Nobody ever wants to face Kevin Durant in any sort of playoff or Play-In situation, and Kyrie Irving is just ornery enough to stick it to his old team as he tries to salvage his largely lost season.
Actually, as much as I like the Play-In tourney, it stinks that Minnesota was closer to fifth place in the West than ninth, yet still has to jump through these hoops to qualify.
The Nets may not deserve the benefit of the doubt that they will march toward The Finals, but amid all of their roster disruption and inconsistency, they certainly have enough talent in Kevin Durant and Kyrie Irving to secure a Play-In win.
And, no, the Clippers have not given any indication that Kawhi Leonard will play after spending the last week completing individual workouts.
Have you noticed how the Cavs, after going 34-21, have slipped on a banana peel? They’ve chosen the wrong time to go chilly, and some of this has to do with the absence of the injured Jarrett Allen, who’s a much-needed asset at the rim on both ends.
But all three of the games he played against LA were in November, the Wolves were 12-4 at home when they had their full starting lineup, and their bench was much improved after the All-Star break.
As we all know, Brooklyn came into the season as one of the Eastern Conference favorites, and you can bet the Nets will use their All-Star pedigree with Durant and Irving as well as timely contributions from sharpshooting vets such as Seth Curry and Patty Mills to live up to that promise.
Atlanta’s toughest matchup in the Play-In Tournament is Wednesday’s clash with the young, athletic Charlotte Hornets, as Miles Bridges and LaMelo Ball have been on a tear lately.
Armed with 59 games of postseason experience, Patrick Beverley will pester his former Clippers teammates mercilessly with his antics, which in turn will charge up Anthony Edwards, D’Angelo Russell and, most importantly, leading scorer Karl-Anthony Towns, who should be able to have his way with Ivica Zubac.
Besides that, a repeat of last year’s conference finals might turn out to be the most favorable matchup LA could hope for in Round 1, especially when you consider coach Tyronn Lue’s ability to game plan for opponents.
By clicking “Submit”, you agree to the Terms and Conditions and Privacy Policy.