![]() The modern first round’s victorious 7/8 seeds What do we know about those four teams who won? We’re glad you asked. ![]() And of course, four of them actually won the series outright. Really, the main differences to date are the fact that the pre-play-in era teams got swept more often (20 of the 64 series losers were dispatched of within four games, while just one of the nine play-in winners has been swept) but also took series the distance more often (10 of 64 series losers made it to a Game 7 before being eliminated). 7-8 who did not go through the play-in round in 2020.Ī three-year sample is obviously much smaller (and thus inherently less meaningful) than a 17-year sample, but the fact that the results are so similar is quite striking. 7 and 8 seeds during play-in era (2020-22) and pre-play-in era (2003-19) in 7-game first-round series Play-in era 7/8 seeds have fared as poorly as their predecessors 1 or 2) of roughly similar quality, and they have had remarkably similar results to their predecessors. During that span, they have also faced off against opponents (seeds No. 7 or 8 seed in the preceding 17 seasons (2003 through 2019), a span that encompasses the entirety of the seven-game first-round series era. 7 or 8 seed have been of almost the exact same quality as the average No. According to Basketball-Reference’s Simple Rating System, the nine teams that have escaped the play-in to become a No. You might think that poor track record is indicative of the recent play-in victors being particularly weak seventh- or eighth-seeded teams, but that’s not the case. Those teams are 0-9 overall, and none of the nine series in which they’ve been involved has even made it to a seventh game. Throw in the fact that the play-in teams are the only ones playing actual games until the weekend, and you’ve got the perfect environment for the pundits to fire off some hot takes about which of them poses the greatest danger to the top seeds.Ī word of caution, though: In the three years of the play-in’s existence - either as a one-game format in 2020 or a multi-game bracket starting in 2021 - not a single team that made it out has won a first-round playoff series. The fact that three of those teams have made the NBA Finals in recent years (and one of them is LeBron James’s team) surely has a lot to do with that, but so does the perception that this year’s title race is more wide-open than in years past - a perception that has been present since before the season even began. The veteran forward is averaging 8 points and 5.3 rebounds in The Finals.Teams trying to advance out of the play-in - such as LeBron James’s Lakers - haven’t had much success once the actual playoffs begin.Īs the NBA’s annual play-in tournament plays out over the next few days, we’re sure to hear a lot of talk about which of the teams involved is the greatest threat to “make some noise” in the playoffs. Love signed with the Heat in February after reaching a contract buyout with the Cavaliers. The other was the 2016 Cleveland Cavaliers - a team that Love also played for. The Heat will try to become the second team in history to successfully rally from a 3-1 deficit in the NBA Finals. “Definitely need to get some rest now, get some sleep,” Love said in Denver during the media session Sunday afternoon. Love and his wife welcomed their firstborn on Saturday □□ Game 5 is Monday ( 8:30 ET, ABC), with the Nuggets leading the Heat 3-1 in the series. Love flew to Denver on his own, arriving in time for the team’s film session and media responsibilities on Sunday. Love and his wife, Kate Bock, became parents on Saturday. Kevin Love missed Miami’s team flight to Denver for Game 5 of the NBA Finals. Kevin Love celebrates the birth of his first-born child ahead of the Heat’s Game 5 matchup vs.
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