How Tuesday's results impacted the playoff race in the Eastern and Western Conference

NBA.com Staff

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How Tuesday's results impacted the playoff race in the Eastern and Western Conference image

At the beginning of the season, the NBA board of governors agreed to introduce a Play-In Tournament to the 2021 postseason.

Prior to the traditional 16-team playoff bracket beginning, the 7th ranked team will face the 8th ranked team to earn the No. 7 seed. Then, the 9th ranked team will face the 10th ranked team. The loser of the Seven-Eight game will host the winner of the Nine-Ten game with the winner of that matchup claiming the No. 8 seed.

#PlayIn

With the standings tight heading into the final month, let's take a look at how Monday night's impacted the race for play-in seeds.

New York Knicks 111, Los Angeles Lakers 96

Leading by just three points at the half, the Knicks used a 26-16 third quarter to pull away from the shorthanded Lakers.

All-Star forward Julius Randle was the star of the night, finishing with 34 points, 10 rebounds, four assists and two steals on 13-for-23 from the field.

Elfrid Payton also added 20 points on an efficient 9-for-12 shooting to ensure the Knicks picked up an important win.

What it means:

The win improved the Knicks record to 28-27 on the season as the franchise looks to make their first postseason appearance since 2013. New York sit in the eighth seed, just half a game back of Charlotte in the six spot in the East. The Knicks now head to New Orleans to deal with Zion Williamson and the Pelicans.

The Lakers drop to 33-21 on the season. They still remain 3.5 games clear of Dallas for the final play-in spot, with Anthony Davis and LeBron James still sidelined with injury.

Philadelphia 76ers 113, Dallas Mavericks 95

Without Kristaps Porzingis, the Dallas Mavericks had absolute no answer for Joel Embiid, with the Philadelphia big man pouring in 36 points in 25 minutes.

Only three Dallas players scored in double-digits, with Luka Doncic leading the way with 32 points. Trailing by 12 points at halftime, this game was over early with Dallas dropping a tough back-to-back after losing at the buzzer to San Antonio a night earlier.

What it means:

The back-to-back losses now drop Dallas two games back of the Portland Trail Blazers in the six seed in the West. The Mavericks appear solidified to at least reach the play-in tournament with New Orleans 4.5 games back, but they will desperately trying to secure a guaranteed first-round berth. The Mavericks will have one night off before heading to Memphis in another difficult matchup.

San Antonio Spurs 120, Orlando Magic 97

It was a stress free night for the Spurs in this one, as they blew out the struggling Orlando Magic.

DeMar DeRozan backed up his game-winning heroics from the night before to lead all scorers with 19 points while only needing to play 25 minutes.

What it means:

San Antonio remain in danger of falling out of the play-in tournament, just two games clear of the surging New Orleans Pelicans. San Antonio head to Tampa Bay after one night off to face to Toronto Raptors. 

Memphis Grizzlies 101, Chicago Bulls 90

Chicago surrendered a first-half lead in Memphis, going down to the Grizzlies in a battle of two teams trying to cement a play-in spot. 

Jonas Valanciunas was dominant with 26 points and 14 rebounds while Ja Morant also chipped in with 13 points and 10 assists.

Zach LaVine led the Bulls with 21 points but struggled from the floor to finish 5-for-14.

What it means:

The new-look Bull have struggled since making a splash at the trade deadline and have now lost three straight and seven of their last ten. They remain 1.5 games clear of Toronto for the final play-in spot, but that has more to do with the Raptors failing to make ground than anything. The Bulls will head home to meet the Magic after a night off in a game they should be able to handle.

The win keeps the Grizzlies locked in the eighth seed, three games ahead of New Orleans in 11th. With just 20 games to play it is a comfortable buffer, with an important home game against Dallas on tap after a night off. 

New Orleans Pelicans 117, Sacramento Kings 110

The Pelicans continue their surge with another dominant performance over the Sacramento Kings. Zion Williamson and Brandon Ingram combined for 64 points in the win.

It's the third straight win for New Orleans and the third straight game of 30+ points for Zion.

What it means:

In the 11th seed, the Pelicans are on the outside looking in, one game behind the Warriors, two games behind the Spurs and three games behind the Grizzlies. Up next is a very winnable game against the New York Knicks at home after one night off. 

Golden State Warriors 116, Denver Nuggets 

Steph Curry is threatening to drag the Warriors into the postseason single-handedly, pouring in 53 points in a vintage performance against the red hot Nuggets.

Curry was unstoppable against Denver, drilling 10 triples and passing Wilt Chamberlain for the franchise scoring record in the process. 

The Warriors have been up and down all season but one thing is for sure. No team wants to see Steph in a one-off play-in game, let alone a first-round playoff series.

What it means:

As mentioned above, the Warriors have a slight edge over the Pelicans in the standings. With wins over the Milwaukee Bucks and Denver in the last week, the Warriors are in good form, with another winnable matchup against Oklahoma City on the road next up. 

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NBA.com Staff

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