All four teams playing in Friday night’s final games of the NBA’s Play-In Tournament go into their do-or-die scenarios facing significant injury concerns — Miami and Chicago in the Eastern Conference, New Orleans and Sacramento in the Western Conference — will play tonight to determine the No. 8 seeds in the playoff bracket. Miami and New Orleans hold home-court advantages on Friday, with the victors will square off against No. 1 seeds Boston and Oklahoma City in Round 1, starting on Sunday.
The Heat will be without Jimmy Butler (sprained right MCL) and Terry Rozier (neck) for their game against the Bulls, who suffered a setback with guard Alex Caruso’s sprained ankle in Wednesday’s victory over Atlanta. Miami is optimistic about the potential availability of guard Duncan Robinson, who has missed 10 of the team’s last 15 games due to a back injury.
The Pelicans will be absent Zion Williamson against the Kings due to a hamstring injury.
The Bulls-Heat game marks a rematch of last year’s Eastern Conference play-in finale, where Chicago relinquished a three-point lead with 3:47 remaining and subsequently conceded a 15-1 run.
Sacramento secured a berth in the Western Conference play-in finale by eliminating Golden State on Tuesday. New Orleans missed an opportunity to secure the West’s No. 7 seed by succumbing to the Los Angeles Lakers on Tuesday.
Eastern Conference
No. 9 Chicago (39-43, 1-0) at No. 8 Miami (46-36, 0-1), 6 p.m. Friday (ESPN).
- Season series: Split, 2-2.
- Play-in appearances: 2nd for Miami (2023), 2nd for Chicago (2023).
- At stake: Winner plays No. 1 seed Boston in Round 1, series starting Sunday. Loser is eliminated.
- Outlook: It’s déjà vu as Chicago faces Miami in an elimination game for the No. 8 seed in the East, reminiscent of last year’s showdown. The Heat grapple with significant injuries, while the Bulls aim to avoid a postseason with a losing regular-season record, a feat last achieved in 1986-87. Miami’s Finals appearance last season came with 44 regular-season wins; this year, even 46 wins might not secure a playoff berth.
Western Conference
No. 9 Sacramento (46-36, 1-0) at No. 7 New Orleans (49-33, 0-1), 8:30 p.m. Friday (TNT/truTV).
- Season series: Pelicans, 5-0 (includes one In-Season Tournament win).
- Play-in appearances: 1st for Sacramento; 3rd for New Orleans (2022, 2023).
- At stake: Winner plays No. 1 seed Oklahoma City in Round 1, series starting Sunday. Loser is eliminated.
- Outlook: New Orleans stands on the brink of history, poised to either achieve a 6-0 record in a season against an opponent without a playoff series or become only the second team in NBA history to amass a 49-33 or better record and miss the playoffs. The Pelicans, without the injured Williamson, face a Kings team still grappling with absences, aiming to maintain their dominance over the season series.
