NBA – With a victory against the Cavaliers and a favorable scenario, Indiana could be fourth in the Eastern Conference before the last evening of the regular season.
Since the start of the season, at the training center of Pacers, in one corner, we can read the Eastern Conference rankings. This is a desire from Tyrese Haliburton in particular, and with two matches remaining before the end of the regular season, when everything will be decided in three days, the players have their eyes fixed on it. “People didn’t look at it much at the start of the season, but we have more of an eye on it now”, confirmed the playmaker.
As with the “play-in” in the West, you have to look at the rankings and get out the calculators to understand Indiana’s situation. The Pacers face the Cavaliers this Friday evening, it is the duel between the 6th and the 4th in the East, with only one victory difference between the two.
A success for Indiana and the two teams will have the same record. As the Pacers will have won three games out of four against Cleveland, Tyrese Haliburton and his teammates will pass in front of the Ohio franchise.
A fourth place, therefore home advantage in the first round, still possible
“It’s a big match for us”, can only see the All-Star. And even more so when we know that, at the same time, Philadelphia and Orlando (5th and 7th) cross paths. And if the Sixers win, then Indiana will also double Orlando. To put it simply: a victory against Cleveland and a success for Philadelphia, and Indiana will be fourth on Saturday morning, before the last day on Sunday!
A defeat would be a bad calculation, with the loss of the “tie-breaker” against Donovan Mitchell and company, and the possible pressure from the Sixers, who will have the same record if they dismiss the Magic. Important turn to come therefore.
“We played playoff matches all year long, including the mid-season tournament”
explains Rick Carlisle. “We played a semi-final, a final, so we had the experience of important matches. »
Finishing fourth is not the same as finishing sixth since it will be synonymous with home advantage for the first round of the playoffs. Especially for the Pacers, much more comfortable at home. But these last two matches, before aiming high, must above all serve to ensure qualification for the playoffs and thus avoid the “play-in”.
“What you have to remember is that we only want to go to the playoffs. It’s obvious that no one wants to play a play-in, if we can avoid it, then we have to be in the Top 6. That’s the pressure we put on ourselves all season,” insiste Tyrese Haliburton. “We repeated that we wanted to go to the playoffs, not to the play-in. We have an opportunity to achieve this. We have to do the work. »
2024-04-12 16:07:22
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