Embiid closing in on history, NBA matchups to be set

Joel Embiid is about to make a number of historical past. And a half-dozen first-round or play-in recreation matchups are set to be determined.

The ultimate day of the NBA season has no scarcity of storylines.

A brand new scoring champion shall be topped and, barring one thing loopy, Embiid, who hails from Cameroon, will change into the primary worldwide participant to win that title. The Philadelphia massive man would even be the primary heart to win the scoring crown since Shaquille O’Neal in 1999-2000.

Embiid scored 41 factors Saturday in Philadelphia’s 133-120 win over Indiana. He’s now averaging 30.6 factors for the season, which is simply forward of LeBron James’ 30.3-point-per-game clip for the Los Angeles Lakers and Kevin Durant’s 30.1 common for the Brooklyn Nets.

However neither James nor Durant will play sufficient video games to qualify for the statistical title; in an 82-game season, 58 video games performed is the minimal. Which means the scoring race comes right down to Embiid and Milwaukee’s Giannis Antetokounmpo, the star from Greece – additionally bidding to be the primary worldwide NBA scoring champion – who would wish a miracle end to seize the crown.

If Embiid performs within the 76ers’ regular-season finale in opposition to Detroit and didn’t rating – which is unlikely – Antetokoumpo would nonetheless want 47 factors within the Bucks’ finale at Cleveland to take the lead. If Embiid doesn’t play in any respect Sunday, Antetokounmpo would wish 77 factors to tie Embiid for the crown.

Milwaukee Bucks ahead Giannis Antetokounmpo drives on the Pistons’ Braxton Key in Detroit on April 8, 2022.
(AP Photograph/Paul Sancya)

Antetokounmpo is averaging 29.9 factors getting into the season’s last day.

EAST RACE

Miami is the No. 1 seed. Toronto is the No. 5 seed. Chicago is the No. 6 seed. All the things else stays unclear.

Philadelphia’s win over Indiana on Saturday signifies that the Sixers shall be both No. 3 or No. 4. Boston or Milwaukee shall be No. 2; the Bucks lock up that spot with a win at Cleveland on Sunday however are planning to relaxation a lot of their regulars. Boston can get to No. 2 by successful at Memphis and the Cavaliers beating the Bucks.

EAST PLAY-IN RACE

All that’s sure is Atlanta can’t end seventh and Brooklyn can’t end tenth. The Nets could be No. 7, No. 8 or No. 9 – and the Hawks could be No. 8, No. 9 or No. 10. Cleveland and Charlotte shall be in there, too, in some order.

There are 4 Sunday video games that can inform the story, all 3:30 p.m. Jap begins: Indiana at Brooklyn, Milwaukee at Cleveland, Washington at Charlotte, and Atlanta at Houston.

The Nets can be No. 7 with a win and may get there with a loss as nicely. Cleveland can be no worse than No. 8 with a win. The Cavaliers and Hornets may every be seventh, eighth, ninth or tenth seeds.

WEST RACE

Phoenix is the No. 1 seed, Memphis is the No. 2 seed. Dallas and Golden State shall be No. 3 and No. 4 – in some order. And Denver and Utah shall be No. 5 and No. 6 – once more, in some order.

Golden State can be locked into No. 3 with a win Sunday at New Orleans.

Utah would be the No. 5 seed with a win over Portland on Sunday, or if the Los Angeles Lakers beat Denver within the regular-season finale for these groups.

WEST PLAY-IN RACE

These are the one matchups and websites which can be locked are to this point.

The Los Angeles Clippers will play at Minnesota on Tuesday night time, with the winner getting the No. 7 seed and a first-round collection with the Grizzlies.

The opposite West play-in recreation may have New Orleans enjoying host to San Antonio within the 9 vs. 10 matchup on Wednesday night time. The winner of that recreation performs the Clippers-Timberwolves loser on Friday to see who’ll face Phoenix in Spherical 1

THREES WERE DOWN

For the primary time in a decade, the NBA received’t set a 3-pointers-made report – no less than not when it comes to common.

Groups are making 12.4 3s per recreation this season, down barely from the 12.7 per recreation final season. The 2020-21 season was the ninth straight during which the 3s-per-game common had elevated to a report.

The report for 3s taken per recreation shall be damaged once more, for the eleventh consecutive season. And whole 3s made in a season is one other report, with the league going over the 30,000 mark for the primary time on Friday night time.

All that stated, the 3-point craze continues to be formally taking place. The league will take someplace between 86,000 and 87,000 3s this season by the shut of enterprise on Sunday. That’s virtually double what was taken 11 years in the past.