The Chicago Bulls are locked into the tenth seed for the NBA play-in event, a battle for the final two playoff seeds in every convention. Here’s an explainer concerning the historical past of the occasion and the way it works — and the place the Bulls stand.
When did the play-in start?
The NBA launched the concept after the restart of the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 season, with a crew needing to be inside 4 video games of the No. 8 seed to power a play-in for the final playoff spot within the convention.
The Memphis Grizzlies completed a half-game behind the No. 8 seed Portland Trail Blazers within the Western Conference, and the Blazers received the primary recreation of a play-in, thus incomes the ultimate playoff spot. In the East, the ninth-place Washington Wizards completed 7½ video games behind the eighth-place Orlando Magic, that means a play-in was pointless.
How has the event developed?
The subsequent 12 months, the NBA expanded its play-in guidelines, with solely the highest six seeds in every convention assured of a playoff spot and the Nos. 7-10 seeds battling for the ultimate two berths.
No. 7 would play host to No. 8, with the winner incomes the No. 7 seed. Then the winner of host No. 9 versus No. 10 would face the loser of the 7-8 matchup, with that winner incomes the No. 8 seed. The NBA has saved this format since then.
For the document, not one of the play-in groups has received a first-round playoff sequence.
Where do the Bulls stand?
The Bulls (38-42) are locked into the tenth seed after dropping 105-92 to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. That means they’ll journey to play the ninth seed subsequent Wednesday for a single-elimination recreation. If the Bulls win, they’d journey to face the loser of the 7-8 recreation on April 14.
The Atlanta Hawks (41-39) and Toronto Raptors (40-40) are jockeying for the eighth and ninth seeds. The Hawks personal the head-to-head tiebreaker along with their one-game lead, making the Raptors the extra possible opponent for the Bulls.
The Bulls clinched a play-in berth Tuesday — regardless of dropping 123-105 to the Hawks — when the Orlando Magic misplaced to the Cleveland Cavaliers 117-113.
Bulls remaining schedule
- Friday: at Dallas Mavericks, 7:30 p.m., NBCSCH
- Sunday: vs. Detroit Pistons, midday, NBCSCH
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Source: www.bostonherald.com