What else is at stake?

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Implications for Playoff

Denver Nuggets (46-26) vs. Toronto Raptors (52-19)

The Nuggets have claimed the No. 3 seed in the West.

The Raptors have claimed the No. 2 seed in the East.

Miami Heat (44-28) vs. Indiana Pacers (44-28)

The winner will be the fourth seed in the East. The loser will be the fifth seed. With advantage of toilets all but eliminated in the bubble, this game will have far less meaning than it can have in a pre-COVID world.

The Thunder and Rockets are locked up in the 4-5 series in the West. OKC could fall to fifth seed with a loss and a win from Houston, but again: Beyond virtual fans and music choices, there is no home edge.

The Clippers have claimed the No. 2 seed in the West.

The Sixers have confirmed the No. 6 seed in the East.

Who and what to see

Makes home base, too, a bit?

Nope.

Just look at the final in the regular season between the Heat and Pacers, a preview of the first round that will decide which team enters when the fourth seed and which lands the fifth seed. Miami stars Jimmy Butler (foot), Bam Adebayo (knee) and Goran Dragic (ankle) have all been ruled out for Friday’s game, while rotation players Jae Crowder, Andre Iguodala and Derrick Jones Jr. are all named as dubious. Every regular on the Heat roster is expected to sit for limited minutes while playing, according to Ira Winderman of the Sun Sentinel.

Most, if not all, of them would play as advantage of coming home in their first round of importance.

Similarly, Indiana’s injury report on Wednesday noted Victor Oladipo (ankle), Myles Turner (wrist) and TJ Warren (foot) as out. The Pacers are already two starters down, including All-Star big Domantas Sabonis.

Asked to what extent housebreaking in a bubble meant, Pacers guard TJ McConnell told reporters Thursday that it was ‘non-existent’. In other words, all three of Friday’s games that could affect seeding for the playoffs are completely inconsistent, at least in terms of a right-hander this season.

So, what else is at stake on Friday?

The design assignment and spending some money.

The NBA Draft Lottery is only locked in:

1. Golden State Warriors

2. Cleveland Cavaliers

3. Timberwolves of Minnesota

4. Atlanta Hawks

5. Detroit Pistons

6. New York Knicks

7. Chicago Bulls

8. Charlotte Hornets

9. Washington Wizards

10. Phoenix Suns

11. San Antonio Spurs

12. Pelicans of New Orleans

13. Sacramento Kings

Which team loses the play-in series – the Grizzlies or Blazers – will hold 14th place in the August 20 lottery. The Memphis pick will convert to the Celtics, unless the ping pong balls deliver at the 2.4 percent odds that the Grizzlies will jump into the top four, in which case Boston would have their unprotected 2021 pick.

The lottery order is based on games played through March 11, when the season ended. However, the order for teams 15-30 is based on combined records before and after the restart. The order for picks 20-24 depends on Friday’s results and subsequent coin flips. Whoever loses the Heat-Pacers game will line up 20th on October 16th. Whoever wins could fall to 24th if the Rockets and Thunder both win. However, the non-stars who play on Friday will have no motivation to lose because they will play for job security.

Story goes on