It was win or go home for four teams Friday as the NBA play-in tournament wrapped up.
In the Eastern Conference, the Orlando Magic rolled past the Charlotte Hornets 121-90 to advance and face the top-seeded Detroit Pistons in the first round Sunday. The 31-point margin marked Charlotte’s largest loss of the season and the biggest win in play-in tournament history. This will be Orlando’s first playoff series against Detroit since the 2008 Eastern Conference semifinals, a matchup that also marked the last time the Pistons won a playoff series.
In the Western Conference, the Phoenix Suns cruised past the Golden State Warriors 111-96 to secure the No. 8 seed and a first-round matchup with the top-seeded, defending champion Oklahoma City Thunder on Sunday. Phoenix jumped out to a 13-2 lead and never looked back, powered by Jalen Green, who led all scorers with 36 points. Green, who scored 35 in Tuesday’s play-in loss to Portland, had never recorded back-to-back 35-point games entering this year’s tournament. He also knocked down eight 3-pointers, tying his career high and matching the most in a play-in game.
Here are the highlights from Friday’s NBA play-in tournament finale, as it happened.
