The battle for the 8th seed and the right to get into a play-in series is heading into the home stretch, with four teams battling for two spots with two games left. The Phoenix Suns and Portland Trail Blazers have generated the most headlines thanks to the play of stars Devin Booker and Damian Lillard, but with two games left for all four teams, the Memphis Grizzlies are still mathematically the most likely first round opponent for the Los Angeles Lakers, according to projections from ESPN’s Kevin Pelton.
According to Pelton’s statistical projections, the Grizzlies end as the 8th seed 44% of the time, while Portland is behind them at 36%, followed by 15% for the Phoenix Suns. The Blazers and Grizzlies both have a higher chance of finishing in 8th than they do of finishing in 9th place, putting even more pressure on them to win out. Both Portland (vs. Dallas) and Memphis (vs. Boston) will play this afternoon.
Meanwhile, Phoenix shows no signs of slowing down as they take on a Philadelphia team that will be without Ben Simmons and Joel Embiid. San Antonio also has a crucial game at 11 a.m. pacific against the Houston Rockets. Tuesday’s results will go a long way in deciding who the Lakers will see in the playoffs.
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