10-Seeds Bulls & Thunder Advance on the Road With Comeback Wins
We’ve got drama! The second set of NBA play-in games took the court on Wednesday, and both games came down to the wire before the lower seeds pulled the upsets. The Bulls and Thunder are moving on to the next round of play-in games with a shot at the 8-seed on Friday. The Raptors and Pelicans are heading home for the offseason.
Bulls def. Raptors (109-105)
Don’t let the scoreline fool you. The East’s 9-10 play-in was all Raptors in the first half and change. Toronto cooked up a 19-point lead in the third quarter before Zach LaVine caught fire. LaVine scored 30 of his game-high 39 points in the second half, and the Raptors struggled at the free-throw line to let Chicago back in it. The Bulls still trailed by 10 with 10 minutes to play, but LaVine and a few big plays from DeMar DeRozan (23 points) down the stretch made the difference. Pascal Siakam (32-9-6) and Fred VanVleet (26-12-8) were lights out for the Raptors, but Toronto finished 18-for-36 (50%) from the line. The Raptors are going home and the Bulls are heading to Miami on Friday.
Thunder def. Pelicans (123-118)
A wild one in New Orleans saw the Pelicans’ season come to a close at the hands of the Thunder. Oklahoma City’s trio of Shai Gilgeous-Alexander (32), Josh Giddey (31-10-9) and Luguentz Dort (27) combined for 90 points. The Pelicans actually out-rebounded (48-38) and out-shot (48.3%-45.7%) the Thunder, but OKC’s 39-24 third-quarter stretch flipped the script. Brandon Ingram (30-7-6) hit a 3 to make things interesting in the final seconds, but the Pelicans turned it over on their final possession and the Thunder knocked down their free throws. The Pels are done for the year, but the Thunder travel to Minnesota for a shot at the 8-seed.
Final Play-In Games (8-Seeds)
Bulls at Heat (Friday, 7:00 pm ET)
Thunder at Timberwolves (Friday, 9:30 pm ET)
Additional Storylines
ESPN: Bulls Laud ‘Extraordinary’ LaVine After Key Play-In Game Performance
B/R: Zion Williamson’s Absence in Play-In Loss to Thunder Draws Blame From Fans
Yahoo! Sports: DeMar DeRozan’s Daughter Screams Through Raptors Free Throws, And It Pays Off in Bulls Win
