The Chicago Bulls are locked into the tenth seed for the NBA play-in occasion, a battle for the ultimate two playoff seeds in each conference. Right here’s an explainer in regards to the historic previous of the event and the way in which it really works — and the place the Bulls stand.
When did the play-in begin?
The NBA launched the idea after the restart of the pandemic-delayed 2019-20 season, with a crew needing to be inside 4 video video games of the No. 8 seed to energy a play-in for the ultimate playoff spot inside the conference.
The Memphis Grizzlies accomplished a half-game behind the No. 8 seed Portland Path Blazers inside the Western Convention, and the Blazers acquired the first recreation of a play-in, thus incomes the last word playoff spot. Within the East, the ninth-place Washington Wizards accomplished 7½ video video games behind the eighth-place Orlando Magic, which means a play-in was pointless.
How has the occasion developed?
The next 12 months, the NBA expanded its play-in tips, with solely the very best six seeds in each conference assured of a playoff spot and the Nos. 7-10 seeds battling for the last word 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 doc, not one of many play-in teams has acquired a first-round playoff sequence.
The place do the Bulls stand?
The Bulls (38-42) are locked into the tenth seed after dropping 105-92 to the Milwaukee Bucks on Wednesday. Which 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 private the head-to-head tiebreaker together with their one-game lead, making the Raptors the additional doable opponent for the Bulls.
The Bulls clinched a play-in berth Tuesday — no matter 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, noon, NBCSCH
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