As NBA Play-In games await, here is your quick NBA playoffs preview

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Rory McIlroy finally winning the Masters in the way he did has me fully convinced Chris Paul will face the 76ers in the NBA Finals next year, and I have no idea who wins. I just know it’ll be chaos.

West Playoffs

Lakers-Wolves, Nuggets-Clippers and more

Friday and Sunday’s action gave us all the clarity we were seeking around the wild West’s playoff picture. We’ve known for weeks the Thunder are the No. 1 seed and will be awaiting the poor souls who end up with the No. 8 seed. We’ve known for a little over a week the Rockets were going to be the No. 2 seed, anxiously awaiting who their opponents will be after the Play-In Tournament.

We’ll preview the Play-In games later in the week, but for now, let’s get into initial thoughts about the playoff series we know. We’ll have deeper dives on all later in the week, too.

3. Lakers vs. 6. Timberwolves

The Wolves get a chance at some revenge on Luka Dončić after he embarrassed them in last year’s conference finals. We’re getting the stardom of LeBron James and Anthony Edwards. We get Julius Randle with his own revenge-game opportunities. This has all the makings of a really fun, interesting series.

Initial thought for the Lakers: It’ll be interesting to see them try to replicate the same formula that Dallas beat Minnesota with in the conference finals.

Initial thought for the Wolves: The Wolves have to find the balance between physicality and not fouling LeBron and Dončić.

Initial concern for the Lakers: They do not have the size to battle Minnesota inside.

Initial concern for the Wolves: What’s their plan if the 3-pointers don’t fall?

4. Nuggets vs. 5. Clippers

The Nuggets are still getting their new coach, David Adelman, settled in after a week on the job, and the Clippers look the most confident and ready we’ve seen them … maybe ever. We’ll see if Ivica Zubac is ready to handle a series of Nikola Jokić, and if the Nuggets defense can handle a seemingly healthy Kawhi Leonard.

Initial thought for the Nuggets: Let’s see if those three games were enough for David Adelman to get them in the right, joyful place.

Initial thought for the Clippers: They’re in such a good place, talking about it feels like you’re mentioning a no-hitter in the seventh inning.

Initial concern for the Nuggets: Their defense might really just be this bad.

Initial concern for the Clippers: Forget the Kawhi Leonard health thing. If Zubac gets two early fouls, Drew Eubanks and Ben Simmons are the backup centers.

Graphic design is my passion.

Quick thought on the Warriors-Grizzlies Play-In game?

The Warriors are 0-3 in their Play-In history, and Jimmy Butler is just the guy to pull them out of it — while continuing to antagonize the Grizzlies.

Quick thought on the Kings-Mavericks Play-In game? 

The Mavs have never been in the Play-In before. Kings big man Jonas Valančiūnas was born in the Play-In Tournament, molded by it.

The Last 24

Wemby confident he’ll be fine next season

👽 No worries. Victor Wembanyama spoke yesterday about his season-ending blood clot. He expects to be ready for next season.

🏀 Under pressure. The Knicks came into this season with big-time pressure. Time to perform in the playoffs.

🏀 Stay awhile. The Blazers will keep their coach around for a few years. Chauncey Billups gets an extension. 

📺 Good taste. The new Celtics owner was shaped by Dartmouth soccer and one more thing: The TV show “Melrose Place.”

✂️ Cut back. Steve Kerr has a suggestion for fixing the NBA. He thinks 82 games is too many. 

🎧 Tuning in. Today’s NBA Daily reflects on what will be most memorable about this season.

📺 Don’t miss this tonight. WNBA Draft, 7:30 p.m. ET on ESPN. Who is going after Paige Bueckers at No. 1?

East Playoffs

Knicks-Pistons, Pacers-Bucks and more

Friday took all of the suspense out of the Sunday games for the East, so everybody should be well-rested for this week’s Play-In games and the start of the playoff series next weekend. As we’ve known for some time, the Cavaliers are the No. 1 seed, and the defending champion Boston Celtics are the No. 2 seed.

The Magic will host the Hawks in the 7-8 matchup in the Play-In Tournament. The Bulls will host the Heat in the 9-10 matchup. We’ll preview each game later in the week. Let’s jump into the matchups we know.

Knicks vs. 6. Pistons

The Knicks have the most pressure in this series because the Pistons have no pressure. The latter won 14 games last season, so they’re playing with house money this season. We’re immediately going to see how the Knicks handle playing with the expectation that they have to win this series.

Initial thought for the Knicks: Just bombarding the Pistons’ perimeter could make this a quick series.

Initial thought for the Pistons: Their physicality has caused a lot of kerfuffles, and this could set a fun tone for the series.

Initial concern for the Knicks: They could get hammered on the boards by Detroit.

Initial concern for the Pistons: For as good as their defense has been, they don’t defend the 3 well.

Pacers vs. 5. Bucks

These two teams really haven’t liked each other the last two seasons, and we’re going to be wondering if Damian Lillard is coming back. Maybe that was just posturing? The Pacers have been the fourth-best team since Jan. 1, and the Bucks just keep getting hit with something going wrong.

Initial thought for the Pacers: Let’s see if the defense they’ve played the last 50 games is sustained in the playoffs.

Initial thought for the Bucks: I’m just monitoring if Lillard could really come back from a blood clot in less than a month. Seems unprecedented.

Initial concern for the Pacers: An inability to stop Giannis Antetokounmpo can throw everything out of whack.

Initial concern for the Bucks: How do they initiate offense outside of Antetokounmpo?

Quick thought on the Magic-Hawks Play-In game?

The Celtics will beat whoever wins this game, but they have to hope it’s the Hawks over the Magic’s physicality.

Quick thought on the Bulls-Heat Play-In game? 

The Heat are 2-0 against the Bulls all-time in Play-In Tournament games, but for some reason, this time feels different.

Last Day of School

Best tidbits from final-day box scores

Were you wondering how weird the final day of the regular season could get when teams are just throwing anybody out there? Were you hoping history could be made by people you don’t know? We’ve got you covered for all the final-day box score madness you need.

Making triple-double, thievery history: Eleven players have now had games with at least 15 points, 15 assists, 10 rebounds and five steals in a game. Chris Paul (three times), James Harden (twice), Russell Westbrook, Magic Johnson, Kevin Johnson, Fat Lever, Jason Kidd, LeBron James and Michael Ray Richardson all did it before this season. Then, Josh Giddey became the 10th player to do it a few weeks ago. Added to the list yesterday was Hawks guard Keaton Wallace, who had 15 points, 15 assists, 11 rebounds and five steals.

Six seconds: Remember last season, when Mikal Bridges played the first quarter of a December game for the Brooklyn Nets to extend his consecutive games streak and then sat out the rest of the game? Yesterday, he played six seconds for the Knicks, committed a foul and then checked out for the rest of the night. He’s now at 556 straight games. I do not think that should count – play or don’t. (Of note: Bridges is the current active leader in most consecutive games played but still remains over 600 games shy of A.C. Green’s all-time record.)

A lot of 40s: Somehow, yesterday’s game between the Pacers and Cavaliers went to double overtime. Neither team really played their main guys. But the Cavs had five different guys play 40-plus minutes. Emoni Bates (25 points in 42 minutes) and Tristan Thompson (20 rebounds in 43 minutes) came off the bench. Craig Porter Jr. had 20-5-5 and seven turnovers in 43 minutes, Jaylen Tyson had 31 points in 46 minutes and Nae’Qwan Tomlin added 24 points and 12 rebounds before fouling out in 47 minutes. The Pacers won to secure their first 50-win season since 2014.

Ant wins the 3-point race: Anthony Edwards went into the day leading Malik Beasley in 3-pointers made, 313 to 312. Beasley’s Pistons played in the early slate of games, and he lit up the Knicks for seven 3-pointers, giving him 319 on the season. Edwards needed six to tie, and seven to get the crown for the season. Beasley tweeted out what Edwards needed. The latter went 2 of 6 in the first half and 2 of 4 in the third quarter, then kept shooting enough in a blowout to get three more to finish with 320. Beasley seemed to appreciate the race. Edwards finishes with the seventh-most 3s ever in a season, and Beasley with the eighth-most.

The Wizards were fun! I’ve contended even through all the jokes that the Wizards and their youth movement have been kind of fun. Rookie Bub Carrington helped us believers punch that point home. The Wizards were down four with five seconds left. Julian Champagnie hit a 3-pointer, the Heat had a backcourt violation and then Carrington ruined Jaime Jaquez Jr.’s 40-point game by dropping this dagger on him.

(Top photo: Jerome Miron / USA Today Network via Imagn Images )

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