NBA playoffs predictions and play-in tournament schedule live updates: Bracket, odds, draft lottery and stats

Here in Sacramento, where the Kings need to beat Portland to keep their chances of getting the eighth spot alive, there's another subplot worth watching: The battle of the Murray twins. Keegan Murray and Kris Murray guarded each other every time out early on, which will surely lead to a Spider Man meme situation with referees if they try to blame one another for a foul call.

Beyond this game, though, both brothers have found themselves with increased responsibilities in the later stages of this season. Keegan has stepped up in the absence of Malik Monk, who went down on March 29 with an MCL sprain in his right knee. Since then, the second-year forward ,who was taken fourth overall out of Iowa in 2022, has averaged 18.5 points, 6.5 rebounds, two assists and 37.4 minutes per game (he averaged 14.9 points, 5.4 rebounds, 1.6 assists and 33.2 minutes up to that point). The Kings, of course, have struggled mightily without Monk (they're 3-5).

Kris, the rookie who was taken 23rd overall out of Iowa, has been averaging nine points, 5.1 rebounds and 31.8 minutes for the Blazers since Feb. 23 (he averaged just 13.1 minutes before this stretch).

Today was officially Mike Gorman day in the city of Boston, honoring the iconic Celtics play-by-play announcer as he calls his final regular-season game. Today Commissioner Adam Silver released this statement:

“Mike Gorman is Boston sports royalty. As the voice of the Celtics for 43 years, he has brought joy and lasting memories to legions of fans through his own signature style. On behalf of everyone at the NBA, we congratulate Mike on his Hall of Fame broadcasting career.”

Gorman, who announced his retirement in The Athletic, will call Boston’s first-round series starting Sunday before officially heading off into retirement.

The Suns are 8-11 from 3, and most of them are wide open looks. The Wolves have 11 turnovers in 11 minutes. The Suns lead 44-22 after one quarter. Things could not be going worse.

Kawhi Leonard, Paul George, James Harden and Russell Westbrook are all inactive. Ivica Zubac and Norman Powell are dressed, but were DNP-CDs Friday night and would be doubtful to play today. Terance Mann is starting, but he will surely be limited.

The attention is on being ready for the Dallas Mavericks. Leonard hasn't played in two weeks while trying to quell his right knee inflammation. He is not dealing with any setbacks, and the Clippers are not concerned: not Tyronn Lue, not the front office, not Leonard's teammates.

Leonard has dealt with this kind of treatment before, when he returned from ACL surgery to begin the 2022-23 season. In Week 2 of that season, Leonard was sent back to LA to deal with knee discomfort and missed 25 days before he was ready to return. A similar timeframe would jeopardize his readiness for Games 1-2 of the Mavericks series.

The Clippers need to prepare to play without him in the case he is not ready.

But it also appears that the Clippers will utilize Leonard's clairvoyant status as a level of gamesmanship with the Mavericks as well. Lue feels good, so that's better than October and November 2022 at least.

After all the injuries, after all the uncertainty, the New York Knicks finish the season with the second-best record in the Eastern Conference.

The final, in overtime: Knicks 120, Bulls 119. Jalen Brunson had 40 points, eight rebounds and seven assists. Donte DiVincenzo had 25 and 7 in 53 minutes. It's the Knicks' first 50-win season in 11 years.

The Knicks will play the winner of the 76ers vs. the Heat in the play-in tournament. That game is scheduled for Wednesday at 7 p.m. EST in Philadelphia.

The Knicks beat the Bulls in overtime to secure the No. 2 seed. The Magic, Pacers, 76ers and Heat all won. Cleveland and Milwaukee lost. So the East's playoff field is set.

Play-In Tournament

(10) Atlanta Hawks (36-46) at (9) Chicago Bulls (39-43)

(8) Miami Heat (46-36) at (7) Philadelphia 76ers (47-35)

Playoffs

(1) Boston Celtics (64-18) vs. (8) Play-In Winner

(2) New York Knicks (50-32) vs. (7) Heat/76ers Winner

(3) Milwaukee Bucks (49-33) vs. (6) Indiana Pacers (47-35)

(4) Cleveland Cavaliers (48-34) vs. (5) Orlando Magic (47-35)

The West will be decided after this last block of games.

If the Pelicans win, they get the sixth seed. If the Lakers win, they claim the eighth seed and and will face....the Pelicans in the 7-8 Play-In game.

As if there wasn't enough tension any time Anthony Davis steps foot in Smoothie King Center.

The Celtics finish the regular season 64-18 and were 14 games ahead of the second-best record in the East, the largest conference lead since the merger in 1976.

Their 11.7 net rating was third in NBA history, behind the 1996 and 1997 Bulls.

They won by 30 points 10 times this year, an NBA record.

The Miami Heat will go to Philadelphia on Wednesday night to play the 76ers. Call it the "OK, Do We Trust These Guys Now" matchup.

The Heat are once again in the Play-In Tournament. Last year they rode that into the NBA Finals. So, put a lot of weight on the regular season at your own risk. The 76ers will be as good as Joel Embiid is healthy.

Then again, he's had his own problems in the postseason, so he also has to prove out if the regular season will roll into the playoffs. It should be captivating either way and there is a BIG difference between being the 7-seed and facing the Knicks (and thus avoiding the Celtics) and having to win the 8-seed and having to play Boston in the first round.

At the end of regulation, the Knicks and Bulls are tied at 109. The 2 seed hangs in the balance.

For what it's worth, this game legit has no meaning for the Bulls, who are locked into the ninth place. They're competing crazy hard today and they're doing it just for the sake of competition.

The Bucks have officially lost. If the Knicks beat the Bulls, they get the 2 seed. If the Knicks lose, they get the 3 seed.

Tied at 109, 13.9 seconds left. Knicks ball.

Doc Rivers has pulled out his regulars here in Orlando and now all the Bucks can do is watch the score in New York.

If the Knicks are able to pull it out over the Bulls in the final six minutes, the Bucks will be the No. 3 seed. If the Knicks lose, the Bucks end the season as the No. 2 seed, but it is going to be awfully hard to feel good about their effort to close the season.

Since the All-Star Break, the Bucks are just 14-11 overall. They've seen their offensive rating drop down to eighth during that time period, while their defensive rating only jumped up to 16th.

Giannis Antetokounmpo is currently sidelined with a left soleus strain and no one with the Bucks seems sure that he will be back for Game 1 of the playoffs, no matter who the Bucks end up playing.

The Miami Heat finished their regular season with a 118-103 win over the Toronto Raptors, putting them at 46-36 on the season. Unfortunately for them, the Indiana Pacers and Philadelphia 76ers won, and with the Orlando Magic on the way to a win over the Bucks, the Heat will travel to Philadelphia for the 7-8 Play-In Game on Wednesday. (The Flyers have a home game on Tuesday, meaning the 7-8 game will go a day later than usual, with the West 9-10 game moving to Tuesday.)

On the bright side, we get another example of Jimmy Butler trying to prove a point to the 76ers, even if the franchise is a front office and two coaches removed from the people that declined to bring Butler back after the 2018-19 season.

One of the fun parts of these final games for playoff teams is getting to see the bench players shine when they get handed the keys. Celtics guard Payton Pritchard had a career-high 31 points Friday night, but didn't get to play much of the fourth quarter to chase a bigger number to set the career-high.

"I'm not really like stat chasing," Pritchard said after the game. "I think eventually in my career, I'll get another opportunity and I'll pass it then."

On Sunday, he made sure to bury a pull-up at the third quarter buzzer to drop 32 and surpass that number the first chance he got. He finished with 38 points in 44 minutes (yes, 44 minutes) on 15-for-21 shooting with 12 assists and nine rebounds in Boston's 132-122 win over the Wizards Sunday. Overall, Pritchard averaged 22 points over his final six games of the season.

The fans were giving him a standing ovation as the clock ran out on Boston’s final possession, hoping he would go for 40. But he dribbled the clock out. No stat chasing.