliminated and seeded into the NBA draft lottery.
– The loser of the Nos. 7-8 matchup hosts the winner of the Nos. 9-10 matchup. The winner secures the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and faces the No. 1 seed in the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs. The loser is eliminated and seeded into the NBA draft lottery.
April 15
– East 7 vs. East 8 (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed) TNT
– West 7 vs. West 8 (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed) TNT
April 16
– East 9 vs. East 10 (loser is eliminated) ESPN
– West 9 vs. West 10 (loser is eliminated) ESPN
Friday, April 18
– East 7/8 loser vs. East 9/10 winner (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed) TNT
– West 7/8 loser vs. West 9/10 winner (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed) ESPN
(Playoff openers to follow the weekend of April 19-20)
2024
East
No. 7 76ers def. No. 8 Heat 105-104
No. 9 Bulls def. No. 10 Hawks 131-116
No. 8 Heat def. No. 9 Bulls 112-91
(76ers, Heat advance)
West
No. 8 Lakers def. No. 7 Pelicans 110-106
No. 9 Kings def. No. 10 Warriors 118-94
No. 7 Pelicans def. No. 9 Kings 105-98
(Lakers, Pelicans advance)
2023
East
No. 8 Hawks def. No 7 Heat 116-105
No. 10 Bulls def. No. 9 Raptors 109-105
No.. 8 Heat def. No. 10 Bulls 102- 91
(Hawks, Heat advance)
West
No. 7 Lakers def. No. 8 Timberwolves 108-102 (OT)
No. 10 Thunder def. No. 9 Pelicans 123-118
No. 8 Timberwolves def. No. 10 Thunder 120-95
(Lakers, Timberwolves advance)
2022
East
No. 7 Nets def. No 8 Cavaliers 115-108
No. 9 Hawks def. No. 10 Hornets 132-103
No. 9 Hawks def. No. 8 Cavaliers 107-101
(Nets, Hawks advance)
West
No. 7 Timberwolves def. No. 8 Clippers 109-104
No. 9 Pelicans def. No. 10 Spurs 113-103
No. 9 Pelicans def. No. 8 Clippers 105-101
(Timberwolves, Pelicans advance)
2021
East
No. 7 Celtics def. No. 8 Wizards 118-100
No. 9 Pacers def. No. 19 Hornets 144-117
No. 8 Wizards def. No. 9 Pacers 142-115
(Celtics. Wizards advance)
West
No. 7 Lakers def. No. 8 Warriors 103-100
No. 9 Grizzlies def. No. 10 Spurs 100-96
No. 9 Grizzlies def. No. 8 Warriors 117-112 (OT)
(Lakers, Grizzlies advance)
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So here stand the Miami Heat and Chicago Bulls poised for a Wednesday night showdown at the United Center.
At stake? Potentially the massive difference between entering next week’s Play-In Tournament as a No. 9 or No. 10 said.
Wait, a showdown for ninth place?
When it comes to the NBA’s play-in round, yes.
In the previous four years under the current play-in format, a No. 10 seed has never advanced to the playoffs, but a No. 9 seed has done it three times.
While there are other potential permutations in place for the Heat, including passing the Atlanta Hawks for No. 8 in the East, a week out it appears the Bulls and Heat will meet in a rematch next Wednesday with the No. 9 seed as host.
“I think it’s a lot of fun,” Heat coach Erik Spoelstra said. “Nobody in our locker room is cynical enough to think otherwise.
“This is what the league is right now. So you’re not above it. Just embrace it and enjoy it. This is going to be a great night. It’s all about competition and it’s going to feel like a playoff game and that’s fun.”
As recently as 2022, a No. 9 seed has advanced to the best-of-seven first-round of the playoffs, when the Hawks did it. A No. 9 seed has advanced to the playoffs twice in the Western Conference over those same four years.
So why is No. 9 significant? Mostly because of homecourt advantage in the play-in opener and a week of reduced travel. To be seeded higher than the Bulls, the Heat have to finish ahead in the standings, with the Bulls already owning the tiebreaker by virtue of a 2-0 lead in the three-game season series.
“We know what’s at stake,” Heat guard Tyler Herro said, with the Heat coming off Monday night’s 117-105 home victory over the Philadelphia 76ers . “And you never know with these last couple of games where we can end up in the standings. And I think it would be much harder to win two games in the play-in on the road, as opposed to trying to get one at home will help us.”
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Which makes it one with meaning, even if it comes at the bottom of the standings.
“To get that home game for the first one, it’ll help the whole team just with more confidence going into the next game,” said rookie center Kel’el Ware, who is coming off a 19-point, 17-rebound performance against the 76ers.
So, yes, one with meaning, which would give meaning to the remaining two games after with meaning as well.
“Obviously Spo talks about it. I’m dialed in when he talks about it,” forward Kyle Anderson said. “But you never know until the last game what’s going to happen. So it’s like we’ve got a big game against Chicago, let’s go out there and prepare, try to play well, try to play hard.”
NBA play-in round
The format:
– Each conference’s No. 7 team in the standings will host the No. 8 team. The winner secures the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and faces the No. 2 seed in the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs.
– Each conference’s No. 9 team in the standings will host the No. 10 team. The winner advances to the final stage of the Play-In Tournament. The loser is eliminated and seeded into the NBA draft lottery.
– The loser of the Nos. 7-8 matchup hosts the winner of the Nos. 9-10 matchup. The winner secures the No. 8 seed in the playoffs and faces the No. 1 seed in the best-of-seven opening round of the playoffs. The loser is eliminated and seeded into the NBA draft lottery.
2025 play-in schedule
April 15
– East 7 vs. East 8 (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed) TNT
– West 7 vs. West 8 (winner advances to playoffs as No. 7 seed) TNT
April 16
– East 9 vs. East 10 (loser is eliminated) ESPN
– West 9 vs. West 10 (loser is eliminated) ESPN
Friday, April 18
– East 7/8 loser vs. East 9/10 winner (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed) TNT
– West 7/8 loser vs. West 9/10 winner (winner advances to playoffs as No. 8 seed) ESPN
(Playoff openers to follow the weekend of April 19-20)
Play-in results
2024
East
No. 7 76ers def. No. 8 Heat 105-104
No. 9 Bulls def. No. 10 Hawks 131-116
No. 8 Heat def. No. 9 Bulls 112-91
(76ers, Heat advance)
West
No. 8 Lakers def. No. 7 Pelicans 110-106
No. 9 Kings def. No. 10 Warriors 118-94
No. 7 Pelicans def. No. 9 Kings 105-98
(Lakers, Pelicans advance)
2023
East
No. 8 Hawks def. No 7 Heat 116-105
No. 10 Bulls def. No. 9 Raptors 109-105
No.. 8 Heat def. No. 10 Bulls 102- 91
(Hawks, Heat advance)
West
No. 7 Lakers def. No. 8 Timberwolves 108-102 (OT)
No. 10 Thunder def. No. 9 Pelicans 123-118
No. 8 Timberwolves def. No. 10 Thunder 120-95
(Lakers, Timberwolves advance)
2022
East
No. 7 Nets def. No 8 Cavaliers 115-108
No. 9 Hawks def. No. 10 Hornets 132-103
No. 9 Hawks def. No. 8 Cavaliers 107-101
(Nets, Hawks advance)
West
No. 7 Timberwolves def. No. 8 Clippers 109-104
No. 9 Pelicans def. No. 10 Spurs 113-103
No. 9 Pelicans def. No. 8 Clippers 105-101
(Timberwolves, Pelicans advance)
2021
East
No. 7 Celtics def. No. 8 Wizards 118-100
No. 9 Pacers def. No. 19 Hornets 144-117
No. 8 Wizards def. No. 9 Pacers 142-115
(Celtics. Wizards advance)
West
No. 7 Lakers def. No. 8 Warriors 103-100
No. 9 Grizzlies def. No. 10 Spurs 100-96
No. 9 Grizzlies def. No. 8 Warriors 117-112 (OT)
(Lakers, Grizzlies advance)
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