The Nets moved up to No. 8 in the East by beating the Hornets, and they are likely to challenge the Heat in the East in the first round of the playoffs. In this regard, the Heat's two big names Wade said that they did not want the Heat to touch the Nets in the first round, but O'Neal supported the Heat without fear of the Nets, and believed that the Heat could destroy everything to defeat the Nets.
If the current ranking of the seventh- and eighth-place teams in the East remains the same, the Nets will travel to Toronto in the first round of the playoffs to challenge the Raptors, with the winner receiving the No. 7 seed in the playoffs and the loser facing the winner of the 9-10 seeded showdown. Since Irving can't play in the Raptors' road game, the Nets' loss to the Raptors is a big chance. If the Nets end up with the Eighth Seed in the East, they are likely to end up in the first round against the Heat, who currently have a three-win advantage over the second-place team in the East.
While one would think the Heat wouldn't want to play the Nets in the first round, O'Neal thinks they'll welcome the challenge with open arms: "The Heat want to face all the challenges and go and get rid of them," O'Neal said the Heat didn't worry about meeting the Nets in the first round of the playoffs. Former Heat star Wade said he didn't want the Heat to face the Nets in the first round, but if that happened, he would say "let them play," while O'Neal insisted "they want to face all the challenges."
The Heat won't hold anyone back, but after a tough season, it would certainly not be ideal to be able to pick up the No. 1 seed in the East and then have the good fortune to play against the Nets led by Durant, Irving and Simmons in the first round. Even though Irving is still a part-time player, Simmons will struggle to get back to his peak in a short period of time after missing most of the season.
The Nets finally had the advantage again in their 132-121 win over the Charlotte Hornets, with Irving scoring a season-high 50 points on 15-of-19 shooting. It's a reminder of how dangerous this Nets can be even after a disappointing season with a current record of only 33-33. The Nets are still waiting for Simmons' debut, and they hope to play together for weeks at least before the playoffs begin.
Meanwhile, whatever playoff showdowns may occur, the Heat will do their best to secure the East's top seed and home field advantage.
(Drunken Lying Floating Life)