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The NBA playoffs , which begin on August 17, will miss the San Antonio Spurs, the team that forged its legend for 22 years in which he never missed the appointment. And many will also regret the absence of the Phoenix Suns, who have not been able to assert the extraordinary streak of eight victories in the eight games they have played since competition was resumed in the Disney World bubble.
Portland and Memphis exploited the advantage they had obtained before the suspension of the regular phase on March 11 due to the pandemic and qualified for the Play-in , the tie that the NBA devised to compensate for the cut of the regular phase, that this season it has gone from the usual 82 games of each team to 71 or even 74, depending on the case.
The last day of those involved in the fight to play that tie, from which the last of the 16 teams that will play the playoffs will come out , came in the midst of enormous equality and multiple possibilities for Memphis, Portland, Phoenix and San Antonio. Those who depended on themselves got their way. Portland suffered until the last second, but beat Utah (133-134), and Memphis edged Milwaukee (119-106). These results made Phoenix's victory against Dallas (128-102) useless and also left San Antonio without any option, already eliminated before starting a game that they lost to Utah (118-112) anyway.
The Suns met the eight-game challenge in the bubble from 13th place in the standings with six wins less than Memphis and three less than Portland. San Antonio, 12th when it began to be played at Disney World with just one win more than the Suns, held on until the last day of its options to enter one more year in the playoffs . However, when he started his last game, against Utah, shortly after the victory of Memphis, he already knew he was eliminated. He was saying goodbye after 22 consecutive seasons in the fight for a title that he has won five times since that very long streak began in the 1997-1998 season.
Trouble and advantage for Portland
Portland was awarded eighth place in the standings and the right to play the Play-in with a lot of trouble. Lillard, with 42 points and 12 assists, was once again decisive in his narrow victory over Brooklyn (133-134). The Oregon team could not claim victory until Caris LeVert, having added 37 points, missed the last shot of the match. Had that shot been made, Portland would have been eliminated and Phoenix would have played a playoff berth with Memphis. The victory, however, also gives Portland an advantage in the Play-in. It will be enough for her to win the first game against the Grizzlies this Saturday; and if she loses, she will have a second chance on Sunday. The winner will play the first round of the playoffs against the Lakers.
Memphis clinched a play-in spot with its second win in eight games in the bubble. He was fortunate that the Bucks, who did not play anything in the duel, could not count on their star Giannis Antetokoumpo, sanctioned with a game for having headbutted German power forward Moe Wagner, in the game held on Wednesday against the Washington Wizards. The Grizzlies pushed firmly and enforced the remarkable performances of Valanciunas, with 26 points, 19 rebounds and 12 assists, Ja Morant, also with a triple-double, with 12 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists, and Dillon Brooks, with 31 points. . The Bucks, in addition to the loss of Giannis, dosed their best players and the starters only spent 20 minutes on the court.
Phoenix needed not only to win, but for Memphis or Portland to lose. He achieved his eighth straight win with authority, this time against Dallas (128-102). The Suns once again clung to the extraordinary form of Devin Booker, author of 27 points, 7 rebounds and 5 assists, the direction of Ricky Rubio, with 7 points and 12 assists in 21 minutes, and the contributions of Saric, Cameron Johnson, Payne, Bridges, and Ayton.
The Mavericks, who did not play anything, since they would finish in seventh place win or lose, did not have Porzingis and limited the minutes of the headlines. Doncic only played 13 minutes and it was enough to add 18 points and 5 rebounds. Seth Curry and Hardaway only played 20 minutes and Finney-Smith, 11.
THE 'PLAY-IN'
Portland-Memphis
The Play-in or eliminatory between the eighth and the ninth of the West is played this Saturday (20.30, Movistar +). If Portland wins it will already be classified. If Memphis wins, a second game will be played this Sunday (22.30, Movistar +).
THE 'PLAYOFFS'
Eastern Conference
1st Milwaukee - 8th Orlando
4th Miami - 5th Indiana
3rd Boston - 6th Philadelphia
2nd Toronto - 7th Brooklyn
Western Conference
1st Lakers - 8th Portland or Memphis
4th Oklahoma - 5th Houston
3rd Denver - 6th Utah
2nd Clippers - 7th Dallas
THE CALENDAR
The playoffs will begin on August 17. All series will be played to the best of seven games.
The Conference semifinals will begin on August 31
The Conference finals will begin on September 15
On September 30 the final will begin and, if necessary, the seventh game will be on October 13
The era of the Spurs
The day closed an era in which the Spurs always remained in excellence. Led by Gregg Popovich, it featured players who put a special stamp on their game and left a deep mark on the competition. The pivot pair of Tim Duncan, at age 22, and veteran David Robinson, at 33, led their first title in 1999. It was a season cut to 55 games in the regular season due to a lockout. They culminated it with the victory in the final against the Knicks of Patrick Ewing, Latrell Sprewell, Allan Houston and Larry Johnson.
The Spurs' second title came in 2003, still with David Robinson, in his final season at 37. Also with Duncan and with the contributions of Tony Parker, in his second season at just 20 years old, and Manu Ginobili, who, at 25, had triumphed in Italian basketball with the Bologna Virtus. With that backbone, the Spurs added the third and fourth rings in 2005 and 2007. The fifth, in 2014, they conquered with Duncan already 38 years old, Ginobili, with 36, and Parker, with 31. Popovich had added two seasons before a young Kawhi Leonard who, at 22, was designated the MVP of some finals in which they swept Miami (4-1), the team of LeBron James, Dwyane Wade, Chris Bosh and Ray Allen, who one year he had ultimately surprised them (4-3).
Leonard, along with LaMarcus Aldridge, was called to be the fundamental pillar in the permanence of the Spurs in the elite of the NBA. But in 2018, after disagreements with the Texan team, he preferred to go to Toronto and it was there that he conquered his second ring, along with Lowry, Siakam, Marc Gasol and Ibaka.
Gregg Popovich, 71, responded to rumors about his retirement and left open the possibility of continuing to coach the Spurs next season. "Why not? The end of the streak probably means a lot to a lot of people, but I don't dwell on the past. The important thing is the moment you do what you have to do and then move on. Looking back doesn't do much good. The successes we have achieved are due to the fact that we have had great players ”. Tim Duncan has served as Popovich's assistant this season, as has Becky Hammon. In one of the games in which Popovich was absent, Duncan served as head coach.