Play‑In reshapes matchups

The National Basketball Association postseason started April 14 with single-game play-in matchups that are still sorting out the final first-round bracket. (nba.com) The play-in uses the teams that finished seventh through 10th in each conference, and it awards the seventh and eighth playoff seeds before the main bracket opens April 18. (nba.com) On Tuesday, the Charlotte Hornets beat the Miami Heat 127-126 in overtime in the Eastern Conference 9-versus-10 game, ending Miami’s season. (nba.com) Later Tuesday, the Portland Trail Blazers beat the Phoenix Suns 114-110 in the Western Conference 7-versus-8 game, which gave Portland the West’s No. 7 seed. (cbssports.com) That result locked in one first-round series: Portland now opens against the No. 2 seed San Antonio Spurs, while Phoenix drops into a final elimination game for the West’s No. 8 seed. (cbssports.com) In the East, the Orlando Magic and Philadelphia 76ers were scheduled for Wednesday, April 15, with the winner taking the No. 7 seed and the loser facing Charlotte on Friday for the No. 8 seed. (nba.com) The Western Conference still has its own 9-versus-10 game left, with the Los Angeles Clippers and Golden State Warriors meeting Wednesday; the winner gets Phoenix on Friday for the last playoff spot, and the loser is out. (nba.com) The format is built to reward the seventh- and eighth-place teams with two chances to qualify, while the ninth- and 10th-place teams must win twice in a row to reach the playoffs. (nba.com) The rest of the bracket is already set around those openings: the Detroit Pistons are waiting for the East’s No. 8 seed, the Boston Celtics are waiting for the East’s No. 7 seed, and the Oklahoma City Thunder are waiting for the West’s No. 8 seed. (nba.com) By Friday night, the 20-team postseason field will be down to the 16-team playoff bracket, and the first full round starts Saturday, April 18. (nba.com)