NBA campus intel – Schedule and live updates for Day 14 of seeding games

The Houston Rockets and Indiana Pacers tipped things off Wednesday in a game that helped decide the remaining seeds in the East. The Pacers’ victory locked them in the No.4-No. 5 matchup with the Miami Heat, with Friday’s meeting between the two to decide the final seeding. The Philadelphia 76ers are locked up in No. 6 spot with a win over Indiana. With that, all four matchups for the first round of the Eastern Conference are set.

However, the playoff picture in the West could not be decided until Friday. The Clippers can secure the No. 2 seed with a win over the Nuggets on Wednesday. The loss of the Rockets to the Pacers secures a no. 4-nee. 5 matchup with the Oklahoma City Thunder, with final seeding yet to be decided in the regular season finals. All four West teams participating in the final two play-in spots will play Thursday to close out the playoff picture.

Here’s the latest on the standings, the games to watch on Wednesday and Thursday, and everything you need to know. Check back all day for highlights and updates.

PAST BUBBLE INTEL: July 30 | 31 July | August 1 | Aug 2 | August 3 | August 4 | August 5 | August 6 | August 7 | August 8 | August 9 | August 10 | Aug 11

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Last buzz

Grizzlies will not face Giannis in the final seed game

If the Memphis Grizzlies can take business on Thursday against the Milwaukee Bucks, they may need to send Moe Wagner a tank note.

The Grizzlies are 1-6 in the bubble and are at risk of falling out of the playoff controversy, but they caught on Wednesday when the NBA announced that Giannis Antetokounmpo will miss Thursday’s game while serving a one-game suspension for head-butting Wagner Tuesday.

Memphis’ situation is simple: Win, and they’re in the playoffs. Lose, and it’s out of their hands.

The Bucks are locked in the top seed of the East and have not had much incentive to play their best players anyway, and Antetokounmpo’s suspension made at least one decision easy for coach Mike Budenholzer.

But that’s not the Grizzlies’ concern. Following Tuesday’s loss to the Boston Celtics, coach Taylor Jenkins said they were trying to keep the focus on themselves, maintaining that they simply did not meet their own standard. It does not hurt that the ruling MVP, however, does not get in the way of finally finding it. – Royce Young

Nick Nurse lets his assistant coach vs. Sixers left

Coach Raptors coach Nick Nurse let assistant Adrian Griffin take over the team for Wednesday’s game against the Philadelphia 76ers, announcing the team about 90 minutes prior to tip-off.

Griffin thanks Nurse for the opportunity during first name availability.

“I think [Nurse] is an amazing man, “said Griffin. He understands that a coach like me needs some reps to be a head coach. He knows my ambition and wants to see me grow as an individual on and off the court. It’s an amazing gesture from coach. He approached me with that. It just shows what character Coach Nurse has. We have a first class organization for a reason. “ – Andrew Lopez

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The must-see games of Wednesday

LA Clippers Vs. Denver Nuggets | 9 pm ET

Before the LA Clippers practice on Tuesday, coach Doc Rivers allowed himself a brief moment to ask what it will be like when Montrezl Harrell is back with the team.

Harrell, who left the bubble last month to tend to a domestic emergency, is currently in quarantine after returning and was able to rejoin the team on Friday.

“It would be nice to have our normal rotation in the bubble at least once,” said Rivers, who has not had his full roster in Florida. “We have to be the only team that does not have one game this normal rotation this whole bubble stretch.”

Actually, the Clippers are not alone. Nuggets head coach Michael Malone knows this pain all too well.

Malone introduced Wednesday night’s game between the Nuggets and Clippers. He does not have his full roster available. He did not have starters Gary Harris and Will Barton available for one of the seeding games, and he got Jamal Murray back just for a few games.

Despite the fact that both teams missed important players, the Clippers and Nuggets managed to reach their respective no. 2 and no. 3 to be held at the Western Conference. The Clippers (47-23) can clinch the 2-seed with a win over the Nuggets. Denver (46-25) could fall as low as No. 4 if it lost its remaining two games and Houston (44-26) wins out.

A Denver victory over the Clippers would give the Nuggets the peace of mind that they will not run in the earliest finals in the Los Angeles Lakers. And of course, if both the Nuggets and Clippers stayed on the second and third spots, they would potentially see each other in the second round.

With nearly half of the roster arriving at the bubble too late and others once injured inside, the Nuggets did not even have enough players to practice 5-on-5 for much of their time in the bubble. They have sustained a range of injuries to Harris (punishment of the right hip), Barton (pain of the right knee) and Murray (hamstring). But the emergence of Michael Porter Jr. has helped the Nuggets stay ahead of fourth-place Rockets by a game and a half.

The Clippers had also arrived late after the bubble, but then had three players – Patrick Beverley, Lou Williams and Harrell – away to tend to family emergencies. Harrell left on July 17 and returned just late Sunday night and will not be available to play on Wednesday. Beverley will miss his fourth straight game due to a penalty from left calf and guard Landry Shamet is also out due to a left foot injury.

But the Rivers team is on track to be whole again with Harrell potentially out of the quarantine in time for the regular season finale against Oklahoma City. Williams said Tuesday that opponents should watch out for a motivated Harrell as the Sixth Man of the Year finalist returns.

The image of health of the Nuggets is not so clear. Malone is not sure when he will have a completely healthy team in the bubble, but he made it clear that he will not sit and wait for that moment to happen either.

Of course, Porter averaged 23.8 points, 9.1 rebounds and 46.3% shots from outside the arc in the bubble a lot. And reserves like Monte Morris, PJ Dozier and Bol Bol have responded with playing time, and have the Lakers almost overwhelmed on Monday.

“I’m not trying to sound cold-blooded, but we can not wait for the boys who are injured,” Malone said. “The playoffs will not wait for us and we can not wait for the injured boys. Whoever is ready to play and can play, let us go out and participate.” – Ohm Youngmisuk

Additional games

Full scoreboard for Wednesday

Updated West play-in standings

8. Portland Trail Blazers | 34-39 (.466) | –
t-9. Memphis Grizzlies | 33-39 (.458) | 0.5 GB
t-9. Phoenix Suns | 33-39 (.458) | 0.5 GB
11. San Antonio Spurs | 32-38 (.457) | 0.5 GB

MORE: NBA Western Conference Recording Scenarios

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Thursday’s games should be watched

Milwaukee Bucks vs. Memphis Grizzlies | 4 pm ET

Memphis can guarantee itself a shot in the playoffs with a victory against the Bucks, at least the no. 9-seed closed. A win and a loss by Portland later in the night puts the Grizzlies in eighth place, giving them the upper hand in the playoffs. The good news for Memphis is that it probably does not need to get a full squad of Bucks. Giannis Antetokounmpo could miss the game on Tuesday due to a head-on kick from Tuesday’s game. Milwaukee could choose to rest more starters after the playoffs, with the top seed in the East already locked up. – Andrew Lopez