Four NBA teams will fight for two playoff spots in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, as part of the league’s new Play-In Tournament, which starts Tuesday.
May 18 (UPI) — Four NBA teams will fight for two playoff spots in the Eastern and Western Conference, respectively, as part of the league’s new Play-In Tournament, which starts Tuesday. The new format resembles that of the First Four in the annual NCAA Division I men’s and women’s basketball tournaments. NBA stars LeBron James and Luka Doncic are among top players who criticized the tournament, but it undoubtedly injected intrigue into the end of the NBA regular season. « We are in a good spot, » Golden State Warriors star Stephen Curry told reporters Sunday. « There is a lot of work to do. No matter how the postseason goes, I’m really proud of the way we’ve given ourselves a chance to make this season matter. » The No.9 seed Indiana Pacers host the No.10 Charlotte Hornets in the first game at 6:30 p.m. EDT in Indianapolis. The No.7 Boston Celtics then host the No.8 Washington Wizards at 9 p.m. in Boston. Both games air on TNT. The second round of Play-In Tournament games starts with the No.