On April 6, Beijing time, the NBA regular season continued, and today a total of 12 games were staged for fans to stage a feast, including a number of key games. With today's game over, the four Eastern Conference playoff teams are officially determined, namely the Cavaliers, Nets, Eagles and Hornets, and the Bulls and Raptors directly locked in the playoffs. However, it is still impossible to determine the specific ranking of the 4 teams, and perhaps the suspense needs to be played until the end of the regular season to be known, and the game is extremely fierce.
The first is the Cavaliers, today the team was upset against the Eastern Fish Belly Magic suffered 2 consecutive defeats, and the opponent ended a 6-game losing streak. After losing the game, the Cavaliers, with a record of 43 wins and 37 losses, trailed the 6th-placed Bulls by 2.5 wins, and the 5th-ranked Raptors created a 3.5-game gap, with the team only 2 games left, the Cavaliers have been unable to surpass. As a result, the top-ranked Raptors and Bulls get tickets to the playoffs.
Since the Cavaliers' two major interior lines, Jarrett Allen and Mobley, have been injured, the team has gradually fallen into a slump. In the 16 games since Allen's injury, the Cavaliers have only won 6 wins and 10 losses. During Mobley's injury, the Cavaliers had only 1 win and 4 losses. This has left the team very frustrated on the way to the playoffs, and the Cavaliers are currently only 1.5 wins ahead of the 8th-place Nets, and there is still a possibility of being overtaken in the future. The good news is that Allen is expected to make a comeback before the regular season.
Then there's the Hawks, whose team took on the Raptors on the road today. This game victory is crucial for both sides, the Raptors can use it to lock up a playoff spot, and the Hawks need him to consolidate the team's 8th place. The Raptors were overtaken by the Hawks with a 12-point lead at the start of the final quarter, but at the crucial moment, the Raptors played an 8-0 offensive climax, opening up the point difference again. Barnes' key throw helped the Raptors seal the win, and in the end the team won the game without any danger.
With the Hawks losing the game, the team's record was equalized by the Nets, and as the Nets recorded 2 wins and 1 loss against the Hawks this season, the Hawks were at a disadvantage and slipped to 9th in the East. The Raptors directly locked in a playoff spot.
This was followed by the Nets, who today faced the Rockets at the bottom of the West at home. Irving had his best home performance, 13-of-24, 8-of-16 three-pointers, 8-of-8 free throws, 42 points, 6 assists and 3 steals, leading the team to a big win over the Rockets. Durant contributed 18 points, 9 rebounds and 7 assists to help the team end the losing streak and stop the decline.
Winning this game, the Nets ushered in two major positive news. First, their three major opponents in the play-offs have lost collectively, the Nets have successfully pushed the Hawks, the Hornets to return to the 8th place in the East, and narrow the gap with the Cavaliers, and the two sides will meet directly in the future. If the Nets can make it to the playoffs as 7th in the East at the end of the regular season, not only will they have a fault tolerance, but they will also ensure home-court advantage.
Another piece of good news is that the Nets don't need to face the Raptors in the playoffs. Due to local policy restrictions in Toronto, if the Nets face the Raptors on the road, Irving will be restricted from playing for the team in Toronto away games. Now it's certain that they won't meet the Raptors in the playoffs, which helps the Nets break through in the playoffs to get playoff tickets.
Finally, there was the Hornets, who suffered a crushing defeat against the Heat at the top of the Eastern Conference today, and the ranking was overtaken by the Nets, slipping to 10th in the East. The team is currently one win behind the Nets and Hawks, and the only good news is that the Hornets' remaining 3 opponents, magic, bulls and Wizards, are average and still have a chance to improve their rankings in the future.
(Text/Yuwen Basketball)