The NBA regular season is over, and the Western Conference playoffs will be seventh on April 17, while the seventh place in the East will be determined on April 18, and the final eighth place in the East and West will be determined on April 20. The Pelicans lost to the Lakers in the final minute, while the Suns beat the Timberwolves, and the Pelicans dropped from No. 6 to No. 7. In the first game of the playoffs, the Pelicans faced the Lakers again at home, and whoever lost the Kings and Warriors said goodbye to the season early. The Magic, Pacers, 76ers and Heat in the East all won their last game, and the 76ers and Heat entered the play-in tournament, where they will start the battle for seventh place in the East on April 18, with the Bulls and Hawks battling for the eighth spot in the East, and finally the eighth place in the East on April 20.
Predict the seventh in the West/Lakers
The Celtics are currently first in the East and the Knicks are second, and their opponents in the first round of the playoffs are eighth and seventh. The first place in the West is the new Thunder, who lack interior strength and playoff experience, and it will be very difficult to beat the eighth place in the West. The Nuggets are currently second in the West, and whether the Pelicans or Lakers become seventh, the fate of being swept out of the first round cannot be reversed. At present, it seems that the Pelicans inside still can't stop the thick eyebrows, and James also makes it difficult for the Pelicans to parry, and Zion's low outside level will also cause problems on offense. The Lakers won 3-1 in the regular season to finish seventh with a high probability of winning to finish seventh, and they were swept by the Nuggets this season.
Forecast for the West 8th/Pelicans
The Pelicans may lose to the Lakers, but they still have a big advantage against the Warriors and Kings. The Kings are currently losing two outside players, Huerter and Monk, and their offensive firepower has been damaged, while Sabonis will be under a lot of pressure against Zion and Valanciunas, but he has a lot of experience against thick eyebrows. The Warriors lost to the Pelicans by a big score, and now Ingram is back. The Warriors have a good chance of winning against the Kings, with Looney and Green being able to effectively limit Sabonis, while Fox is struggling to do so without Monk. The Kings are likely to be eliminated by the Warriors, but it will be difficult for the Warriors to beat the Pelicans to finish 8th, and both they and the Kings are expected to be eliminated, and the Pelicans have a chance to face the Thunder.
Prediction for the 76ers in the East/the Heat in the eighth
The 76ers should finish in the top four in the East this season, but the injuries of Maxey and Embiid have damaged the team's strength, so the results have dropped significantly. And now Embiid has returned from injury, while the Heat's Rozier's injury is still unclear, and Adebayo does not have many ways to face Embiid. If the Heat want to win, they must count on Butler to start the playoffs, but the 76ers are likely to beat the Heat to become seventh in the East, and the playoffs will be a big battle with the Knicks, and the Knicks' interior strength without Randle has also declined. The Bulls are still not as explosive as the Hawks after Trae Young's return, the Bulls 2-1 Hawks in the regular season, but they don't have LaVine now, and the Hawks will beat the Bulls to fight for eighth, but it may be difficult to win against the Heat.