Fleeing tenth place in the West
LA Lakers-Golden State (Wednesday, April 10, 4 a.m.)
Who will finish in tenth place in the West and lose home advantage in the play-in, this preliminary tournament for access to the play-offs? This is the main issue of this clash between the Lakers and the Warriors which will take place in Los Angeles on the night of Tuesday to Wednesday. With eight wins in the last ten matches, the Lakers are moving forward confidently and hoping to consolidate their ninth place (45 wins, 34 losses), while Stephen Curry and Golden State will do everything to catch up with their opponent in the standings (record of 43- 35).
The Angelins could even aim higher in the event of victory in their last three matches, since New Orleans, seventh, is only one victory ahead of them (46-32). It remains to be seen whether they will be able to count on LeBron James (39), who had the flu and was absent during the defeat against Minneapolis on Sunday (127-117). The Lakers already had to go through the play-in last season to qualify for the play-offs. They then beat the Warriors in the conference semi-finals (4-2), before being swept away in the next round by Denver (4-0).
Gobert and the Wolves in first class
Denver – Minnesota (Thursday April 11, 4 a.m.)
Who would have bet on Minnesota at the start of the season, eighth in the West last year and unconvincing in the game? A little more than five months later, Rudy Gobert’s Wolves share the lead in the standings with the Nuggets, whom they face on the night of Wednesday to Thursday at the Ball Arena in Denver. A victory against the recent NBA champion would put them in an ideal situation in the final sprint, in addition to sending a message before probably facing them again later in the play-offs. This match could also be the opportunity for Rudy Gobert to close the debates for the title of best defender of the year. Favorite of the bookmakers, the French interior (31 years old) is aiming for a fourth individual coronation after 2018, 2019 and 2021.
What final ranking for Wembanyama and the Spurs?
San Antonio – Detroit (Sunday April 14, 9:30 p.m.)
Victor Wembanyama and the Spurs will conclude their season this Sunday with the reception of Detroit, a duel of the bottom of the class in each conference. If the Pistons have activated the “tanking” mode to maximize their chances of obtaining a good draft choice, the Spurs have followed an opposite curve in recent weeks (4 victories in the last 7 matches), driven by the exceptional level of their rookie French (20 years old).
Third worst record in the NBA at the time of writing these lines (19 wins, 59 losses), the Texan franchise currently has a 13.2% chance of obtaining the first choice in the draft during the lottery organized on May 12 in Chicago. If it continues to win and overtakes Portland in the standings by Sunday (21 wins, 57 losses), its chances will drop to 10%. Enough to wonder about the best course of action during this last week of competition.
Embiid and the Sixers can believe it
Philadelphia – Orlando (Saturday April 13, 1 a.m.)
The Eastern Conference is also far from having rendered its verdict. Beyond Boston, guaranteed to finish first in the standings (62 wins, 16 losses), no team has consolidated its place six days before the end of the regular season. Reinvigorated by the return of Joel Embiid from injury, Philadelphia is only two victories away from regaining sixth place in Indiana (45-34 record), synonymous with direct qualification for the play-offs.
The Cameroonian interior and his teammates should not have too much trouble beating Detroit and Brooklyn this week. On the other hand, it will be another pair of rounds to win against Orlando on the night of Friday to Saturday, another team in form which has moved up to third place (46-32), and can even aim for the runner-up place of the Celtics between now and Sunday (see below).
The Bucks could lose big
Orlando – Milwaukee (Sunday April 14, 7 p.m.)
Champions in 2021, the Bucks are struggling to convince this season despite the arrival of All-Star leader Damian Lillard (33). If they are still second in the standings in the East with four matches remaining (47-31 record), their schedule promises to be hellish with a duel against Boston, Oklahoma City and above all a double confrontation against Orlando, the team in good form at the moment which only has one victory less than them in the standings (46-32).
Second place could be played out on Sunday at the Kia Center, where the Magic’s young guard played by Paolo Banchero (21) and Franz Wagner (22) awaits Milwaukee firmly. If the team coached by Doc Rivers falls to third place, it could inherit Philadelphia in the first round of the play-offs. A scenario to avoid at all costs.
