How the West’s play-in series will be won

Who and what to see

The Player of the Seeding Games race

The NBA will honor the Player of the Seeding Games with an award on Saturday, ahead of Game 1 of the Western Conference play-in series. Blazers star Damian Lillard is the solid favorite after scoring 112 points over his last two games, leaving his team at the top of a pack of six teams to claim an eighth-place finish in the West in theirs. last day of games in the regular season. Lillard averaged 37 points (49/41/89 shots), 9.3 assists and 4.4 rebounds in 41.4 minutes per game in Orlando starting Thursday’s games.

Lillard could lose his grip on the distinction with a loss, especially if Portland is eliminated from controversy with playoffs with poor performance. Devin Booker is the biggest threat to sweep Lillard’s honor. The Suns star averages 31 points (50/35/94 shooting split), 6.1 assists and 4.6 rebounds in Orlando. Equally important are Booker’s Suns 7-0 in the bubble, threatening to secure a key in the play-in series with a win and some help. Phoenix was further a long shot to start four teams at the start of the new, and Booker is the reason his team even now has a chance. (See his buzzer beater against the Clippers.)

Rest shenanigans

Bucks superstar Giannis Antetokounmpo’s suspension for Thursday’s game against the Grizzlies affects all the race for the two play-in spots of the Western Conference. Memphis came in the day as the favorite, according to BetMGM, which would suggest that even more Milwaukee players may miss this matchup, because even an Antetokounmpo-less Bucks team is better than the Grizzlies without Years Jackson Jr.

Wesley Matthews (adductor) is also mentioned for Milwaukee, and Ersan Ilyasova (elbow) is doubtful. How much will Bucks coach Mike Budenholzer Khris Middleton and Eric Bledsoe play in their final game of the regular season? Remember, Memphis coach Taylor Jenkins was an assistant under Budenholzer in Atlanta and Milwaukee for the previous six seasons before accepting his first head coaching job at the age of 35.

A win by Gimmezzlies from Gimme would leave only one play-in spot for Portland, Phoenix and San Antonio.

The Jazz apparently made their way to the sixth seed and a first-round playoff meeting with the Nuggets, and have already helped the Spurs by resting four starters in their matchup last week. That presumably boosted the ire of several teams around the league. Utah coach Quin Snyder ignored those concerns, resting all five of his starters for the second half of Monday’s loss to Dallas. Now Jazz starters Rudy Gobert (low back series) and Mike Conley (right knee soreness) have already been ruled out of Thursday’s rematch with San Antonio.

It is possible that the Nets rested any combination of Caris LeVert, Jarrett Allen and Joe Harris – their three most effective players on a roster already devastated by injury and opt-outs – against the Blazers. All three sat for Tuesday’s loss to Orlando with minor injuries, but they were each removed from the Brooklyn Injury Report on Wednesday each. That would suggest that the exhausting Nets will be as close as possible in Orlando for Thursday’s tilt as close as possible. How motivated they will be with the seed of now. 7 of the East already claimed is another story.

It’s less clear whether the Suns, who have benefited from opponents who have been in the bubble for much of their bubble, will reap these rewards. Mavericks stars Luka Doncic and Kristaps Porzingis returned from minor injuries to play big minutes in Tuesday’s loss to the Blazers. After clearing the seventh seed, Doncic was not included in Wednesday’s injury report, but Porzingis (left knee joint) and Seth Curry (sore right leg) were both. How much one of them played on Thursday could determine the fate of Phoenix.

Follow @brohrbach“data-reactid =” 133 “> Ben Rohrbach is a staff writer for Yahoo Sports. Do you have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @brohrbach