As if this season couldn’t get any crazier, there was history made in this year’s Play-In Tournament. No 10-seed has ever won any play-in game before this year, and this year two 10-seeds won their first game. Including Atlanta beating Miami on Tuesday, road teams are now 3-1 in this postseason.
Thunder and Bulls become first No. 10 seeds to win in play-in tournament behind superstar performances
Bulls will face Heat and Thunder will meet the Wolves in do-or-die Friday matchups
Photo by Layne Murdoch Jr./NBAE via Getty Images
LaVine leads Bulls back for 109-105 win over Raptors
Having played in just one playoff series in nine years to this point — and struggling immensely, averaging just 19.3 points in four games — Bulls fans have been anxiously awaiting the moment Zach LaVine would take the next step. Finally, LaVine was the one to step up when Chicago was down 19 early in the third quarter, scoring 30 of his 39 in the second half.
DeRozan, who played his first nine seasons in Toronto, scored 23 points on 10-19 shooting to best his former teammate, Pascal Siakam, who finished with 32 points, nine rebounds, and six assists. He and the Raptors will head into the offseason with a cloud of uncertainty around Nick Nurse’s future with the team.
The Bulls will head down to Miami for a win-or-go-home contest Friday at 7 p.m. and LaVine can cement his arrival with another strong performance there to fuel Chicago to a first round matchup against Milwaukee.
OKC’s bright future may be here sooner than expected following 123-118 win over NOLA
I’m sure if you told Thunder fans before the season that Chet Holmgren wouldn’t play a single game but they’d still have a chance to make the playoffs on Play-In Friday, most of them wouldn’t believe you; or if they did, they’d be stoked for what was about to come. Factor in Shai Gilgeous-Alexander having what looks to be a 5th-place MVP season, and OKC suddenly has a ton to write home about.
SGA showed up in a big way in this win, scoring a game-high 32 points, including eight of OKC’s final 13 points. They held a near-double-digit lead to start the fourth, but it slowly slipped away down the stretch with the Pelicans holding a lead in the final minute. SGA was one of the crucial reasons the Thunder were able to close it out.
Pelicans head home with Brandon Ingram (30 points, six rebounds, and seven assists) doing all he can with Zion Williamson still sidelined for what feels like forever. OKC will head to Minnesota where they may or may not face off against Rudy Gobert for a do-or-die at 9:30 on Friday.
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