During the 2020 Orlando bubble, the NBA implemented a mini-tournament dubbed the play-in for the No. 8 seed in the Western Conference.
The play-in tournament provided more opportunities for teams outside of the top-eight to compete for a playoff spot rather than tank for a better draft pick.
In the 2020-21 season, the play-in tournament was revamped to include the No. 7 seed, making the playoff battle more riveting.
The Los Angeles Lakers ended up in the tournament after injuries caused the team to slip in the standings, finishing the regular season as the No. 7 seed.
LeBron James blasted the idea of the tournament before the Lakers officially ended up in that position, but he drilled an incredible 3-pointer to lift L.A. past the Golden State Warriors in the first game of the tournament.
During his press conference before the finals began, NBA commissioner Adam Silver tournament addressed the play-in tournament’s future, via The Athletic:
NBA commissioner Adam Silver said Tuesday it’s the league’s expectation that the play-in tournament used to determined the seventh and eighth seeds in each conference this season will continue in the 2021-22 season.
“Overall it was very positive for the league and players,” Silver said of the play-in tournament.
The Lakers-Warriors game lived up the hype, as it drew the highest ratings on ESPN since 2019 when it happened.
But it’s impossible to predict who the teams in the play-in tournament would be next season. The Lakers and Warriors were only there due to several injuries both teams dealt with throughout the season.
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