Play‑in finale timing set
Friday will decide the final two playoff spots: Charlotte will face Orlando for the East’s No. 8 seed and Golden State meets Phoenix for the West’s No. 8 seed. (CBS Sports: bracket and schedule; Yahoo Sports: play‑in recap noting Warriors’ win) ( ).
Friday’s National Basketball Association play-in games will fill the last two playoff spots before the first-round bracket opens on April 18. (nba.com) In the Eastern Conference, the Charlotte Hornets and Orlando Magic are scheduled for 7:30 p.m. Eastern on Friday, April 17. In the Western Conference, the Golden State Warriors and Phoenix Suns are set for 10 p.m. Eastern the same night. (sports.yahoo.com) The National Basketball Association’s play-in format gives teams that finished seventh through 10th in each conference a shot at the final two seeds. The winner of the 7-versus-8 game takes the No. 7 seed, and the loser gets one more game against the winner of the 9-versus-10 game for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) That setup is why Orlando and Phoenix still have a path after earlier losses, while Charlotte and Golden State advanced by winning elimination games this week. The play-in tournament runs from April 14 through April 17, and the playoffs start the next day. (nba.com) Charlotte reached the East finale after beating the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime on Tuesday. Orlando dropped into that game after losing 109-97 to the Philadelphia 76ers on Wednesday, which sent Philadelphia into the No. 7 spot. (sports.yahoo.com) Golden State got there by beating the Los Angeles Clippers 126-121 on Wednesday after trailing by 13 points with 9:53 left. National Basketball Association.com said Stephen Curry scored 27 points in the second half and the Warriors closed on a 16-5 run. (nba.com) Phoenix is in the West finale because it lost 114-110 to the Portland Trail Blazers in the 7-versus-8 game on Tuesday. Portland took the No. 7 seed with that win, leaving the Suns one last chance at No. 8. (sports.yahoo.com) The two Friday winners move straight into first-round series that are already waiting on the bracket. National Basketball Association schedule listings show the East No. 8 seed opens Sunday against the Boston Celtics, and the West No. 8 seed opens Sunday against the Oklahoma City Thunder. (nba.com) The rest of the first round is already set: the Cleveland Cavaliers face the Toronto Raptors, the New York Knicks meet the Atlanta Hawks, the Los Angeles Lakers play the Houston Rockets, and the San Antonio Spurs draw the Portland Trail Blazers. By late Friday, the 16-team field will be complete. (nba.com)
