Breaking news: The matchups and game times for the Eastern Conference Play-in Tournament have been finalized.
The Miami Heat will face off against the Philadelphia 76ers in the No. 7 vs. No. 8 game on Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. on ESPN, while the No. 9 Chicago Bulls will take on the No. 10 Atlanta Hawks at 9:30 p.m. on the same day. The matchup between the Hawks and Bulls has been scheduled for a while, but the 76ers and Heat officially entering the play-in tournament adds intrigue, making it one of the most compelling play-in games since the tournament’s inception.
The Hawks concluded their regular season on a disappointing note, suffering six consecutive losses and conceding 157 points to the Pacers in their final game. For the upcoming play-in tournament games, the Hawks will be without Jalen Johnson and Onyeka Okongwu. If they manage to defeat the Bulls and the loser of the Miami/Philadelphia game, they will advance to face the Boston Celtics in the first round of the playoffs.
Atlanta boasts a perfect record in play-in tournament games, having won all of their previous matchups. Two seasons ago, they defeated Charlotte and Cleveland to secure a playoff berth, only to fall to the No. 1 seed Miami Heat in five games. Last season, they triumphed over Miami in the first play-in game but were eliminated by the No. 2 seed Boston Celtics in six games. Trae Young has consistently performed well in play-in games, and Atlanta will rely on him to lead the team to victory. Although the Hawks lost the regular-season series to the Bulls, they emerged victorious in their most recent meeting in Chicago.
While the Hawks have the potential to win both games and advance to the playoffs, they will need to elevate their performance compared to their recent struggles. The outcome on Wednesday remains to be seen.
