Though Zion Williamson of the New Orleans Pelicans sat out Friday's game, his team defeated the Washington Wizards 118-107 to retain their hopes of NBA playoff qualification in the Western Conference. Meanwhile, the Wizards who have suffered five straight losses since season restart officially said goodbye to the next stage.
Jrue Holiday was New Orleans' hero as he dropped A court-high 28 points, six assists and two steals. Unusually, Holiday made only two attempts in the middle range and instead focused on attacking the paint in which he was 8-10. He also went 4-5 on the free-throw line.
Rui Hachimura #8 of the Washington Wizards tries to move past a New Orleans Pelicans opponent at the Visa Athletic Center at ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex in Lake Buena Vista, Florida, August 7, 2020. /VCG
Another six of Holiday's teammates also reached double digits. Washington's first-year rookie Rui Hachimura got a team-high 23 points. In fact, thanks to their disappointing performance in Orlando, Washington's record is already worse than the Charlotte Hornets who did not attend season restart.
The results of the other games that could influence the final rankings in the East were: Brooklyn Nets beat Sacramento Kings 119-106, Philadelphia 76ers defeated Orlando Magic 108-101, Boston Celtics took a big 122-100 win over Toronto Raptors.
Jayson Tatum #0 and Daniel Theis of the Boston Celtics high-five each other during the game against the Toronto Raptors at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex, August 7, 2020. /VCG
Judging by the latest records and future schedule of the teams, the Milwaukee Bucks, the Raptors and the Celtics should be top 3 in the East when the regular season is finished. There may be a change between No. 7 Nets and No. 8 Magic, but neither of them is able to make the top 6.
The real tricky zone involves No. 4 Miami Heat, No. 5 Indiana Pacers and No. 6 76ers. Currently, the Heat lead the other two by one game. However, No. 4 and No. 5 will play each other and the winner is very likely to meet the No. 1 Bucks in the semifinals. By contrast, No. 6 will challenge Celtics, who have obvious weaknesses with their big men. This can be tempting for the 76ers who have probably the biggest squad in the league.
Ja Morant #12 of the Memphis Grizzlies defends against Chris Paul of the Oklahoma City Thunder at the Visa Athletic Center, August 7, 2020. /VCG
Grizzlies finally achieve first win since season restart
The Memphis Grizzlies, who have suffered four losses in a row since restart, finally put an end to their embarrassing record as they beat the Oklahoma City Thunder 121-92. Dillon Brooks had a game-high 22 points plus six rebounds and four assists. Ja Morant scored 19 points and had nine assists.
On OKC's side, the team took a big hit in rebounding and points in the paint thanks to the absence of Steven Adams. Chris Paul put down 17 points, five rebounds and five assists while helping five of his teammates get double-digit points, but he alone could not save OKC from a big loss.
DeMar DeRozan #10 of the San Antonio Spurs drives forward against Utah Jazz at the ESPN Wide World Of Sports Complex, August 7, 2020. /VCG
The other game in the Western Conference ended with the San Antonio Spurs defeating the Utah Jazz 119-111. The results of the two games threw the West further into disorder. The Los Angeles Lakers have already logged on to the leading position. Neither Los Angeles Clippers nor Denver Nuggets are likely to see any change to their No. 2 and No. 3 rankings. The Dallas Mavericks also sealed themselves as No. 7 in the West.
Play-in is already unavoidable for the last playoff spot in this conference. The Grizzlies' job is to keep themselves within the top 9. As for Nos. 4-6, OKC have nothing to lose – their qualification for the playoffs is already a big surprise in itself. The Utah Jazz and the Houston Rockets will probably rack their brains to "arrange" their opponents in the playoffs – either to meet the Nuggets in the first round or to challenge the Lakers in the semifinals.